“Going to asia on Thursday?”

Born from such casual conversations, the gathering came to be known before anyone realized it as the “asia Mokuyokai” (asia Thursday Session).

While regular parties like “PARTY HARD TUESDAY” on Tuesdays and “EXODUS” on Wednesdays are held, what kind of parties actually take place late every Thursday night?

In truth, there is no single fixed style for Thursdays.
For the 1st THURSDAY, okadada and FELINE alternate monthly,
for the 2nd THURSDAY, BUDDHAHOUSE & hara handle curation, and from the 3rd THURSDAY onwards, the nights are shaped by various artists and irregular regular members depending on the time.

House, techno, disco, DUB, UKG, bass music... The sounds played, the crowd gathered, and the scenery on the floor change every week. Even so, when Thursday night arrives, there are people who somehow find their way to asia.

Even though the genres and the faces change every week, there is an undeniably shared atmosphere.

It goes so far that K8 and AMANE, who irregularly helm the night, coined the phrase, “Thursday is the weekend.”

To unravel what is truly happening late on Thursday nights at asia, we spoke with each week’s curators and affiliated guest artists.

1st THURSDAY

A late-night DJ party on the first Thursday of every month, curated by okadada since October 2022.
From March 2025 onwards, it shifted to a format supervised by okadada on even months and FELINE on odd months, continuing to this day.
Both are indisputably popular DJs who rock parties across the country every weekend.
It is rare for them to be involved in regular bookings, and from the tracks played, the timetable, to the overall vibe... the elements drifting through the night everywhere offer a glimpse into the philosophies of how these two craft a party.

Now past three years and ten months since its inception, over 100 DJ acts have performed.
The lineup is diverse, boldly crossing ages and genres. The common thread in both of their curations is taking a seemingly eclectic roster and weaving it into a coherent night through the sheer brilliance of deliberate matching.

Regarding the initial concept, okadada shares: “As a kind of testing ground, I reach out to DJs I personally think are great. It's for the crowd, but beyond that, it's also a presentation to club asia itself, showing them 'there are amazing DJs like this.'”
FELINE, on the other hand, says: “While taking the baton from okadada-san, I want to show my own originality as well. Compared to even months, I deliberately pick more danceable acts, but I choose them in a way that intentionally deviates from dead-center.” While their colors differ, what runs underneath is how to harness the freedom unique to weekday late nights—and how to turn its limitations into the party's advantage.

Among the clubs in Shibuya where weekday operations have increased post-pandemic, it stands out uniquely as a space that genuinely pursues the “fascinating combination of sound and people.”

— text by Keita Takahashi aka shakke

2nd THURSDAY

The 2nd THURSDAY is curated by familiar faces BUDDHAHOUSE and hara.
Built by two veterans with a solid track record of hyping up Maruyamacho since the LOUNGE NEO days, this night welcomes connected guest artists across different genres each time, from funky disco house to UKG, techno, and bass music.

Assembled from their respective backgrounds and ever-expanding musical sensibilities, each night sparks new encounters and sometimes even bizarre happenings—something always happens every month. Such unpredictable excitement is part of this night's charm.

There are many long-time regulars; people drawn together by music find themselves standing shoulder-to-shoulder, chatting, and seeing each other again the next month. This recurring loop of human connection might be the reason why this night has been loved for so long.

You can come to see names you know, or come to discover names you don't.
You can also just come to raise a glass with the two curators.

As a laid-back, free playground uniquely possible precisely because it’s a Thursday night, it fills the floor with a happy vibe every month.

BUDDHAHOUSE: “On our Thursdays, we invite various domestic dance music DJs to create a night with sustained energy so people can have fun no matter what time they arrive.
Because it’s late on a weekday, people enjoy it in their own ways—from those who just stop by for a single drink and head home, to those on the all-night course until morning. So please feel free to drop by anytime!”

hara: “We create a night unique to weekdays through our distinct bookings, together with people who are committed to 'partying late on a Thursday'!
Each DJ plays two sets, which gives a thrilling sense of everyone shaping the flow of the entire night together every month.
We hold this while being mindful of the synergy that can only happen on the second Thursday—between the performers themselves and with the crowd in the room—so please come by casually and comfortably.”

OTHER THURSDAYS

From the 3rd THURSDAY onwards, a different lineup is assembled every week—sometimes with designated irregular resident artists, and other times featuring rising artists who will shape the future of the scene.

Moreover, since club asia celebrated its 30th anniversary and renewed both its sound system and interior, both floors—the 1F LOUNGE and the 2F FLOOR—are open even on weekdays. Thursday nights are delivered with an even more diverse lineup and enriched content.

Amidst all this, K8, a member of TYO GQOM who has co-hosted the irregular residency alongside AMANE as a pillar of Mokuyokai, has decided to relocate to Kyoto, bringing the “Amayan-kai” to a temporary finale.
To wrap up this gathering that coined the powerful phrase “Thursday is the weekend,” a special night celebrating K8’s relocation to Kyoto will be held on Thursday, August 20.
For this occasion, K8’s longtime ally Kotsu (CYK) contributed a message.

————
Still haven’t touched my homework. A faint anxiety and the desire to live summer to the fullest. That tug-of-war accelerates the party.

On August 20, hinting at the end of summer, the collaborative event between K8—a member of TYO GQOM who just announced his move to Kyoto—and AMANE—a member of the remarkably active party collective “Nektar”—comes to its final chapter.

On the 2F, house music standard-bearer Stones Taro joins from Kyoto, bringing an expansive, river-like soundscape with UK undercurrents, alongside fireworks-master Nari from CYK (now in its 10th year), delivering the funk-derived essence of house.

On the 1F, Licaxxx brings deep knowledge of UK dance music alongside an eerie, obscure dance pride; HIMAWARI provides an unyielding, full-fledged leftfield presence that blooms across all kinds of parties; and FELINE, Kotsu (CYK), and kengotaki (FULLHOUSE) add color with their '95-style dance music cicada-chorus.

As described above, an impeccable lineup has gathered to fully savor asia in the summer. A testament to the existence of a space where one can let go and play freely, it gently flickers a light even for those seated at their desks on this day.

Do you catch our drift...? We, too, still haven’t touched our homework.

—text by Kots (CYK)