For the third consecutive year, the group U&PIA performed on stage at Japan Expo (Paris, France). With their energy, the eight members of U&PIA (Aran, Ren, Sen, Mahiro, Taiga, Jeasun, Haru, and Kai) are gaining confidence each year and are gradually building a community of French fans. Check out our exclusive interview!
[Cliquez ici pour lire la version française de l’interview]
Can you introduce yourselves?
U&Pia: Hello, we are U&PIA.
Aran: [In Japanese] Hello, I am Aran from U&PIA. [In French] My name is Aran.
Len: My name is Len.
Taiga : I am Taiga.
Mahiro: I’m Mahiro.
Sen: I am Sen.
Kai: [In French] My name is Kai.
Haru: I am Haru.
Jeasun: I am Jeasun from U&PIA.
What does your group name mean?
Aran: U&PIA comes from the association of « you » (U), « to » (&) in Japanese and « Pia ». If you put them altogether, it becomes « Utopia ».
How do you embody this energy on stage?
Aran: Do you think we are energetic? [Laughs.] You think we’re energetic, but actually, we’re always like this. We train daily to show this level of enthusiasm.
On June 29th, you released Matsuri. Was there a reason for you to release it right before Japan Expo?
Aran: Indeed, we released it especially for the occasion. We became active outside of Japan back in 2023. And up to this day, we never really represented the Japanese culture. In 2025, we wanted to do so because our previous performances made us realize how appreciated it is in France.
Among all your songs, which one embodies the best your energy as a group?
All: Billy Billy Young !
Aran: This song means we are young and fast. « Billy billy » is an onomatopoeia that expresses this idea.
One of your songs is entitled Ami proche (« Close friend » in French). Does it reflect a special interest of yours for France?
Ren: I wrote Ami Proche after coming to France. This expression could also mean « best friend » in Japanese. The purpose of this song was to remember forever coming to France and meeting the French audience.
Can you explain what your mascot Piapaka is about?
Aran: Our mascot Piapaka is a collaboration with Japan Expo’s mascot Chibi-Dino.
Has it been designed for Japan Expo only?
Aran: It is not for Japan Expo only, we plan on developing it in the future.
You already performed at many editions of Japan Expo. What do you like about it that makes you come back every year?
Aran: We actually work harder every year to be invited again by Japan Expo’s team.
We saw you took pictures with other guests. Do you also enjoy Japan Expo as visitors?
Aran: I think so. We also enjoy visiting the convention.
You often perform We Are (One Piece first opening). Do you like this anime?
Aran: Japan Expo is very targeted towards anime fans. We have thought about what we could present regarding animes. So we all agreed on choosing We are. We are all very proud of this cover. We also wanted to show a good performance as a group. By the way, Sen created the choreography.
You are having a free concert in Paris on July, 7th 2025. Have you prepared a different setlist from the Japan Expo one?
Aran: Yes, there will be way more songs. It will be our first solo concert in Paris outside of Japan Expo. Here, people pay to access the festival. Then, they can attend the concerts for free. We wanted to hold a free solo concert so that more and more people can get to know our music.
Do you have a message for your French fans?
Aran: We receive a lot of energy from the French fans. It’s three or even five times stronger than what the Japanese fans give us. We can feel it very strongly from the stage. What’s surprising is that it’s not just during the concert, but also on the long run. They keep sending and replying to messages on SNS. We can feel that their passion is very deep. We want to give them this love and this energy back, and we will work hard to do so.
Thank you U&PIA and Japan Expo!
Interview in collaboration with Nautiljon and K-Avenyou
