PIKOTARO Returns with Wild New Single: “CHANCHANKO KANREKI60”

PIKOTARO, the global internet sensation behind “PPAP”, recently released a wild new music video that’s equal parts celebration, chaos, and cutting-edge technology. Details on this release, as well as links to its MV, can be found below!

This latest single, titled “CHANCHANKO KANREKI60”, written for NHK’s beloved program “Minna no Uta みんなのうた” (airing June through July 2025), is now streaming worldwide. The accompanying video is also already making waves for all the right – and delightfully bizarre – reasons.

Directed by PIKOTARO’s creator and comedic alter ego Kosaka Daimaou, the music video was developed in collaboration with AI video creators and powered by generative AI tools, delivering a psychedelic visual experience unlike anything fans have seen before. Within just a few minutes, viewers are treated to the sight of PIKOTARO flying majestically through the sky, transforming into a Godzilla-sized version of himself, and leading an estimated 50,000 people dressed in traditional red chanchanko vests in a jubilant dance. It’s weird, wonderful, and unmistakably PIKOTARO.

The track and video celebrate kanreki, the traditional Japanese 60th birthday milestone that symbolises the completion of the zodiac cycle and the start of a new life stage. In Japan, it’s customary to wear a red chanchanko, a sleeveless padded vest, as a symbol of “being reborn”, returning to one’s infancy in spirit. “CHANCHANKO KANREKI60” reimagines this heartfelt cultural moment through the lens of absurdist humour and high-tech spectacle, bridging generations with laughter and levity.

PIKOTARO shared his excitement about the release: “The new MV for Minna no Uta is finally done – Piko! Kosaka Daimaou did most of the heavy lifting – he’s a strong one! We’ve never used AI this much in a video before, Piko!? Let’s celebrate all the 60-year-olds in our lives – with humans, machines, the world, and our families – Pi!!”

This project marks a bold evolution in PIKOTARO’s creative journey – melding traditional Japanese values with 21st-century tech. It’s a love letter to elders, a digital fever dream, and a viral hit in the making.
 
Additional Background Information
■ Kanreki (還暦)
Kanreki is a traditional Japanese celebration for a person’s 60th birthday. Sixty marks a full cycle in the traditional calendar and is considered a time of rebirth, a symbolic new beginning. It’s a meaningful occasion often celebrated with family and friends.

■ Chanchanko (ちゃんちゃんこ)
A chanchanko is a traditional sleeveless vest worn in Japan, often padded and used for warmth indoors. For kanreki, it is customary to wear a red chanchanko, symbolising a return to infancy and a fresh start in life.

“CHANCHANKO KANREKI60” Download & Streaming Links:
https://pikotaro.lnk.to/chanchanko_kanreki60

About PIKOTARO
In 2016, the video for “PPAP (Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen)” was picked up by artists and global media outlets including Justin Bieber, CNN, and the BBC, sparking a worldwide phenomenon.

He became the first Japanese artist in 26 years to enter the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and the song was recognised by Guinness World Records as the “shortest song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100.”

In 2017, he also attended the state banquet during President Trump’s visit to Japan and was appointed by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an official ambassador for the promotion of the  Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pikotaro_ppap_official/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pikotaro2016ppap
X: https://x.com/pikotaro_ppap
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKpIOnsk-gcwHXIzuk24ExA
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/37GBT1Lhfc2sgq4jZIt6n2