＞Yuzu’s “Frontier” (30-second version): https://nba.rakuten.co.jp/videos/10283
Tokyo, September 26, 2022 - Rakuten Group, Inc. and the National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced that Japanese rock duo Yuzu, who is currently celebrating their 25th anniversary as a band, will debut “Frontier”, an original new track that has been selected as the official anthem of The NBA Japan Games 2022 Presented by Rakuten & Nissan (NBA Japan Games). Yuzu will perform the song for the first time live at The NBA Japan Games Saturday Night 2022 Presented by Rakuten & Nissan (NBA Saturday Night) at Saitama Super Arena on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 5 p.m.
Yuzu has supported countless athletes over the years through their music, and their new song “Frontier” was created specifically for the NBA Japan Games (song release date to be announced). The song centers on a distinct, driving rhythm pattern reminiscent of the sport of basketball, while the lyrics cheer on those who continue to follow their hearts and blaze their own trails. A 30-second teaser music video was released earlier today on the official NBA streaming service NBA Rakuten, the one-stop destination for fans in Japan to watch NBA games and programming, as well as the official NBA Rakuten YouTube channel.
Yuzu’s special live performance will take place during NBA Saturday Night, a fan event held in conjunction with the NBA Japan Games, which features the Golden State Warriors and the Washington Wizards playing two preseason games on Friday, Sept. 30 and Sunday, Oct. 2 at Saitama Super Arena, marking the league’s 15th and 16th games in the country. NBA Saturday Night celebrates the game of basketball and showcases the convergence of the NBA and popular culture, delivering a unique fan experience featuring appearances by Warriors and Wizards players, NBA legends and special celebrity guests. The games and NBA Saturday Night will be available on NBA Rakuten and livestreamed for free on the NBA Rakuten YouTube channel and Rakuten TV, and will reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories on television, digital and social media.
Yujin Kitagawa of Yuzu commented, "Basketball has always been a part of my life. When I played basketball in high school, I looked up to the NBA superstars as larger than life. In my 20s I formed my own team and chased after my basketball dreams yet again. And now I am thrilled to be invited as a guest for NBA Saturday Night to sing on the same court as these NBA stars. This is nothing short of a dream come true. We wrote "Frontier" with the teams in mind, relentlessly chasing after their dreams – and now the song has been selected as the official anthem of the NBA Japan Games. NBA players are always evolving, and I believe this is representative of the "frontier spirit" this song encapsulates. I hope all the fans enjoy this incredible three-day experience and relish the joy this unbelievable matchup unfolding right here in Japan brings to us all.”
NBA Japan Games 2022 Presented by Rakuten & Nissan Official Song by Yuzu
“Frontier” 30-second version: https://nba.rakuten.co.jp/videos/10283
NBA Japan Games 2022 Presented by Rakuten & Nissan overview
Dates: Friday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 2 at 2 p.m. JST
Location: Saitama Super Arena (8 Shintoshin, Chuo-ku, Saitama-shi, Saitama Prefecture, Japan)
Website*: https://nba.rakuten.co.jp/special/nbajapangames2022.html
NBA Japan Games Saturday Night 2022 Presented by Rakuten & Nissan overview
Date: Saturday, Oct. 1 at 5:00 p.m. JST
Location: Saitama Super Arena (8 Shintoshin, Chuo-ku, Saitama-shi, Saitama Prefecture, Japan)
The seven-time NBA champion Warriors, who recently won their fourth NBA championship in the last eight years, currently feature two-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) and 2022 Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry, five-time NBA All-Star Klay Thompson and 2017 NBA Defensive Player of the Year and four-time NBA All-Star Draymond Green. The Wizards currently feature three-time NBA All-Star Bradley Beal, 2018 NBA All-Star Kristaps Porziņģis and 2020 NBA All-Rookie Second Team member Rui Hachimura, who in 2019 became the first Japanese player in league history to be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft. The Warriors and Wizards will both be making their first visits to Japan.
Between 1990 and 2003, the NBA staged 12 regular-season games in Japan in Saitama City, Tokyo and Yokohama. The matchup between the Phoenix Suns and the Utah Jazz in Tokyo on November 2, 1990 marked the first regular-season game played outside of North America by a U.S. sports league. The NBA last played games in Japan in 2019, when Rakuten and the NBA partnered to bring the Houston Rockets and the 2019 NBA champion Toronto Raptors to the country for two preseason games.
*Website is only available in Japanese.
About the NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a global sports and media organization with the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball. Built around five professional sports leagues: the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League, the NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming available in 214 countries and territories in more than 50 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 200 countries and territories on all seven continents. NBA rosters at the start of the 2021-22 season featured a record 121 international players from 40 countries. NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass. The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with 2.1 billion likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms. Through NBA Cares, the league addresses important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth-serving organizations that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes.