I’ll be in Japan for World Cup 2022 which is being held in Tokyo. This will be the first time attending the World Cup in Tokyo and I am very excited to attend the World Cup in Tokyo. Go #TeamAntarctica
(Edit 2023-6-28: Finally finished recapping the last day–Nagoya side trip)
| DATE | EVENT (bold/underline is Tier 1, bold is Tier 2, regular font is Tier 3) |
| December 27 | SPARK 2022 @Shinagawa Intercity Hall (JamsCollection, Devil ANTHEM., Qumali Depart, ≒JOY, chuLa, Takane no Nadeshiko, others) Note 1: Qumali Depart withdrew. I didn’t realize it during the show, but that morning they tweeted that members were sick Note 2: I have now seen all three Yoyogi groups (=LOVE, not equal me, and JOY) and JOY is a really, really bad version of =LOVE. Their lineup is literally like an ice cream shop that sells 13 different flavors of vanilla. The audience was really up for them though (definitely the most buzz of any group today), which just shows the power of being affiliated with popular groups and and being backed by an agency with money. Note 3: I can see JOY and Takane no Nadeshiko being rivals since both are brand new up-and-comers, backed by strong agencies, and appeal to the same audience. With that being said, Takaneko obliterates JOY in every way. The difference in lineup quality is night and day. Nadeshiko’s entire lineup is fantastic and each member is visually unique. If I was to create a 10 member group choosing members from each group, I wouldn’t choose a single JOY member, meaning I think the weakest Nadeshiko member is better than JOY’s ace (whoever that is). Note 4: Despite a lineup filled with groups that I wanted to see, this event was not very fun. The entire time, people were more focused on getting better seats and constantly shuffling around, which made the vibe really weird. I suspect Girl’s Bomb may have been funner, since they had a reserved S section, which prevents the shuffling that occurred at SPARK. The lineup at Girl’s Bomb was much weaker though. Girl’s Bomb @Shinagawa Steller Ball (JamsCollection, Nankini, nonfiction, Lovely Doll, My Dear Darlin’, Nanaland, Akishibu Project, elsy, others) Note 1: I ended up staying at SPARK all day and missed Girl’s Bomb, which was at another Shinagawa venue about one mile away. S-ticket wasted :/ I wanted to see nonfiction (for Haruka, my 2nd favorite member of Harajuku Monogatari) and Nankini, and Jams for a second time. Even though both venues were in Shinagawa and just minutes apart, it’s actually a hassle going back and forth between events. Looking at this from google maps makes it seem simple, but walking through Tokyo crowds and also having just flown into Tokyo a few hours before, I just wasn’t up for it. After leaving SPARK, I actually walked to Steller Ball and arrived a few minutes before Nankini was scheduled. I really wanted to see them (I’m a fan of two members, not really the group), and this turned out to be the only time I would be able to see them. Because I had just landed that morning and stayed at SPARK all day, I was hungry and still hadn’t checked into my hotel. I also didn’t feel comfortable that I was showing up to an all-day event just for the very last performance. This was my only regret of the trip. *Hotel check-in Grand Prince Hotel, 5 minute walk from the above venues Note that has nothing to do with idols: Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa has a great breakfast buffet. |
| December 28 | BOLT release event @LaLaport Toyosu Note: event cancelled due to Aya getting sick… which sucked, but there was a huge silver lining related to the LEADING PREMIUM event… LEADING PREMIUM @O-West, duo Music Exchange, WOMB, Ring, and Deseo (Yosugala, on the treat Super Season, QUEENS, necopla, Maybe ME, AngeReve) Note 1: BOLT cancellation allowed me to see yosugala and more importantly, discover on the treat Super Season and QUEENS, because my original plan was actually skipping QUEENS (!) (prior to this trip, I had only a slight interest in QUEENS because of Emiry—former Piiiiiiins member). My main objective for this event was to secure a better spot for necopla, which was at a different stage (duo) and QUEENS was performing at O-West. Because I got to LEADING PREMIUM early, I decided to see QUEENS though and I was hooked almost immediately. This group is soooo good (one of the best of all time), how did they evade me for so long?? (To answer my own question, the three year travel ban is the main reason). Scheduled right before QUEENS was on the