Sakanaction’s digital single “Kaiju” is smashing records with a streaming performance that has taken the industry by surprise.

Released on February 20, “Kaiju” immediately topped the Oricon Daily Streaming Ranking with 1,994,279 plays on its first day. On Spotify Japan, it also achieved the highest-ever number of streams on a release day in the country. The song continues to perform strongly across platforms.

These achievements mark a historic milestone not only for Sakanaction but also for their label, Victor Entertainment. Satoshi Yamagami, who has overseen the band’s publicity since its early days, expressed his astonishment: “We didn’t expect this at all. It’s been a huge surprise.”

Part of the buzz stems from the context surrounding the song. “Kaiju” is the band’s first new track in three years, created while frontman Ichiro Yamaguchi was confronting depression. It also marks their first-ever anime collaboration—serving as the theme song for NHK’s Chi: About the Movement of the Earth. Even so, Yamagami admitted, “We honestly didn’t expect it to even make the top 50, just like the band’s past streaming releases. We weren’t holding out much hope.”

The song’s production was a risky endeavor from the start. Yamaguchi’s unstable health made completing the track uncertain, and persuading the other band members wasn’t easy either. “Everyone in the band has a strong sense of responsibility,” said Yamagami. “There was a lot of discussion about whether it was truly the right decision for the band to take this on under such circumstances. Some members were actually opposed to it.”

However, Yamagami, a longtime fan of the manga the anime is based on, was convinced that the project and Sakanaction were a perfect match. He pushed ahead, convincing the members—somewhat forcefully—to proceed. Production didn’t go smoothly due to Yamaguchi’s health, and many promotional plans were delayed or canceled. They barely made it in time for the anime’s final episode, and Yamagami recalled simply feeling relieved.

Then came the release—and the astonishing numbers. Yamagami credits not only the high quality of the song, which perfectly captured the anime’s atmosphere, but also the understanding and warmth of the anime fan community. “Without their support, this success wouldn’t have been possible,” he said gratefully.

Thanks to the anime’s popularity, “Kaiju” reached listeners in ways Sakanaction hadn’t experienced before. Even those band members who were initially hesitant about the project have since expressed gratitude, saying, “We’re really glad we got to do the anime’s theme song.”

Yamagami reflected, “We’ve been transparent about Yamaguchi’s condition, and we’ve learned how important it is to communicate the band’s message, story, and the music’s appeal clearly.” He concluded, “Yamaguchi continues to do private livestreams for the fans despite his illness, and I hope people recognize and praise him for that.”

The rise of Sakanaction’s “Kaiju” shows no signs of slowing down—it’s a monster hit in every sense.

MV | Kaiju (JP:怪獣)

Source : ORICON NEWS