The wolves are coming to Kansai. Japanese rock band MAN WITH A MISSION will release “The Circus”, their first original full album in about four and a half years, on Wednesday, December 23, 2026. They have also announced a tour of all 47 prefectures starting after the new year, with shows planned in Kyoto, Shiga, Hyogo, Nara and Wakayama.
Their first full album in four and a half years: “The Circus”
The members announced it to fans themselves in a special program marking the release of their new single “Firestarter” on Wednesday, October 28. It is their first original full album since “Break and Cross the Walls II”, a two-part album released in May 2022.
The title “The Circus” points to a circus where one act follows another: each song changes the scenery, and you never know what comes next. The album includes “Kizuna no Kiseki”, the opening theme of the TV anime “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — Swordsmith Village Arc”, which drew attention as a collaboration with singer-songwriter milet; “The Animals”, the theme song of the film “Straw Dogs” (Wara ni mo Sugaru Kemono-tachi); and the new song “Firestarter”.
It also includes “ONE”, the official song of the J.League club Cerezo Osaka — good news for soccer fans in Kansai. For some of the new songs, mixing was done by Chris Lord-Alge, the engineer behind work for Green Day, Madonna and My Chemical Romance.
The first-press edition comes with a world tour documentary book
The album comes in two editions. The first-press edition is a CD with a photo book, which includes a documentary book on the 2026 world tour. The regular edition is the CD only.
A 47-prefecture tour, with five shows in Kansai
The tour is called “MAN WITH A MISSION LIVE TOUR ‘The Circus’”. It covers venues from live houses to halls, with guest bands at each show. The Kansai dates are:
- Sunday, January 24: Kyoto, KYOTO MUSE
- Sunday, May 30: Shiga, Shiga Prefectural Cultural Industry Exchange Center Event Hall
- Monday, June 21: Hyogo, Kobe Kokusai Kaikan Kokusai Hall
- Wednesday, June 23: Nara, Nara Centennial Hall Main Hall
- Saturday, August 14: Wakayama, Wakayama Prefectural Culture Hall Main Hall
Kyoto is a live-house show; the other four are at halls with reserved seating. With venues of different sizes, you can choose by distance or by the kind of space you want. The fan club’s earliest presale for the live-house and hall (arena/standing) shows started at 21:00 on Wednesday, October 28.
December Tokyo–Osaka shows already sold out, plus a special TV program
Ahead of the tour, a Tokyo and Osaka tour marking the release of “Firestarter” will be held in December. With a limited number of shows, every date has already sold out. A special program centered on those shows is scheduled to air on Space Shower TV on December 30.
Release and tour details
- Album: “The Circus”, released Wednesday, December 23, 2026
- First-press edition (CD + photo book): ¥3,900 (tax included), SRCL-13966–13967
- Regular edition (CD only): ¥3,500 (tax included), SRCL-13968
- Tour: “MAN WITH A MISSION LIVE TOUR ‘The Circus’”, starting with the Tokyo show on Wednesday, January 20, 2027
- Pre-order: https://MWAM.lnk.to/TheCircus_PKG
- “Firestarter” streaming: https://mwam.lnk.to/Firestarter
