Eleven years ago, Japanese rock mainstays One OK Rock performed on Vans Warped Tour, one of dozens of bands soldiering through the sweltering summer day at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel.
The dynamic group from Tokyo has since outlasted the traveling punk roadshow (which concluded touring in 2019), all the while building toward their mission of international recognition.
Their sixth album, “Jinsei×Boku=” (2013), marked their ascension as a worldwide phenomenon, preceded by the success of their aptly titled single, “The Beginning.” Riding the success of their North American breakthrough, One OK Rock has released four more albums, including 2025’s “Detox,” and continued to make inroads by touring on an global scale.
With all the stars aligning with the resurgence of interest in 2010s alternative rock, the bounding four-piece recently made their return to the Garden State. With a renewed sense of personal purpose and emboldened to speak about the state of the world, they played their largest New Jersey show to date at Newark’s Prudential Center May 30.
In a rare backstage meet-up, NJ Advance Media spent time with One OK Rock before their show, as they prepared to play to 5,000 adoring fans. We spoke with lead singer Takahiro “Taka” Moriuchi through an interpreter two hours before the concert, to discuss their 20th anniversary as a band, how far they’ve come, and how they view their music as a unifying force in turbulent times.
On how it feels playing Warped Tour in 2014 and then headlining the Prudential Center in Newark in 2025:
“When I go back to think about memories of 2014, I think we did a pretty good job getting here. However, I think there’s still more we can do, as we’re still making progress in the United States.
We’ve gotten older. I’m 37, but the passion is still there. Everything’s changed, but nothing’s changed because we’ve always had that fire and that willingness to take on challenges and be ambitious.”
On Taka’s passionate speeches about the state of the world, he says on their current tour before they play their 2025 song, “The Pilot </3”"
“I have an overall theme in my head, but I don’t think of the specifics at all because it’s a conversation coming from the heart. I found that when you speak that way, it feels like a conversation, and it feels relatable rather than trying to say something cool.”
On Taka finding his voice to write music and speak about the ongoing political tensions in the world:
“One of the main things that has changed is my ability to speak both Japanese and English, which enables me to have conversations. I can finally express my thoughts and emotions to the fans from the stage property.
When things get out of balance within the global political spectrum, shifting from left to right, that’s when rock bands can emerge as a voice of reason, meeting people in the middle. I’m really proud that I can speak about things in English because at the center of the band’s message is hope.”
On One OK Rock’s growth, venturing into many sub-genres of rock music like grunge, alternative, and emo
“For One OK Rock, the word ‘genre’ is just like a filter and a limiter. It feels like an oppressive term, so they’ve never really given it much thought. The music reflects what we are feeling, what we are listening to, and what we want to convey at the time. We feel satisfied and content knowing that we’ve created so many cohesive albums with distinct stories. With the bodies of work, we feel content, but it’s always on to the next one, and going bigger.
One thing we’ve always noticed is that our fans are genuinely passionate about our music and the message of hope that we strive to convey. It doesn’t matter where you’re from or what language you speak; we find that there’s always a synergy present in how we perform and how our fans receive the music.”
On the reactions to the powerful songs on their current album, “Detox,” and bridging the gap between their American and Japanese fans:
“I have a house in America. Many of my friends are American, and a number of the writers on this album are also from the United States. Seeing all the problems and everything that’s going on, and to say something about them hits differently because it’s coming from an outside perspective.
You can talk about things that are going on in yourself and bicker left and right, but if there’s someone who’s just coming from an unbiased point of view asking, “Is this really the way that things should be done? Should there only be two political parties?” It resonates differently when viewed from the perspective of two different cultures.
Speaking those thoughts has resonated with many American fans. On the other hand, Japanese people will listen to that and they’ll say, ‘Okay, we see that American people feel this way and they’re trying to change.’"
Taking up the mantle
“Beat me, break me down, but I’m still standing‚" Moriuchi proclaimed in the boisterous and defiant opener, “Puppets Can’t Control You” (2025). While Moriuchi may have alluded to the band being older, their stage presence was just as energetic as in their early 2010s traveling festival circuit days.
The 17-song set embodied the band’s growth over its 20-year history. Don’t call it an anniversary tour, however. One OK Rock was focused on looking ahead, performing nine of their 11 songs from their newest album, “Detox,” as much as they are ripping through older favorites like “The Beginning” (2013) and “Stand Out Fit In” (2019).
Long gone are the days of playing on minimal stages with a single poster of a sponsor in the background. One Ok Rock brought a full production, including a big LED screen with images that took on the persona of their latest album, “Detox.” A prime example was during “Delusion: All” (2025), where images of people marching in the streets, accompanied by flashing words stating “NO WAR” and “We Are The Kingdom,” implored people to resist tyranny, all of which were flashed on screen.
The night’s performance made it clear that the band had no problem addressing the current political moments occurring both in the United States and Japan. While other musical acts have actively chosen to sideline their voices in fear of backlash or for monetary reasons, One Ok Rock has gladly taken up the mantle — following the anti-authoritarian spirit of bands like Rage Against The Machine and Stray From The Path.
In the middle of the set, guitarist Toru Yamashita, drummer Tomoya “Tomo” Kanki, and bassist Ryota Kohama played a four-minute instrumental session, showcasing their technical proficiency across genres including thrash, prog-rock and alternative metal.
While the performance gave voice to the political dissonance of our time, moments like the mid-tempo ballad “Tropical Therapy” (2025) spoke to the longing for escape from it all. There was time for laughter as well. During the band introductions, Kanki proclaimed his love for the New Jersey Devils and pork roll sandwiches.
In the first of two speeches Moriuchi gave (one in English and one in Japanese), the singer-songwriter pointed out to the international crowd that the shared necessity of understanding and togetherness would get us through these turbulent times. The passion was evident, and it looked as though the words were chomping at the bit to be spoken.
The fans in attendance didn’t stop singing the entire night and were also attentive to the messages and plights within the songs, often ignored by the mainstream. This wasn’t just a show that could be measured by capacity or merchandise sales; it displayed a band unabashed and unafraid to use their gifts as a megaphone for those who need it the most.
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Murjani Rawls may be reached at mrawls@njadvancemedia.com
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