Hikaru Utada Returns With New Single “PAPPAPARADISE” Out May 6: Serves As The Ending Theme For Beloved Anime Chibi Maruko-chan
Tokyo, Japan — Hikaru Utada's new song “PAPPAPARADISE,” their first new release in a year, is set for digital release on May 6.
The song will serve as the ending theme to longrunning anime series Chibi Maruko-chan, a show airing every Sunday night that is beloved by people of all ages in Japan. “PAPPAPARADISE” connects two icons of Japanese entertainment together, with the music itself matching the upbeat mood of the show.
Following its debut on the Chibi Maruko-chan spring special broadcast on March 29, the ending sequence featuring “PAPPAPARADISE” is now available on YouTube.
◆ Hikaru Utada “PAPPAPARADISE” Non-Credit Ending Video: https://youtu.be/1Ld6fcdezyA
A pre-release campaign for PAPPAPARADISE” launches today, April 5, and will run through May 5 at 23:59 JST. Fans who participate via iTunes pre-order will be entered into a lottery, with 100 winners receiving an original eraser. In addition, all participants who pre-order via iTunes or pre-save the track on Apple Music, Spotify, or Amazon Music will receive an original wallpaper image.
Details are available at the campaign page:
https://cp.digle.tokyo/
In conjunction with the campaign launch, selected audio from “PAPPAPARADISE” will be made available on TikTok and Instagram.
For fans in Japan, “PAPPAPARADISE” has also been selected as the theme for a new commercial campaign for green tea brand Ayataka, which will begin airing nationwide from April 6. This marks the third consecutive year that Utada has contributed a song to Ayataka's commercials, following “traveling (Re-recording)” and “Mine or Yours.”
Ayataka is a registered trademark of The Coca-Cola Company.
Ayataka Commercial (15 sec / 30 sec)
Broadcast Start Date: Monday, April 6, 2026
Coca-Cola Official YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/ZvgT_c2wxmk
In addition, the special radio program “Ayataka Presents Hikaru Utada no Très Bien Bohémian Special 2026” is set to air across Japanese radio stations on May 5, marking their first radio appearance in approximately two years. During the program, Utada will play “PAPPAPARADISE” for the first time on radio. Listener messages are currently being accepted, with further details available on the special website below.
◆ “Ayataka Presents Hikaru Utada no Très Bien Bohémian Special 2026” Special Site:
Hikaru Utada Comment
I got to know “Chibi Maruko-chan” when I was 9, the same age as her. I'd just moved back to Tokyo from New York, and the manga and TV series brought me closer to what every day life is like in Japan while it told of universal feelings we all share no matter where you live. It was unlike anything I'd come across, with its dry humor and warmth, and soon I was a fan of the author, Momoko Sakura.
I grew up reading her very popular essays, and not long after I debuted I was surprised and delighted to see my name mentioned in her writing. Now that I've experienced more in life and even became a mother to a boy, like she was, I feel so fortunate to be offered the opportunity to make the ending theme song for this show.
The subtlety of social interactions and their awkwardness, the inner world of a sensitive child and her imperfect family, the chaos and embarrassment of the human experience, and the ability to have a laugh about it all… Momoko Sakura taught me so many things.
She also wrote the most magical unhinged lyrics… I hope some of it has rubbed off on me and that my song “PAPPAPARADISE” carries on the spirit of her playfulness and kindness. To all the children and all of us grown up children of the world, I hope we never forget that our spirts are free, and it's ok to be silly and different.
Release Information
Hikaru Utada “PAPPAPARADISE”
(Ending theme for the anime Chibi Maruko-chan / Ayataka commercial song)
Release Date: Wednesday, May 6
About Hikaru Utada
Since their debut on 9 December 1998, Hikaru Utada has achieved numerous remarkable milestones in their career. Their debut single “Automatic/time will tell” sold over two million copies, propelling them to become one of Japan's top artists at the young age of 15. Just a few months later, their first album “First Love” shattered Japanese CD sales records that still stand unbroken today.
In 2022, their eighth album “BAD MODE”, which includes collaboration songs with artists such as Skrillex, A.G. Cook, and Floating Points, garnered high praise both domestically and internationally, and was crowned as the best album of the year by the internationally renowned music media, Pitchfork. In the same year, they made their festival debut at the globally recognized Coachella Festival in California, joining celebrated label 88rising as part of their exhilarating showcase.
The Netflix series “First Love,” inspired by Utada's eponymous single, achieved tremendous success in Japan and across Asia. On December 9, 2023, Utada celebrated the 25th anniversary of their major label debut in fantastical style, announcing the much-anticipated release of their inaugural greatest hits album SCIENCE FICTION, which was released in April 2024 and followed by their first tour in six years, the nationwide HIKARU UTADA SCIENCE FICTION TOUR 2024, which included stops in both Hong Kong and Taipei.
In 2025, Utada continued their collaboration with the Ayataka green tea brand for a second consecutive year, releasing the single “Mine or Yours” on May 2. Around the same time, they appeared on the YouTube channel THE FIRST TAKE, where performances of both “Mine or Yours” and their iconic track “First Love” generated significant buzz online and beyond. In April, they took the stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival with experimental electronic artist Arca, and later appeared as a surprise act at SONIC MANIA in August alongside British DJ Floating Points. In September, their collaboration with Kenshi Yonezu, “JANE DOE,” became a major hit both in Japan and internationally.
Looking ahead to 2026, Utada's new song “PAPPAPARADISE” has been selected as the new ending theme for the anime Chibi Maruko-chan. The track will also be featured in a new Ayataka commercial beginning April 6.
LISTEN TO HIKARU UTADA
SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC | AMAZON MUSIC | YOUTUBE
CONNECT WITH HIKARU UTADA
discuss this in the forum |
