IKE (SPYAIR) and Fans in Mexico

Hidefumi Ikeda, despite his health condition that year, in which he revealed in his farewell message on the band's website that he was hospitalized, remained active from 2019 to early 2022 with single and album releases, as well as with his "UNITE" and "BEST OF THE BEST" national tours, and by making various collections for his clothing brand Nil. In February of this year, he was going to debut as a solo artist on Billboard Japan in Tokyo, Osaka and Yokohama, but his participation was canceled due to a relapse in this illness.

Since then, it became known that he was in poor health, although it didn’t pose any risk to him. In IKE’s letter, he commented that he’s undergoing treatment for this incurable, albeit treatable, disease. After thinking about it with the rest of the members (KENTA, MOMIKEN and UZ) and the staff, the decision was to leave the group.



A similar situation happened in 2014, when he was diagnosed with acute corditis and polyps on his vocal cords. IKE announced in the middle of the "Imagination" tour that he would be quitting music. The rest of the SPYAIR members encouraged him, so the following songs accommodated the change in his voice. Now, eight years later, that miracle didn’t happened again.

With pain in his words and pointing out that his resolution was selfish, he commented that he will try to "live as a human being, not as a vocalist", while thanking his family and fans who made it possible for SPYAIR to stop being a band that presented itself. in the streets of Nagoya to perform concerts with ten thousand fans and to be able to travel abroad on a world tour in 2018, in which Mexico was one of the stops.

This news, which might seem so far away for Mexico’s fans, isn’t for me. In October of that 2018, knowing that the boys would come to our country, I organized a welcome party together with other fans.

On October 6th they arrived and they already had us waiting for them at the airport with ponchos (mexican cloth) engraved with their names, knitted dolls with Mexican motifs, as well as tequila and beer. IKE's eyes shone at such a warm welcome and he took a photo with us, exchanging words with us.

The next day, already the day of the concert, he recognized us in the photo at the end of the show. I remember that when we settled down to take a picture with them, he told me that the flower that I wore on my wrist was very pretty. That paper flower, as well as dozens more, were made by us to wave during the "Singing" song.

In 2019 it was my penultimate trip to Japan, due to a Japanese course. Given the opportunity, I attended Just Like This, a concert that SPYAIR has been holding every summer since 2015 at the Fuji Q-Highland Coniferous Forest, a huge amusement park overlooking Mount Fuji.




With the help of a Japanese girl who, without knowing me, bought me a ticket, I was able to see them live again, in a natural environment and in the rain, and a rainbow that framed such a special moment. So close to the stage with my friend Haruka, her sister, and a friend, I enjoyed hearing that distinctive voice. A day later, I caught a flu and my landlady had to give me medicine. The experience was worth it.

IKE is not only a vocalist, a musician. His voice, coupled with the rhythm of bass, guitar and drums, cheers me up on those melancholy nights, makes me think about what it's like to become an adult, what life is like and makes me want to dance. Thanks to him and to what SPYAIR represents, I was able to meet interesting people who are now my great friends.

It's because that represents musical power, reaching people and trying to convey emotions and feelings, feel ties, despite the distance. And that was achieved by IKE, always aware of the fans, connecting with us.

SPYAIR will continue with MOMIKEN, KENTA and UZ, but this summer's Just Like This concert and other concerts scheduled for his fan club have been cancelled. The destination is uncertain, but the most staunch fans will be supporting the band. More importantly, that IKE is stable and can live rocking his style on his new path.



The people with money who survive emigrate to the colonies, while the rest have no choice but to live on this planet. In the asteroid called Tijuana, settlers from Mexico and the rest of Latin America are its inhabitants, although that place is well known for being frequented by criminals and fugitives, where the black market is the largest of all the colonies. With so many criminals, bounty hunters, like the main group, often arrive.

My name is Nisla (ニスラ), but I’m also know as Yuki Vongola. I love the Japanese culture, history and pop culture as anime, manga and videogames, and write about the impact of Japan in my country, Mexico, such as festivals, concerts, film screenings, as well as relating some anime and manga plots that have to do with Mexico or with some current situation that is live in the world. Or recount my experiences on my trips to Japan. I also like to make reviews so that more people are interested and fall in love with Japan, as I have done.

Instagram: @yukivongola
Twitter: @YukiVongola

All photos of Japan in this page are taken by the author.