Ayaka Yasumoto celebrated turning 28 with her annual birthday solo live on June 22 at KT Zepp Yokohama, bringing her international collaborations directly to her fanbase.

The show kicked off with DJ YASUMOTO, where Yasumoto herself took the decks in a track suit, spinning Private Ebisu Gakuen classics with audience participation before transitioning to her artist set. She performed three consecutive tracks, including "大好きで大嫌い" (Daisuki de Daikirai), a song she wrote last summer for former groupmate Hinata Kashiwagi, and her 2022 original "小さな戦士" (Chiisana Senshi).

The evening's centerpiece arrived when Yasumoto debuted her new concept: a Heisei-era gal aesthetic with a custom anime-character design on her shirt. This visual represented a long-held dream, she explained—the gyaru style felt distant during her earnest teenage years in the group.

Under her NecoMe project name, Yasumoto performed "Bobby makes you smile!," an English-language rock track that evolved from a previously released song after her collaboration with Indonesian artists. The real surprise came with special guest Sisca Saras (ex-JKT48), who joined for two collaborative debuts: "SWIPE KANAN KIRI" and "Modorenai Yoru." The second track, featuring Saras's mellow vocals layered with Yasumoto's harmonies, was announced for release the following day.

Saras expressed genuine emotion in Indonesian: "It's amazing. I'm grateful to perform on a special day like this. I was nervous performing two songs, but I'm happy to share this happy feeling with everyone."

Yasumoto rounded out the setlist with deeper cuts from her catalog and covers, including "アイラブ言う" (I Love You) by Wasureranee Yo. Her closing original, "そのまま。" (Just As Is), addressed unspoken feelings—a reflection on words she wished she'd told a close friend from her school days.

This marks a significant expansion of Yasumoto's solo career, which began in 2016 as a birthday tradition. Her NecoMe project, launched this spring with producer F4dli, now operates on a genuinely international scale.