April 25, 2012

AKB Events Summer 2010

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In summer 2010 I went on a trip to Japan to see as much AKB as I could. This is the results.

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First event was with Watararouka and their new single Seishun no Flag. This was held July 4th at Laqua, which is located in the Tokyo Dome area. This is a few hours before the event started, and the stage is located behind the trees in the middle. I had 6 tickets, but only got to use up 4, because in the middle of the handshakes, it started raining heavily. A few weeks later, they made up for it by holding a smaller event where you could use the tickets you still had left. For each ticket, I got a handshake with all them (Mayuyu, Rabutan, Nacchan, Harugon, Ayarin), plus a few more members who were there (CinDy, Komorin, Wasamin, Nattsumi, Miccha). So 10 handshakes for only one ticket! That wouldn't happen today anymore.

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Then I was lucky to get a ticket to the third performance of the Yoyogi concert "Surprise wa Arimasen". This is still the best concert I have been to so far in my life. The Seibu Dome concert was bigger, but, in my opinion, not better.

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After the concert when everybody was getting out, they were handing out a newspaper-like flyer about the big surprise that had just been announced inside. Here it is together with my ticket. I had a seat down at the arena, in the A-block.

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Next up was SKE48's Gomenne Summer Zenkoku minilive and handshake event. For these kind of events, called "全国握手会" (zenkoku akushukai - handshake events all around Japan), you simply just have to buy the CDs, in which a ticket is included. Many people come with 20 or more tickets. At this event I only used 1 ticket, and went to meet Rena.

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The following day, it was the same event, but in Nagoya. This day I met Jurina, Rena, Haachan, Yukko and Kanakana.

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Got there about an hour or two before the event and got entry ticket number 1493.

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After doing some regular sightseeing on the trip, I went up to Sendai to see AKB48 perform Ponytail to Shushu and get a few more handshakes. Photographing is strictly forbidden inside so you'll have to do with outdoor shots.

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Following day was the same event, but in Sapporo. There's a reason these events are called "zenkoku" after all. Getting from Sendai to Sapporo was a little bit of struggle, since the event ended late in Sendai (around 17:00), and the one in Sapporo started in the morning. Had to take a terrible night train and try to sleep in the seat. I'm not sure who I met in Sendai and who in Sapporo, but both altogether I got to see: Moeno, Yuko, Rabutan, Ayarin, Reinyan, Kitarie, Tomochin, Sae, Miichan, Umechan, Yonechan, Suuchan x2, Yukirin x2, Sayaka (Akimoto) x2, Harukyan x3, Mayuyu x3. Yes, things were better and easier at that time.

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At closing hours of every event, there will be people outside on the street trying to sell different things. These are bootlegs, and should be avoided at all costs. Sure, if you're not a collector and only want a nice fan or poster, it's easy and cheap to buy one here. But remember that no money is going to AKB for buying bootlegs. This man seems happy to be making money. This is in Harajuku, near the Yoyogi Stadium.

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This is inside a bootleg shop in Harajuku. It is easy to tell bootlegs from original goods. Mostly the pics are from live performance, and made out of cheap material. You will find the "(C)AKS" mark on official goods, and often a glimmering seal of approval. Unlike official goods, stuff will be sold at a distance from the event, never inside or just outside the building where the event is being held.

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Here's a long line to the official goods shop that was set up right outside the Yoyogi Stadium. Another hint to tell real from fake is the queue line. If it's long like this, it is definitely real. You can see the line go all the way to the corner, and then continue to the left. I asked a staff member who were holding the 最後尾 sign (saikoubi - end of queue line) how long the wait was - about 3 hours.

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Near the end of the trip in late August, AKB48 had a campaign going on at the Tokyo Dome amusement park area. If you watched Shukan AKB at that time you might recognize it. Each member had their own "day", and this day was Nakatsuka Tomomi's day. Not sure what you could actually do anything more than the stamp rally, and use their purikura photo machines.

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And that concludes the events that I got to go to in 2010. In other words, I didn't get the chance to see them at their homeground in Akihabara. Altogether I got 67 handshakes, and attended 8 events (two not listed here: the make-up event for when it started raining, and a personal handshake event with one member of Watarirouka - I met Rabutan). I will try to make a similar article for 2011 sometime.

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