#Tokyo Olympics Closes With Ska Version of Demon Slayer Opening ‘Gurenge’

Despite opinions inside and outside of Japan of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (that were held in 2021), the games were finally held, culminating in the closing ceremony tonight Japan time. While the whole ceremonial affair was more subdued than expected, especially in the face of many of the top brass being pushed aside due to scandals, some nuggets of fun still slipped through the cracks.

One of these nuggets was a homage to the biggest anime in Japan right now – Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. ‘Gurenge’, which was composed by Kayoko Kusano and sung by LiSA in its full version, was featured in the Olympic Games Closing Ceremony performed by the Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra with dancing in the main stadium, bringing anime to the world. Japan’s public broadcaster, the NHK, released a clip of the performance:

The opening ceremony was more pop-culture focused, with video game music being played while the athletes walked into the Japan National Stadium, the closing ceremony was more traditionally focused, with Bon dances, Ainu performances, and more. Though some songs, such as Sukiyaki, and a set from DJ matsunaga of Creepy Nuts got through the subdued ceremony.

Sources: NHK Sports on Twitter, Oricon

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Daryl Harding is a Japan Correspondent for Crunchyroll News. He also runs a YouTube channel about Japan stuff called TheDoctorDazza, tweets at @DoctorDazza, and posts photos of his travels on Instagram.