treat Super Season (OSS), which I heard of before because of their unique name, but knew nothing about. Their music is love or hate (I love it), the lineup is really strong though. While watching them, I kept thinking one of the members, Sena, would be a perfect replacement for Asa from JamsCollection (I’ll add a photo or link to her twitter later). Both of these groups are in my top tiers, especially QUEENS. OSS has several super fine members and their outfits are hot. Not sure about the longevity of OSS though, they’ve already had one member change (although it was for a legitimate health reason) (they also recently tweeted that there are going to be changes to the group in February). Note 2: conflicts with the Hashtag show required me to leave early, therefore missing chuLa, Anthurium, and FESTIVE. Note 3: This event was one of my favorites EVER. Great lineup, multiple venues all within minutes of each other makes a huge difference, and perfect amount of attendance (enough fans to create good energy, but super easy to move around and get front row even at the main stage, which I had for Maybe ME, necopla, and AngeReve). Hashtag 3-man @Hulic Hall Tokyo (#2i2, #yoyoyo, #babababambi) Note: Attendees got a free hashtag wristband, there are three types representing each group. I would have been fine with either 2i2 or yoyoyo. I knew they were random, but upon entering the venue, we are asked who we are supporting. I said 2i2 and the guy rummages in the wristband box and gives me… babababambi. How effing lazy can you be to not take another couple seconds to grab a 2i2 band. Babababambi is the most popular hashtag group, so it’s not like I was pushing for the most popular wristband. The wristbands were nice quality and limited items, which is why I would have liked 2i2 or yoyoyo (And I really, really dislike everything about bababambi—their lineup, group name, music, outfits, PVs, concept, and lineup. The lineup is just weird af. There is no cohesiveness in the members—big age differences, completely different personality types, and overall a complete visual mismatch imo.) I really don’t get their appeal or how they broke out this year. |
| December 29 | Devil ANTHEM. 2022 Last Live @Shibuya WOMB Note 1: When this this show went on sale, I had to wake up at 2 am on a school day and refresh the page for 30 minutes before finally securing a ticket. My number was 33, which was good enough for the second row. Note 2: The second song they performed was “Koisuru Otome no Crisis.” This is my favorite Devil ANTHEM song and one of my favorite idol songs period. Although this song is consistently in their top 10 countdowns (voted by fans), it’s very rarely performed live (it’s one of their early songs and their producer probably doesn’t like it that much. It’s very different from their other songs.) Anyway, the moment the song started I jumped around like an idiot (the song has a distinctive beginning). |
| December 30 | PLUM LIVE @With Harajuku Hall (SAISON, Utakata Parties, others) Note: I went to this event only to see Runa Kojima, whom I’ve been a huge fan of since 2015 (Doll Elements). Both SAISON and Utakata Parties are pretty bad, but I had a good seat and it was a nice venue right next to Harajuku station. QUEENS, Malcom Mask McLaren, BuGG, Nemuriorca @WOMBLIVE *Forgot to include this concert on my schedule because I bought this ticket on impulse after I saw QUEENS at LEADING PREMIUM two days prior. I arrived late because of the PLUM LIVE, so I missed the first two groups. The timetable was great because QUEENS was last, which is always the best because by then non-fans have left. There were still a lot of fans, but enough room to really move around. This is how to watch a group like QUEENS. Definitely one of the highlights of the trip. *Hotel check-in Trusty Tokyo Bayside, five minute walk from NPP area below |
| December 31 | Tokyo Hobo Orchestra @Ueno Zoo (day show only) |
| January 1 | Women-only Onsen (all day pass) |
| January 2 | New Year Premium Party Day 1 @FujiTV Forum (JamsCollection, BOLT, chuLa, INUWASI, #yoyoyo, My Dear Darlin’, others) Note 1: BOLT cancelation again due to members getting sick :/ Note 2: I achieved front row for JamsCollection and it was glorious. Not thrilled with the set list, but they wore their light blue outfits which are my 2nd favorite of theirs (simultaneously cute, sexy, and cute). Note 3: Overall, day 1 of NPP was pretty boring. Now that Zepp Tokyo is gone, their isn’t an equivalent stage with Zepp DiverCity. The stage they used in the FujiTV building was nice, but not as a main stage. It is 1/3 the size of Zepp DiverCity and takes 10 minutes just to get up to the 22nd floor, which is where the stage was located. Total hassle. Also, jumping ban was enforced. Combined with a high price, around 10,000Y, resulted in a really low turnout both days. Only half of Zepp DiverCity was even used. |
