First K-pop girl group to hold a solo concert at Tokyo Dome
On January 6, 2013, Gyuri, Seungyeon, Nicole, Hara and Jiyoung presented KARASIA 2013 HAPPY NEW YEAR in TOKYO DOME, the first solo Tokyo Dome concert by a K-pop girl group. Pearl-peach lights framed a programme bringing together Korean and Japanese hits, five solo performances and thanks to the KAMILIA who had shared the journey.
2013.01.06 / TOKYO DOME
A dream venue becomes a shared memory.
Audience: approximately 48,000, according to contemporary Pia, MANTANWEB and Nikkan Sports reports
Concert songs: 20 group songs + five solos = 25 (Nikkan Sports)
From the Okinawa announcement to the dream stage
The announcement came from the members themselves at SIGMA FES. in Okinawa on October 8, 2012. ORICON recorded Gyuri thanking the cheering crowd and promising to prepare a concert for them. The label’s same-day notice scheduled the Tokyo Dome show for January 6 at 18:00.
MANTANWEB’s pre-show press-conference coverage captures three anticipatory reactions: Gyuri could scarcely believe the dream was real, Seungyeon was moved even by the empty seats during rehearsal, and Jiyoung expected an unforgettable day. These are thoughts voiced before the performance, distinct from later reflections.
The night opened with Pandora
Pandora opened the show, followed by Speed Up and Jumping. Soompi’s post-concert report and the official video listings corroborate that opening sequence. The programme brought music released in Korea into the same arena as the songs familiar from the group’s Japanese career.
Pia’s concert report describes the pearl-peach penlights filling the venue, arena rides on moving carts and a wave through the audience. These devices brought the performers closer to a large crowd. The roughly 48,000 attendance figure used here is attributed to contemporary Pia, MANTANWEB and Nikkan Sports reports.
Five individual solo stages
The five solos widened the range: Western pop and rock selections from Hara and Seungyeon, a dance number from Nicole, Gyuri’s theatrical staging and Jiyoung’s Japanese classic. Titles and performers follow official video listings; contemporary reports supply the costume and flying-performance details.
Gyuri
Swan Lake – DaydreamA theatrical performance with a roughly 20-metre flying sequence, reported as a challenge to her fear of heights.
Seungyeon
Strong EnoughHer solo selection in the official listing shifts the focus from the group to one voice.
Nicole
HUMPIN’ AROUNDA dance number included in the official concert video.
Hara
I Love Rock N’RollA rock-driven stage that Pia’s concert report describes as powerful.
Jiyoung
Gakuen TengokuA cover of Finger 5’s classic; Pia describes her running across the stage in a pink school blazer.
Korean and Japanese hits share one stage
The listing also names Honey by Cyntia, identified here as a guest-band item rather than a performance by all five KARA members. LUPIN, STEP and Let It Go lead towards Electric Boy, GO GO Summer! and Jet Coaster Love in the official sequence, tracing their repertoire across Korea and Japan.
Official FOREVER KARA box: Disc 2 listing
These 26 listing items include the guest-band performance. They differ from the reported 25 KARA songs at the concert.
- 01Pandora
- 02スピード アップ
- 03ジャンピン
- 04ドリーミンガール
- 05Honey / CyntiaGuest band
- 06I Love Rock N’Roll / Hara
- 07Strong Enough / Seungyeon
- 08ガールズ パワー
- 09キスミートゥナイト
- 10Pretty Girl
- 11ウィンターマジック
- 12オリオン
- 13今、贈りたい「ありがとう」
- 14HUMPIN’ AROUND / Nicole
- 15白鳥の湖 ～ 白昼夢 / Gyuri
- 16学園天国 / Jiyoung
- 17Lupin
- 18STEP
- 19Let It Go
- 20エレクトリックボーイ
- 21GO GO サマー!
- 22ジェットコースターラブ
- 23Rock U
- 24ガールズ ビー アンビシャス!
- 25SOS
- 26ミスター
A tearful embrace, then Mister
Near the end, Pia records Nicole looking ahead to walking together with KAMILIA and Jiyoung comparing artist and audience to a bicycle’s two wheels. The five formed a tearful embrace before the closing Mister. The ending joined the achievement itself with gratitude to those who had supported it.
In ORICON’s interview published March 28, Seungyeon recalled Tokyo Dome as an especially big dream, so surreal that she questioned whether it was real while standing there. Hara remembered her tears and valued small moments with members and KAMILIA alongside major stages. These are later reflections, not January 6 stage remarks.
From cinema relay to the video record
A live broadcast was announced for 18:00 on January 6 at 53 cinemas nationwide.
The concert reached DVD and Blu-ray on March 27, 2013, a release date distinct from the January 6 event. The label’s March 1 announcement and product pages confirm it; the limited DVD also lists backstage footage. The sequence presented here follows the later official FOREVER KARA box’s Disc 2 listing as a guide to the video record.
The 2013 DVD page lists 25 items; DISC 2 of the 2016 box lists 26, including Kiss Me Tonight. Both include Cyntia’s Honey. Nikkan Sports reported 25 concert songs: 20 KARA numbers and five solos.
