Lady GaGa contributed a song to the “Songs for Japan” charity album and contributed $1.5 million to relief funds from the sales of a wristband on her website.
Now she’s set to perform live at a June 25 MTV Japan benefit show for the Japanese Red Cross at the massive Makuhari Messe exhibition center in Chiba, just outside Tokyo. The show, dubbed MTV Video Music Aid Japan, also doubles up as MTV Japan’s 10th annual video music awards event, and as such will feature a slew of big names in Japanese and Asian music.
In an added bonus for Japanese pop fans, the show will be hosted by girl group AKB48, beloved by many a salaryman. There’s a long musical gap between AKB48’s frothy girl-next-door beat, with collective dance routines in adapted school uniforms, and the grandiose stylings of Lady Gaga’s rasping disco. But few in the Makuhari hall, or watching at home are likely to care: between them the two acts have been dominant in Japan’s music charts for months.
MTV says the event is “designed to inspire and rally young people to contribute time or funds to recovery and rebuilding efforts.” The event will be broadcast live over areas that cover over 30 million homes on its Japan, South Korea and China stations, as well as on MTV Southeast Asia and in a one-hour special on MTV channels around the world.
