Cheap Trick, Night Ranger, and Winger are gearing up for a poignant farewell to Japan in 2025, marking the end of an era for these iconic rock bands. Their upcoming farewell tours are set to resonate deeply with fans in the Far East, a region that has significantly influenced their musical journeys and successes.

The legendary band Winger is nearing the conclusion of their final performances in Japan. They are scheduled to take the stage at Tokyo’s Ex Theater Roppongi on the evenings of March 31 and April 1 before departing the country permanently. Frontman Kip Winger has shared insights about this decision, expressing a desire to focus on his songwriting endeavors. He stated, “I’m ending my touring days,” during an interview with Rockpit in March 2025. He elaborated on the creative toll that constant touring takes on artists, revealing, “Interruption is the death of creativity. Spending six months a year in an airport is unproductive.” With a vision to devote his time to composing, he is excited about the musical ideas he’s eager to explore.

Winger also released the home video Live in Tokyo in 1991, showcasing their powerful performances and connection with the Japanese audience.

The farewell tour for Night Ranger in Japan appears to be a heartfelt tribute rather than a definitive end to their career, as their promotional materials for upcoming North American dates do not indicate this as a final opportunity for fans to see them. They have, however, shared promotional content from Udo Artists announcing “The Goodbye Tour,” with concerts scheduled for October 14 at Osaka’s Grand Cube and October 16 at Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan. Guitarist Brad Gillis previously described Japan as “a beautiful country with excellent people, food culture, and landscape,” highlighting the band’s appreciation for their longstanding relationship with the nation.

In a 2020 interview with Roppongiocks.com, Gillis reflected on the band’s deep-rooted history in Japan, noting, “The fans have embraced us, and all our shows have been sold out. We’ve noticed the fans still love classic rock. We’ve played over 50 shows in Japan and can’t wait to head back over soon.”

Throughout their illustrious career, Night Ranger has produced five live albums and home videos, capturing their electrifying performances in Japan. Notable releases include 1983’s Night Ranger: Japan Tour, 1988’s Japan in Motion, 1990’s Live in Japan, 1997’s Rock in Japan 1997, and 2007’s Rockin’ Shibuya, all of which showcase their enduring popularity in the region.

The specific dates for Cheap Trick’s farewell tour in Japan have yet to be announced. However, promotional materials from Udo Artists indicate that the band will be making their much-anticipated return this year. Japan played a crucial role in launching the band’s international career, especially after they received significant acclaim from Japanese journalists for their performance as the opening act for Queen on a 1977 tour.

After releasing three studio albums without achieving substantial success in the United States, it was the 1978 live album Cheap Trick at Budokan—initially intended solely for the Japanese market—that catapulted the Rockford, Illinois-born band to stardom in their home country. Following this success, they released a sequel, Budokan II, in 1994, further solidifying their legacy.

“They kind of liked that quirky cartoon character thing that Queen has, or that Kiss certainly has,” stated Robin Zander in an interview with The Big Interview by Dan Rather in 2019, reflecting on the band’s popularity in Japan. “We were like cartoon characters… Our record company in the States thought, ‘Boy, this is too weird.’ But the Japanese, they got a kick out of it.”