Ayumu Imazu Appears! Live Recording Event of SKY-HI's Radio Show 'DIVE TO THE NEW WORLD' Held [Official Report]

J-WAVE 'DIVE TO THE NEW WORLD' Host SKY-HI, Guest Ayumu Imazu

On June 8 (Monday), J-WAVE (81.3FM), Tokyo's leading FM radio station, hosted a live recording event for its program 'DIVE TO THE NEW WORLD' (aired every Saturday at 23:00), where host SKY-HI dives deep into guests' true thoughts. The event took place at SIX WAKE ROPPONGI, a hub for boat racing culture in Roppongi.

The event featured host SKY-HI and guest Ayumu Imazu, engaging in candid conversation about their artistic roots, creative processes, and their relationship with language and music—revealing surprising commonalities between the two. Below is the official report of the event.

Highlights of this live recording will air on J-WAVE on June 20 (Saturday) from 23:00 and on FM802 on June 21 (Sunday) from 24:00. Additionally, a full video will be released on J-WAVE's official YouTube channel starting at 17:00 on June 22 (Monday).

◎ J-WAVE Official YouTube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/@jwavechannel

【Event Report】

The live recording of 'DIVE TO THE NEW WORLD' was held at SIX WAKE ROPPONGI in Roppongi, Tokyo. SKY-HI took the stage with a warm smile, saying, 'Please give us a big round of applause to get things going!' His friendly greeting helped ease the slightly tense atmosphere in the intimate venue.

Ayumu Imazu, stepping on stage after SKY-HI, expressed mild confusion, saying, 'It's close, yet spacious…,' adding to the relaxed and cheerful mood.

Ayumu had previously appeared on the show as a guest, but since then, his environment has significantly changed—he is now active under a partnership agreement with BMSG.

Ayumu Imazu

SKY-HI began by asking about Ayumu's artistic origins. Reflecting on when he seriously started singing, Ayumu said, 'After my voice changed. It was a bit late—around age 15, I guess.'

When SKY-HI asked, 'Did you already have the determination at that age to live as a singer?' Ayumu replied, 'I did have that determination, but I still find singing harder than dancing.' He added, 'Singing, especially hitting high notes, is clearly impactful. But once I realized whether I could give that up or not, my resolve to pursue singing strengthened. That was probably around ages 18 or 19.'

The conversation also touched on Ayumu's approach to Japanese lyrics. SKY-HI asked, 'Rappers who work with Japanese lyrics tend to be very conscious of wordplay, but those with dance backgrounds might not focus as much on language. Was that a major barrier for you?'

Ayumu reflected, 'I actually hit that wall pretty early on.' He also shared that recently, the language barrier he once felt between English and Japanese has gradually diminished, indicating personal growth.

SKY-HI

Ayumu's song 'CLASSIC' was played during the show. After sharing his impressions, SKY-HI asked, 'Now that you've released an album of all new songs, what's your current motivation for creating music?' Ayumu expressed joy and gratitude for being able to release the album and challenge himself with entirely new material, while also admitting the immense energy it took to produce. SKY-HI deeply nodded in empathy at his honest words.

When the discussion turned to daily entertainment inputs, the two unexpectedly bonded over a surprising topic. What kind of entertainment did SKY-HI mention he 'might create someday'? Tune in to find out!

SKY-HI, Ayumu Imazu

Toward the end of the program, the audience submitted questions.

When asked, 'What do you think you have in common?' Ayumu replied, 'I feel like my sense of what's 'cool' or 'catchy' is similar to Mr. Hidaka's.' In response, SKY-HI recalled their first time singing together, saying, 'It felt incredibly good.' He highlighted their shared open-minded attitude toward music as a common thread.

With moments of natural artistic connection throughout, the event concluded in a consistently warm and relaxed atmosphere.

The full recording will air on 'DIVE TO THE NEW WORLD' starting June 20 (Saturday). The video will also be available on J-WAVE's official YouTube channel. Be sure to tune in and watch!

(Text: Arika Yuki, Photos: Kazuhisa Ueihara)

■ Program Overview

Program Name: 'DIVE TO THE NEW WORLD'

Broadcast Stations: J-WAVE, FM802

Broadcast Schedule:

J-WAVE: June 20, 2026 (Sat) 23:00–23:54

FM802: June 21, 2026 (Sun) 24:00–25:00

Host: SKY-HI

Guest: Ayumu Imazu

Program Website: https://www.j-wave.co.jp/original/divetothenewworld/

Program X (Twitter): https://x.com/dive813

Program Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/divetothenewworld/

Program Hashtag: #dive813