Exile’s Ambition

Exile, the 14-member R&B song-and-dance collective, announced on July 17 a massive tour of Japan that will visit 10 cities and total 22 concerts. The group’s management estimates that the tour will sell 1.1 million tickets, which would be a new Japanese record for a single concert tour.

Last year, Exile drew a bit more than 500,000 fans when they played 34 concerts in 10 cities, but the venues were much smaller.

The upcoming tour, titled “Fantasy,” will be one of the biggest in Japanese history, involving 600 crew and 150 vehicles. The group has also hired Philippine fashion designer Zaldy Goco to make costumes for the shows. Zaldy has made stage clothing for Michael Jackson and Mick Jagger. It will be the first time he designs clothing for an Asian act.

In other Exile news, the group has started a charity to support reconstruction work in Haiti, which was devastated in an earthquake earlier this year.

The group is releasing a new song, “One Wish,” the proceeds of which will be donated to the Japanese Red Cross Society specifically to fund reconstruction projects in the Caribbean country.

Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world.