| January 3 | New Year Premium Party Day 2 @Zepp DiverCity (Qumali Depart, 2i2, Takane no Nadeshiko, iLiFE!, maneki kecak, Task have Fun, Nanaland, Nijicon, others) Note 1: Qumali Depart was amazing. Their performance was sooo good, they have such a strong lineup. Mei is my favorite, but Sao and Fuka were glowing. I wish this wasn’t the only time I could see them. My trip coincided with a dead zone for them, made worse when they cancelled their appearance at SPARK, which meant this performance was their first in close to two weeks. They also performed a new song, which was fantastic. Next week they have three Zepp DiverCity 2-man concerts in a row ;/ Also really liked iLiFE! who I also saw at the SPARK concert. |
| January 4 | Prism on the Stage (4-man) @Club Asia (yosugala, QUEENS, Mirror Mirror, PRSMIN) Note: yosugala and QUEENS were great, and mirror, mirror was surprisingly good. The venue allowed lifting though, which made it uncomfortable. The venue is small (~300 capacity) and I had to be on alert the entire time. Right as the live started (Yosugala was scheduled first), some guy tried to get me to lift him and I was having none of that. At first, my brain was not even processing why the eff some guy was climbing on my shoulder. I totally left him out to dry and I was a little worried that I broke etiquette, which is why I felt on edge despite the live being great. The girls in the audience were also not enjoying themselves for this reason. For the entire Yosugala performance, I acted as a shield for the girls in front of me who were visibly uncomfortable. It’s sad that indie groups have to pander to low-class fans and charge practically nothing for the tickets. The show was 1200 yen and some of these groups have regular show for 500 yen or less. |
| January 5 | No shows today Note: Went to Shibuya Parco for Nintendo, Capcom, and JUMP shops. I bought souvenirs at the Nintendo and Capcom stores. The Nintendo store required getting a ticket beforehand because of store congestion. Then I went to the Opanchu Usagi pop-up store at Tokyo Station (this was the final day for the shop). |
| January 6 | A day of rest… at Women-only onsen (half-day pass) |
| January 7 | Two days of nothing… then this: BOLT release event @LaLaport Toyosu (12 and 15:30) Roppongi Idol Festival @EX Theater (12:00 start) (JamsCollection, Takane no Nadeshiko, My Dear Darlin’, FESTIVE, Peel the Apple, Kamiyado, Anthurium, HKT48, others) ANTVOX @Veats Shibuya (10:30 start) (QUEENS, Yosugala, on the treat Super Season, others) Devil ANTHEM. teiki kouen (Kurumi’s birthday) @Veats Shibuya (18:00) Note 1: Ropongi Idol Fes and ANTVOX are in direct time conflict and I’ve chosen to attend ANTVOX, because there is still Jams tour in Nagoya. It was unfortunate though because the only three groups I wanted to see at Roppongi were Jams, Takane no Nadeshiko, and Kamiyado, and all three were scheduled one after another, which would have meant no dead time (which is the worst part of these long festivals) and I could have left right afterward. Note 2: This day is a mess. In the morning, I have to choose between Jams, Takane no Nadeshiko, and Kamiyado vs QUEENS, Yosugala, and OSS. And then the BOLT mini-live got bumped up to 15:30 (their past events have been 12 and 16). It’s only 30 minutes, but now it conflicts with QUEENS performance, because it takes 30 minutes to get from Shibuya to Toyosu. I need to catch every train perfectly from Shibuya to Toyosu and I will get to the venue right when the live starts, missing the product sales period. I’d have to watch from the behind the priority area, which sucks because that doesn’t support the group. Note 3: Slightly annoyed that of the 5 Jams events that I bought tickets for, I am only able to go to 3 of them. Note 4: I have since changed my mind, so everything ^ has been scrapped. I plan on going to the ANTVOX event for yosugala and TELLMIT only, and then leave for the Roppongi Festival. ANTVOX btw is the agency for OSS, TELLMIT, and PRSMIN—whom I saw at their 4-man a few days earlier. I like OSS and TELLMIT, but not a fan of PRSMIN (although they are