Hiroshima, a band that helped define Asian American identity, will take a hiatus after a year-long farewell performance in San Francisco.
On April 18, the band, which consists of eight members, will wrap up its final performance in North America as it ends its nearly one-year farewell tour; performing in the Bay Area, at a Japanese cultural center in Los Angeles and in San Francisco for the Japanese American National Historical Park.
The band will perform in San Francisco ahead of the 20th anniversary of its debut in New York City on Sept. 29 and will also give one last solo acoustic performance at the Great Hall of the Californian Performing Arts in Los Angeles the following night.
According to a press release from the band’s official Facebook page, Hiroshima and member Shigeto Kojima formed the band in 2014 during their senior year of high school and performed around New York City on multiple occasions prior to their debut.
Despite the band’s popularity, however, Hiroshima’s solo tour is its first in the U.S., after its debut in New York City and subsequent performances in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The band received acclaim for their original music after its debut, which was accompanied by a documentary film based on the band’s lives. Hiroshima’s song “Tokyo: It’s My First Day in America” was the band’s first song released for a U.S. single.
“Hiroshima” first appeared on Hiroshima’s compilation album of single songs, “I Want You”, in March of 2014 before receiving its debut EP, “I Want You”, four months later. It topped the iTunes chart in Japan, while the single “Tokyo” from the same album topped the iTunes chart for the first time in the U.S. in July 2014.
“Tokyo”, which also had an accompanying video, has since been released as a CD single as well.
Hiroshima, however, has since disbanded with the band members pursuing their own musical endeavors. Kojima, whose band “Kojima & Hoshino” has been active for the past two years, released an album in early March.
At the end of the solo tour, Hiroshima will hold a concert at the Japanese