DJ KOO of the dance and vocal group TRF attended the opening ceremony of the Yokohama Chinese New Year Festival 2026 held at Yokohama City Hall (Naka-ku, Yokohama) on January 19th.
DJ KOO, who serves as the PR ambassador, appeared in a lion dance-themed costume and greeted the crowd with, "We're here to liven up the Yokohama Chinese New Year Festival!" He spoke about his memories of Yokohama, saying, "40 years ago, my wife and I loved (Off Course's) song 'Autumn Breeze.' The lyrics of the song include 'Kodakai Park, where you can look down on the harbor,' so I have fond memories of going on a date with my wife to Minato no Mieru Oka Park."
In reference to the Chinese New Year Festival, when asked about something that recently made her feel "celebratory," she said, "I did a Kendama recording for NHK's Kohaku Uta Gassen (at the end of last year), and just as the new year was coming, I noticed the excitement in the dressing room next door, and when I wondered who it was, it was Chanmina and HANA, and we celebrated together. When I went to the elevator to go home, the members of TUBE were there. When I was waiting for my car to go home, Aimyon was there. I met a lot of different people in one day, and I thought something good was going to happen."
The Yokohama Chinese New Year Festival is a local celebration of Yokohama's winter tradition, the Chinese New Year in Yokohama Chinatown, and is an initiative in which the city, businesses, and government work together to promote tourism. This year, which marks the fifth time the festival has been held, lanterns will be set up in around 60 locations around the city from January 20th to March 3rd, and various events will be held on weekends.
The opening ceremony was also attended by gourmet ambassador Hasshi (Hashimoto Akira), Mayor Yamanaka Takeharu, Executive Committee Chairman Takahashi Nobumasa, and Yokohama Chinatown Development Association Cooperative Association Chairman Shindo Sawa.
