CK's Japan Tour, Fall 2008 Day 8 ~The Yamanote, AKB48 Promotions and a Momusu Preview~

Even though I have been in Japan before, I wasn't entirely familiar with the way the trains work.  Even now I am unsure about a few things, so a Japan Rail Pass was a great, albeit expensive way to learn and use the train system with ease.  However, if you plan to make at least two trips on the Shinkansen, it pretty much pays for itself.

There are many different train lines throughout Japan, and there are also multiple private companies operating public transportation, but the biggest is the JR Line.  Plus, JR also runs the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) throughout Japan.  I took the Shinkansen to see Berryz Kobo in Shizuoka Prefecture.  It was amazingly fast and smooth.  The nice thing about the Rail Pass is you can board most any JR train or bus just by showing your pass, you don't have to figure out what the fare is.  Although all stations have a well detailed map of destinations and corresponding fares.

The main train around Tokyo is the Yamanote Line (the green circle in the middle of the pic), it stops at most of the major tourist areas around Tokyo.  If you have ever been to London, it would be comparable to the "Circle Line".  Everything moves really fast with the trains.  You walk among a sea of people into the train station.  The ticket gates are designed you no one needs to pause as they insert their ticket into the slot.  And the trains come almost instantaneously.  The Yamanote stops every 3-4 minutes normally.  It reminded me of when the guys on Utaban asked Sayumi Michishige what she thought of Tokyo, and she remarked that she was amazed how the trains come so quickly.  By the way, they were putting new signs on the trains today.  here is one of the new ads on many of the cars...

Why yes Matsuura-san, I will gladly board your train!  I don't think we need to worry about Ayaya leaving the Elder Club.  She seems to be doing just fine.  In any case, one of the things foreigners (including myself) find so fascinating about the JR Lines is the "music" they play at each stop.  I have heard three different explanations on why they do it, and I believe every station's music is different!  It is just another "unique" thing about Tokyo.

 

A Quick Preview of Morning Musume

My next post will be my thoughts about seeing two Morning Musume shows this weekend at Tokyo Koseinenkin Kaikan in Shinjuku.  But suffice it to say that it was a great performance.  I went to the first show with Celestia of Bikkuri Project, and she has also done a preview.  But like me, she is waiting to see it a second time before giving a full review.  By the way, Celestia was very nice, and great company at the show!  Even there she was making selections for her "Costume Hall of Shame", sorry JunJun!

 

One Last Visit to the AKB48 Theater

I had a "Cancel Machi" reservation for the Sunday matinee Team B show.  And it would end just in time for me to dash across Tokyo and meet Celestia for Morning Musume.  So I went for it, and got in again.  That means I got to see all three teams (A, K, and B) while I was here.  And let me tell you, Team B's 3rd stage is just as good as Team K's fourth stage!

This is Team B's first stage with original material, and I think they did a great job with it.  Almost every song in it is upbeat and fun.  My favorite songs had to be Wasshoi B! and Kagami no Naka no Jean da Arc, which had all of my favorite members in it.  Watching this stage live also gave me an opportunity to pick some favorite Team B members.  I didn't even know who was popular on this team, although I do hear Noguchi Reina talked about a lot, and Watanabe Mayu is prominent in the Oogoe Diamond PV.  First off, Urano Kazumi is gorgeous!  She is the oldest member of B, and she reminds me A LOT of Abe Natsumi!  I can see why she is popular, great personality!  The girl who I made repeated eye contact with was Yonezawa Rumi.  She stared right at me throughout the show, so she gets a vote too.  Here's another sample of Team B's Third Stage...

But the one I was dying for was Tanabe Miku!  My god is she adorable!  She reminds me of a Japanese "Pippi Longstocking" for some reason, and she has sort of a smokey voice too.  I couldn't believe how young she was (almost 16, Saggitarius like me).  Sixteen going on Twenty-Five is more like it.  She is totally off the charts HAWT!!!

But I might be breaking a cardinal rule by naming more than one member as my favorite.  One of the first things an AKB48 fan asks you when you meet them is "Who do you support?"  What I noticed is everyone seems to have ONE person that they most like, just one!  Although they may be fond of multiple members.  Fans have so many different opportunities to meet the members, and I guess there is some jealousy that goes on when an idol sees you at events, and then sees you meeting another member.  They all want to be your #1 Idol...Funny!

I mentioned the opportunities to meet the members.  It blew my mind to find out about all of the goings on at that place!  At the end of every show there are a bunch of fans standing around the door with flowers and gifts.  They have won the opportunity to meet their favorite AKB48 Idol!  And it seems fairly common, Every time I stuck around there were 10-20 fans waiting.  The whole thing lasts about 2-3 minutes.  They call your number and you go to the theater doors, they open and there she is!  You go for a short walk to the stage where you can talk to them for a minute or two, then they take you to a camera and take your photo with her.  And then (there's more!) the girl personalizes a message for you on the photo!  Mind you, this is a prize you have to win.  But from what I was told it can be "bought" as well.  But this is just the tip of the iceberg, there are tons of other "prizes" like that to get!  That and all of the handshake events, you can really get to know these girls!

This is why I have fallen in love with AKB48.  Sure, they have invented all sorts of ways for the fans to spend money.  But everything about the experience, from the tiny theater to the handshake events, to the "stage" concept, to all of these "prizes" that give you the opportunity to personally interact with the idols...it is just such an amazing concept!  And of course the AKB idols are adorable!  I'm going to miss the theater most of all when I leave, but when I return you can be sure I will be looking into that meet/photo-op prize...now who to pick?

Just look for this guy on the main drag in Akihabara just two blocks from the JR Station.  He is your ticket to AKB48 Heaven!

CK in California