"AKASHIC RECORDS 2021 ~Phantom Parade~," curated by Tatsuhiko Akashi, President and CEO of Medicom Toy, brought together items that transcend the boundaries of toys, art, fashion, and music. This is a report from the event held from Saturday, October 23 to Sunday, October 31, 2021, at En STUDIO (RAYARD MIYASHITA PARK South 3F) in Shibuya, Tokyo.

This year's theme, "Phantom Parade," marks the second iteration, following last year's event. It is inspired by a song that opens the third album, "Various Monsters Tormenting Me" (1989), by THE COLLECTORS, a Japanese rock band highly admired by Mr. Akashi.
This song, often seen as a requiem for the neo-GS movement of the late 1980s that embodied the Group Sounds (GS) of the 1960s with a garage/punk interpretation and greatly influenced the Shibuya-kei scene, inspired Mr. Akashi to conceive this event. While the previous "AKASHIC RECORDS" was an event introducing cult stars, inspired by ELECTRIC GLASS BALLOON's "CULTSTAR GUIDEBOOK," this time, as the title suggests, Mr. Akashi decided to create "a parade of elusive works."
While numerous events were canceled or postponed due to the unprecedented circumstances of the pandemic, the theme seems fitting for the past two years, during which several projects that might have otherwise remained "phantom" were realized due to the freed-up time.

To commemorate the event, an analog 7-inch record of "Phantom Parade" (C/W "Charlie Gordon's Song"; Jacket Supervision: Hisashi Kato) was available for pre-sale at the venue. Many fans likely purchased it, as it was not included in the 35th-anniversary 7-inch BOX set "13 VINYL SINGLES" released in June of this year (Nippon Columbia).

The venue was En STUDIO, located on the 3rd floor of RAYARD MIYASHITA PARK, which opened this year and is a two-minute walk from Shibuya Station. The studio features a simple, futuristic design with a white base and distinctive honeycomb-patterned ceiling lights.

Beyond the entrance, adorned with a color-changing "AKASHIC RECORDS" neon sign, the first thing that catches the eye is a colossal 6-foot (approx. 180cm) "6FT NAGNAGNAG SUPER NOVA (EDITION 1)" figure by NAGNAGNAG. This year, the collection expanded to include "NAG BALL (EDITION 5/10)," "Karimoku NAGNAGNAG FOUR EYES," and "Kutani BE@RBRICK NAGNAGNAG × COOP (EDITION 1)," which, through their fusion with traditional crafts, seemed to further enhance their unique aura.

The BE@RBRICK and apparel featuring the bold artwork from THE DOORS' second album, "Strange Days" (67), were striking. The band achieved instant fame with their debut single "Light My Fire" reaching number one in the US. The jacket photo, depicting a troupe of acrobats parading through town, and the psychedelic world created by Jim Morrison's lyrics and Ray Manzarek's organ, perfectly embodied the "phantom parade" and served as key items.

A significant feature was the large number of one-of-a-kind art pieces exhibited. Among them were "ONE OF KIND BE@RBRICK 1000% (14 patterns)" by Anne Valérie Dupond, a French textile sculptor who has become an indispensable presence at Medicom Toy events; original works by the artist unit MAMES, consisting of Kentaro Shirakawa and chami; ANREALAGE's "Gravity dot coat"; and pieces by painter Mai Nagamoto, illustrator Asami Matsumura, and SHELTERBANK, all creating an atmosphere akin to an art gallery.

The event also saw the debut of several emerging artists. Works by Levi Pata, who created the key visual for this "AKASHIC RECORDS," Saiko Otake, and Mika Oitsuki (S.H.I.P&crew) were all eye-catching. In particular, Levi Pata's "RAW ?", BE@RBRICK SAIKO OTAKE "GODDESS"/"PLANET" 100% & 400% / 1000%, and "ANREALAGE×S.H.I.P&crew PATCHWORK BE@RBRICK 1000%" possessed a passion that could not be conveyed through online photos.

Additionally, on display as reference items were a BE@RBRICK by BLACK Scandal Yohji Yamamoto × Suzume Uchida × S.H.I.P&crew, MAMES' "BE@RBRICK FLOR@" with flowers inside, the new artistic Monchhichi "SMAK! ANNA SUI," PHANTOM's new soft vinyl figure "Mimi Cocoll," "CLICK CRACK GARAMON" sculpted by Tadayuki Nakazawa, and Naoki Endo's "Lilith (Statue)" – all making their debut. Further details on future releases, including planned launch dates, will be covered by OPENERS, so please look forward to them.

While many of the exhibited works were sold via lottery, the commemorative items sold at the venue also received an overwhelming response. Numerous Medicom Toy fans attended, drawn by popular items such as "MY FIRST BE@RBRICK B@BY CLEAR BLACK CHROME Ver.," "BE@RBRICK U.F.O.," and "BE@RBRICK René Magritte 'L'oiseau de ciel 1965/La belle societe 1965'." To prevent the spread of COVID-19, a pre-lottery system was implemented for time-slot reservations online, allowing only lottery winners to purchase items at the venue. We hope this system allowed everyone to enjoy the event without disruption.

Finally, we would like to share the message that Mr. Akashi posted on the Medicom Toy official blog after the event concluded.

Thank you very much for your numerous visits to "AKASHIC RECORDS 2021 ~Phantom Parade~." Thanks to you, the event concluded with great success.
As this event, like last year's, was held during the pandemic, we apologize for the various inconveniences caused to our customers during admission and application processes. However, with everyone's cooperation, we are deeply grateful that the event could be held without major disruptions. We also sincerely apologize to the many customers who applied but could not gain admission.
This event could not have been held without the immense support and cooperation of the participating artists and IP holders. Thank you very much. As this was the second time, we believe the operations and shopping experience were somewhat smoother than last year, but there is still much room for improvement. We will begin preparations for the next event with the aim of creating an even more refined exhibition. For those who could not attend this time, we plan to sell some of the exhibited products at 2G OSAKA and MCT TOKYO around late November.
Furthermore, in December of this year, "BE@RBRICK WORLD WIDE TOUR 3" will be held at Omotesando Hills Space O, for the first time in 10 years. Please look forward to this as well!
(Tatsuhiko Akashi, CEO of MEDICOM TOY & Curator of AKASHIC RECORDS)