QUEEN Pop-Up Store To Open In Tokyo

From their first tour to Japan in April 1975 to their most recent concerts performed there in January 2020, British rock legends QUEEN and Japan have shared an unwavering bond. Now, to celebrate the band’s recent 50th anniversary, a special concept store focusing on the enduring relationship between QUEEN and Japan will mark this historic landmark over two weeks — November 24 to December 11 — at a specially selected gallery, a renovated traditional Japanese house in Harajuku, Tokyo.

This project will be a spin-off of the official "Queen The Greatest Pop-Up Store" held in London's Carnaby Street in late 2021 and early 2022, with Tokyo becoming the second city to host the event following the U.K. capital.

Under the banner "Japan Loves Queen, Queen Loves Japan", the store is a project based on recognizing QUEEN's special relationship with Japan, where they toured regularly after their history-making first tour in 1975. The store will host a specially curated exhibition of photographs of the band shot in Japan with specifically created Japan-themed products for sale.

QUEEN's special affection for Japan has been evident across their career and in their personal lives, with guitarist Brian May composing the song "Teo Torriatte/Let Us Cling Together" with the choruses sung entirely in Japanese, written especially for the nation's fans, and Freddie Mercury is famously known for his appreciation of traditional Japanese crafts, always adding to his collection wherever in Japan, even creating a Japanese garden at his London home.

"Queen The Greatest Pop-Up Store In Tokyo"

Open: Thursday, November 24 - Sunday, December 11

Location: Annon Harajuku (Tokyo, Japan / 5-10, Jingumae 6-chome, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo)

Opening hours: Thursday, November 24 14:00-20:00 (opening day) and then November 25 - December 10 11:00-20:00 / December 11 11:00-18:00 (last day).

QUEEN was in its formative stages when it was hired to play its first gig: a charity event at Truro City Hall, in June 1970, while still performing under the name SMILE. By the time John Deacon joined the following year, the group had changed their name; the four-piece lineup that would remain together for the next two decades made their first live appearance at Surrey College on July 2, 1971.

From the outset, the theatricality of QUEEN's music found a natural outlet in their stage shows. As glam rock flowered alongside QUEEN's rise to fame, the group would tap into the extravagance of the era — and then very quickly outstrip it.

QUEEN's list of musical achievements is rivalled by few: countless platinum, multi-platinum and gold albums; numerous Ivor Novello and BRITS awards; induction into the Grammy Hall Of Fame and a recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, QUEEN also holds the record for the biggest-selling album of all time on the official U.K. charts, with sales of over six million copies of its "Greatest Hits" album. With their 2018 feature film "Bohemian Rhapsody", they reinvigorated their core fan base and generated a whole new audience the world over. The film became the biggest music biopic in history and swept the Golden Globes and Oscars with the soundtrack topping the charts the world over.

Few bands can match the breadth of creativity on display in QUEEN's discography. Dominating over four decades with their cutting-edge music, the band's legacy continues to inspire.