okay). I’m going to the Roppongi Festival for JamsCollection, Takane no Nadeshiko, Kamiyado, and Anthurium. This means missing OSS and QUEENS, which is extremely annoying. But this is simply more logical (4 groups I like > 2 groups I like), and also allows me to go to the BOLT event on time. Note 5: I need to update this. I basically went to ANTVOX show for 4 groups, Roppongi Idol Festival for 4 groups, BOLT event #2, had dinner in Shibuya and then Devian concert. I should also mention that the Yamanote line was closed this day which caused delays getting to the different events. Note 6: The BOLT event felt different than other release events I’ve been to. Although they are an idol group, they don’t mix too often with other idol groups and do their own thing. I got into BOLT because of their single Accent (amazing song and pv). And of course because I always have bad luck with unimportant things, they didn’t even perform this song. |
| January 8 | JamsCollection Tour @Zepp Nagoya Jams had a concert in Tokyo the last week of December, but that meant missing Christmas at home, which wasn’t an option for me. The only chance to see them in a solo concert during my trip meant going to Nagoya. Something annoying about the Nagoya concert compared with the Tokyo was they switched from Tiget to e-plus for ticket sales. This sucked because e-plus is the enemy of foreign fans since it either means having to use a proxy service or just being out of luck if they use the smartphone ticket option. And because Jams went with smartphone tickets for this concert, it wasn’t even possible to use a proxy service, since the ticket is attached to your phone, and the phone requires a Japanese number. This meant I had to apply for a free ticket, instead of the S-ticket. After securing a free ticket, I booked the hotel directly across the street from Zepp Nagoya. The concert itself was average and it still stung that just a few months prior, four of the members withdrew after violating their contracts. *Hotel check-in The Strings Hotel, next door to Zepp |
| January 9 | Return to Murica |
SUPER GiRL Talk 
I see that you change hotels quite often. Also staying at hotels you know from the past, like the Odaiba one.
I wonder if staying at the Women Only Onsen will provide that much ‘rest‘ for you…
If you run into Kingsari, tell me your thoughts. I actually dislike their sister group Antherium. *hides under the table*
I was going to ask you about groups you saw, I knew you liked Kingsari. Any other groups you discovered recently?
I really liked Antherium last year, with the original four member lineup. So much that I bought their first album, which I don’t normally do. Since then, I’ve lost interest, but I am still a fan of Hisui which is why I want to see them, but I won’t go out of my way.
My original schedule was December 30-January 9. Two weeks later several concerts were announced, so I cancelled my airfare and booked a new flight for December 27-January 9. It wasn’t possible to stay in the same hotel, so I found a place next to the venues in Shinagawa. I really dislike changing hotels, but it couldn’t be avoided.
Oh, all hotels fully booked for longer stays? I did not expect that. But makes sense if you had just booked recently and have certain demands.
I also had to change my flight plans after I had booked, as Kingsari suddenly announced a One Man Live on the day of my supposed return. The money, that I had to spend… lol
In Kingsari, the member Enma was formerly in Anthurium. For suggestions, I assume you will rather go for more popular groups and festivals. Not informed really of such groups. Queens I still like. Otherwise you will find new groups on festivals, for sure.
I have received no notifications… 😢
I was very surprised about you not being familiar with Queens at all. They are so present, even on Youtube.
By the way, have you done any chekis? I assume not.
How did you like Corona-Japan in general?
Did not know about you liking Qumali. Thought they have already disbanded. But they seem pretty popular by your blog post, so no wonder, I have never seen them on my festivals.
I like your assessment of the group compositions. Interesting perspective🤔
Those seated events I agree with. They are mostly terrible. Too much shuffling, people standing up during shows, so you have to stand up as well to be able to see the stage,…
The Winter TIF sounds terrible. It was really happening on the 22nd floor? So everyone had to use the elevator, like they do for Sky Stage?
