Yoko Kanno was a special guest at Maaya Sakamoto’s 20th anniversary live at Saitama on 2015, April 25.

She performed a piano solo medley, Yakusoku wa Iranai, Platinum, Hikari Are, Sono Mama De Iinda and Pocket o Kara ni Shite.

She appeared wearing the exact same bunny ears she wore at Otakon last year and performing a pretty long piano solo. She performed instrumental versions of Maaya songs, and also some songs she didn’t write:

• Yoake no Octave
• Koucha
• Bike
• Hikari no Naka e
• everywhere*
• Gift
• Yucca
• Rule ～ Iro Asenai Hibi
• Saigo no Kajitsu*
• Buddy*
• Yakusoku wa Iranai

*not written by Yoko Kanno

She tried to make the crowd sing along , especially when playing “everywhere”, but that’s when she insisted when playing Yakusoku wa Iranai that it started working. She had to mimic the chorus lyrics, which was cute and hilarious.

Then something that seemed like a pre-recorded Yakusoku wa Iranai bridge was played, Maaya reappeared and the whole band joined them to perform a short version of Yakusoku wa Iranai and then Platinum. After that, they performed Hikari Are and Yoko Kanno left the stage.

Near the end of the show, Maaya called her again and they performed a piano-vocals version of Sono Mama De Iinda, stating that it was likely to be the first time it was performed on stage.

And like at the 15th anniversary Gift live, Yoko Kanno joined Maaya with a bandoneon on Pocket o Kara ni Shite.

I was there and can tell one thing for sure: that was a.we.so.me!

One last thing: in the live booklet you can find pictures of Maaya taken by Yoko Kanno, she did that also 5 years ago for the Gift live.

Sources:

• Natalie.mu live report
• Shin Kono website