
Passersby were treated to the jazzy refrain of Kenshi Yonezu’s Lemon, as played by a gigantic mop-headed monster.
Vocaloid-producer-turned-pop-sensation Kenshi Yonezu won hearts all over Japan with his 2018 song “Lemon”, a bittersweet tune about the loss of a loved one. Though the lyrics are poignant and poetic, the melody is jazzy and bright; kind of like how a lemon itself has that sunshine color but a sour, acidic taste.
The tune is so catchy it’s even recognizable when played on a calculator. The fact it was used in a popular drama, Unnatural, means it’s even more likely for your average person to know it, and many would be happy to hear that same sweet melody during their train commute, no matter who was playing it.
▼ Even if it was a huge, shaggy looking monster.
The character in the video is Mukku, a yeti who appears in the children’s television show Hirake! Ponkikki. Usually to be found with his green dinosaur pal, Gachapin, Mukku gets up to plenty of antics in the public eye. This time was no different: he was clearly intending to draw a crowd, and he was going to use the public-use piano at Kannai Station in Yokohama to do it.
▼ “No one’s showing up…”
But once Mukku settled down to try his basic scales, faltering and stumbling with every note, people began to crowd around.
▼ He doesn’t play too badly, for a gigantic yeti monster.
When Mukku finished his shaky run-through of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”, he’d amassed quite the respectable crowd. All the better to surprise them with what was hidden up his furry sleeve: Mukku is actually an accomplished pianist, capable of performing a beautiful rendition of “Lemon”!
▼ Several young women gasped “It’s ‘Lemon’!” as he tapped out the opening bars.
By the time he finished his performance, he had won the crowd over enough to earn a rousing round of applause!
▼ “Thanks for watching, everyone!”
As you can see in the video, many of Mukku’s adoring fans snapped footage of the performance on their smartphones. Social media quickly filled with tales of users’ personal Yonezu yeti yarns, like these:
▼ “I was out shopping and Mukku was there playing Kenshi Yonezu’s ‘Lemon’! He was really good, please check it out!”
お買い物行ったらムックが米津玄師さんのLemon弾いててとっても上手だったのでぜひ見てくださーーーい!!!!! pic.twitter.com/nM3mNmRSgH
— ま お (@kmym__23) February 16, 2019
▼ “Mukku was playing piano at Kannai…”
関内でムックがピアノ引いてた... pic.twitter.com/JgQmU8Df2H
— かなた (@kanata9029) February 16, 2019
▼ “Mukku, playing ‘Lemon’ by Kenshi Yonezu in the Kannai underground subway…hahaha he was really good”
Apparently his musical stylings don’t end there, as there’s also video of Mukku serenading us with the very same song with his beautiful voice.
Of course, we know that there’s no shortage of musically talented mascots in Japan. Head to Aomori to check out the most amazing drummer we’ve ever seen (sorry, Yoshiki) and pear fairy Funassyi is no slouch, either.
And if you’re a mascot with no musical talent, you could always just wait for a star like Mukku to tickle the ivories so you can focus on getting your groove on.
Sources: YouTube/ガチャピンちゃんねる【公式】, Otakomu
Top image: YouTube/ガチャピンちゃんねる





Sega opening 65th anniversary store in downtotn Tokyo with deep-cut game merch
Japan enters Golden Week vacation period, survey shows one in three plan to ride it out at home
Japan’s new Pokémon jackets give you the look and powers of the Kanto starter trio
Viral tweet suggests Japanese convenience store ripping off customers with donuts, so we investigate
Studio Ghibli releases crystal glass paperweights featuring Totoro and the Catbus
Sega opening 65th anniversary store in downtotn Tokyo with deep-cut game merch
Japan enters Golden Week vacation period, survey shows one in three plan to ride it out at home
Japan’s new Pokémon jackets give you the look and powers of the Kanto starter trio
Viral tweet suggests Japanese convenience store ripping off customers with donuts, so we investigate
Studio Ghibli releases crystal glass paperweights featuring Totoro and the Catbus
The average age of Japan’s hikikomori shut-ins is getting older, survey shows
Studio Ghibli releases new anime keychains that are like miniature figurines
Lipton releases… Pudding Milk Tea in Japan?!?
Retro-style Evangelion T-shirts coming to Uniqlo sister brand GU[Photos]
Dorayaki from 89-year-old Japanese confectionery shop is one of the best sweets hidden in Tokyo
Brand-new Square Enix Cafe to open in Tokyo…and in Los Angeles too!
New Kyoto Converse sneakers celebrate Japan with traditional kimono fabrics for your feet
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Hello Kitty is now a transforming truck robot[Photos]
What are the worst things about living in the Japanese countryside?[Survey]
Tifa’s Final Fantasy VII bar is going to pop up in real-world Tokyo
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant of seven years ago has now, finally, come to Tokyo
Brand-new Pokémon manhole covers coming to help the recovery of a disaster-stricken part of Japan
Japan’s awesomely beautiful Alpen Route snow corridor is now open
Injuries on stairs in Tokyo highlight an overlooked design flaw
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
The average age of Japan’s hikikomori shut-ins is getting older, survey shows
Studio Ghibli releases new anime keychains that are like miniature figurines
Lipton releases… Pudding Milk Tea in Japan?!?
Retro-style Evangelion T-shirts coming to Uniqlo sister brand GU[Photos]
Dorayaki from 89-year-old Japanese confectionery shop is one of the best sweets hidden in Tokyo
Japanese people share 11 amusing tales relating to pregnancy and childbirth
Tifa’s Final Fantasy VII bar is going to pop up in real-world Tokyo
New Kyoto Converse sneakers celebrate Japan with traditional kimono fabrics for your feet
Bandai cancels gacha/blind-buy system for anime cosmetics, will let fans choose what they buy
Japan’s Mister Donut Japan tries its hand at Taiwanese-style street food donuts
Shinto shrine will bless your bike helmet and give you a sacred bike helmet stamp
Live-action Ghibli Princess Mononoke stage play tickets are now on sale
Only five branches of Japan’s beef bowl giant Matsuya serve milk shakes, but how do they taste?
War in Iran threatening Japan’s pudding production