I am very surprised you are listening to 2i2. Caio is a big fan. (But he quits Japan Idols soon, and becomes Korea Idol wota.)
But I can wholeheartedly agree with that Bambi group. I don‘t understand their appeal at all.
Sorry to hear about those events with trash wotas. That was at least one of the advantages of Corona. Despite me having been a Bellha fan and having enjoyed lifting and the like. How was the situation with chants and the like? I hardly had it on my trip.
Next time post some pics from inside the Women only Onsen. Your posts lack images.
Sorry for the late reply, been really busy with school. Spring Break is in three weeks though (we get a week off). This was just a sloppy post of my schedule. I have a lot of photos of my trip, but no chekis. Outside of my very first two trips to Japan, I very rarely do handshakes or photos. Since I go to concerts alone, I don’t like waiting in queues.
I also wanted to write about how buying tickets has changed, which reminded me of a concert I forgot to write about. I saw QUEENS a third time (along with MMM and BuGG)–I have since updated my schedule on Dec 30. After I saw QUEENS and immediately became addicted, I searched up their schedule and they had another concert two days later that I was able to buy online. This is an example of how some tickets have become much easier to buy. In the past, I would have needed to buy a day ticket, assuming no sell out. In some ways it is now way better with Live Pocket, Ticket Village, Tiget, and Rakuten (when they use paper tickets) being very friendly to foreign fans, but e-Plus and Rakuten (for smart tickets), and fan-club tickets being impossible to buy now, even resale.
Corona-Japan was a little annoying because when you wear a mask, people don’t realize you aren’t a local, so I often had to ask people to talk slower or explain my Japanese isn’t great. Since it is very important that I don’t get sick on vacation, overall I was okay with the situation, since I was healthy the entire two weeks.
I heard of QUEENS when they debuted because of Emiry, but it was bad timing because I was not looking for new groups to follow. Periodically I would watch streaming shows with them and also watch their music videos, buy I didn’t really like their style. It required seeing them live to realize how good they are.
I’ve liked Qumali Depart since they debuted in 2016, when they had 3 members. I remember watching one of their very first online shows and thinking they were interesting. Back then I liked them as a joke, because they were very different than the groups I would usually like. It wasn’t until they did a restart in 2019 with two new members (maybe this is why you thought they disbanded) that I became a serious fan. I saw them with their new 4 member lineup when I went in 2019. They added two more great members in 2020, one of whom is my favorite, and I was finally able to see their current lineup, which is why I was annoyed I only saw them once, since I had waited three years to see them.
Winter TIF sucked, never going again. No wonder the attendance was small. Great lineup though.
Since it’s been 3 years since I’ve been to Japan, I did feel that the idol fanbase has changed. Fans seemed less enthusiastic overall, less calls and mixes, and smaller audiences. I think the smaller audiences could be because of Corona and being near New Years. Not sure though. Even encores are lazy, no one says anything, just lazy clapping until the group returns to the stage. The vibe at shows seemed different. For example, JamsCollection is very similar to original SUPER GiRLS, but the Jams lives were really mild, while SG fans were much more vocal and hardcore the first 3 years. Of course, JamsCollection is still reeling from losing four members, so that changed everything.
late to the party rofl but let me post some random thoughts here: nice to see you back to Japan and to the idol scene. too bad I only discovered about your trip now otherwise Id have met you to ruin your fun. =P I was at the Roppongi Festival too, for some part of the day at least. interesting to see you like Jams Collection, Queens and 2i2. I followed Jams for some time despite not being too thrilled with their songs, basically because Kotohime was just too beautiful. lol Queens I followed them for most of their 5 years existence. will forever have a special place in my heart as one the funniest groups to see live. they have some really good songs, specially the old ones, and interesting members. specially Urumu, I droll over her legs everytime I watch their shows. lol 2i2… well. since I kinda accidentally discovered them, they had been my top group for the last two years. so Im biased when talking about them. just gotta say music wise, they are a step below yanakoto and qulle as one of the very best idol groups ever, imo. also, last but not the least, apparently Tobby already wrote about me and how Im leaving the scene. (will effectively show myself out next friday) its been a fun journey these past ten years or so but it was time to end it. =) good luck, boy!