Never heard of Mooove? Well that is not all that surprising, as they are a somewhat obscure female J-Pop idol group. Not though so obscure for you to just find out about, but honestly get into.
This is in part at least because of Mooove and their lead singer Himeno Hinano (姫野ひなの). And this got me thinking! I go to Japan, these guys are in Japan, so why not go and watch them. This muggles is my story.
Click to read my take on Maidreamin.
Table of Contents
Who are Mooove?
Mooove, officially styled as #Mooove!, are a Japanese female idol group formed in April 2023. Their concept is that one day they are going to move the world by 1mm, which is perhaps not the most ambitious goal in the history of music, but you’ve got to start somewhere. The group is managed by the Japanese talent agency Zeroichi Familia and originally started with four members. They subsequently expanded, and by 2026 had eight members performing under the Mooove name. They won the main-stage competition at Tokyo Idol Festival 2024, which is a pretty big deal in the Japanese idol world. They also have a substantial social media following, with their TikTok account operating under the name “Class no Madonna” (The Class Madonna).
The main singer and face of the group is Himeno Hinano (姫野ひなの), who is also known as Hinanon. She is from Hokkaido and stands at a mighty 148cm, which is 4ft 10in for those of us still using proper measurements. She is the member who first caught my attention, and the reason I ended up going to the concert in the first place essentially.
The other members are:
Akama Shiki (赤間四季) – One of the original members, Shiki is from Hiroshima and is known as Shiki-chan. She has a background in baton twirling.
Kuki Naho (久喜なほ) – From Kuki in Saitama Prefecture, Naho is into anime, manga, idols and hot springs. She also describes herself as a bit of an otaku away from the stage, which is hardly unusual in this line of work.
Orito (織莉叶) – From Fukaya in Saitama Prefecture, Orito is known for her expressions on stage and her ability to change the atmosphere with her performance.
Hoshino Sara (星乃紗良) – Sara is one of the younger members, originally from Aichi Prefecture, and stands at 149cm. Her interests include cafes, cute clothes and making things, while her stage performances apparently make her seem rather older than she is.
Himeno Yumeno (姫野ゆめの) – Also from Hokkaido, Yumeno is known for her powerful dancing and strong singing voice. She is 152cm tall.
Nanami Rio (七海りお) – From Niigata, Rio is one of the taller members at 163cm. She enjoys dancing, saunas, hot springs and eating, and describes her strengths as her smile, personality and determination.
Amasawa Nana (天沢なな) – From Chiba, Nana is known as Naatan. She is into anime, beauty and food, and lists calligraphy and noticing changes in people as some of her special skills.
How do you watch Mooove?
How do you watch Mooove? Or well anything in Japan? In my experience at least with great fucking difficulty, at least if you do not speak Japanese. Essentially you will need help buying and paying for the tickets. And muggles it does not get easier when you arrive either as you are led in in order! Obviously explained in Japanese.
For the Tokyo show on 19 October 2026, at Spotify O-WEST in Shibuya, there were three ticket options:
- Priority ticket: ¥6,000 (about US$40), plus a compulsory drink charge. This got you in ahead of the general ticket holders and included a cheki ticket. Sadly none of this seemed to work for me.
- General ticket: ¥3,000 (about US$20), plus a compulsory drink charge. This also included a cheki ticket.
- Mooove trial ticket: ¥500 (about US$3.30), plus a compulsory drink charge. This was the cheap option for people who just wanted to see the concert, but it did not include a cheki ticket or the normal post-show photo session.
The main official place to buy tickets is TicketDive, which is where the tickets for this show were sold.
Ticket site: https://ticketdive.com/artist/moooove
The official Mooove website also lists upcoming concerts and links to ticket sales. There is a fan club with its own advance ticket sales, but this is run through LINE, so you may need a bit of help navigating it if you are not fluent in Japanese.
Official website: https://mooove.world/
Fan club: https://lin.ee/
Ticket prices vary by show, so it is what it is. Also remember that the compulsory drink charge is on top of the ticket price, which is a very Japanese way of making you pay for something you don’t want like a ducking $4 OJ.
@thestreetfoodguys #mooove #moove! #jpop #japantiktok #japan what’s it like watching Mooove jpop idol group live? @The Drinks Guy @paidtotravelnet @VisittheDPRK ♬ original sound – TheStreetFoodGuy
How is the concert itself?
OK, so the biggest takeaway I got from here is that it is really hard to do this unless you speak Japanese. Basically you came in via your letter and your number, which I needed staff to help with. Then when I got to the front I did not have the required QR code, so had to get the guy who helped me to find it before they would let me in.
This meant that when I did get in I had to stand at the back. Not ideal when you are 5’4 in your socks! Even if they are new Japanese socks. The performance then starts and it is as magical as what you see on TikTok. It did, though, remind me a lot of Ted Fest in that some people are just far too into this than is healthy.
Then there’s a lot of talking and crying at the end. I think one of the band was graduating – which is a euphemism for being thrown out for being too old. At the end I wanted to use the enforced drinks voucher you have to buy, only to discover the options were green bean tea, Coke, or OJ. Now I had paid to have a photo with Himeno Hinano (姫野ひなの), but after going for a cigarette was refused re-entry. In practice though it worked out well. Instead I avoided the shit show and went to Don Quixote to buy socks and undercrackers.
Overall though my first J-Pop Idol concert was well worth it. Different to what I had pictured, but well worth it.
Click to check our my tours to Japan with Young Pioneer Tours.