AKB48 0ji59fun Ends…..

Yesterday, AKB48’s weekly variety show Oji59fun ended it’s run but they’re coming back with a new show which starts tomorrow (1st October). The new show is called AKB48 Bingo. It’ll still be hosted by The Bad Boys but the content of the new show is still unknown. Will they be moving more into how the old HaroMoni show used to be – skits, a performance or two and other fun items? Who knows but I’ll be tuning in to find out. I hope they do some outside broadcast items.

The last show of Oji59fun was basically a highlights reel from the past 8 or so months showcasing some amusing moments the girls has given us the viewers. Noro being frightened by a bullfrog and running in terror from the studio and crying her eyes out made me laugh!

Over the past week I’ve been downloading another show the group is featuring in called AKB48 Nemousu TV. I don’t know what the content is about but as soon as I burn it onto DVD I can watch it on my TV. Had a quick peek and it looks like a fun show.

Members of AKB48

Camera For Trip

Last week I went ahead in forking out on a new camera for the upcoming Japan trip. My previous camera – a Fuji compact was bloody useless. All the photos came out grainy and there’s just no ISO control with it at all so I decided to ditch it and get a digital SLR. I read through tons of reviews over the past couple of months and humming and harring whether to get a Canon or a Nikon but in the end I went for the Nikon D40.

Nikon D40

It finally arrived on Thursday and I’ve just been doing some test shots around the house and outside to see how good the quality is. So far I’m impressed and I’ve just been fiddling about with the controls to get the hang of it. It comes with a great 18 – 55mm lens but we’ll see in the future whether I’ll buy a 70 – 200mm lens to go with it. All I need now is a tripod so that I get going with doing some night photography – something I aim to do a lot in Japan during the evening. Ordered a Sony travel tripod which should be with me before the weekend. A shame I didn’t get it before last Saturday morning as there was a beautiful sunrise that I would have liked to have photographed.

Meetan and AKB48 new releases

We’re less than a month away until AKB48 member Megumi Ohori’s solo single Amai Kokanetsu (Sweet Hip Joint) is released. For those that don’t know Meetan has been set a challenge by AKB48’s creator Akimoto to release a solo single and sell 10,000 copies. If she doesn’t do that she’ll be forced to quit the group. Meetan doesn’t have the best voice and she knows it but after seeing the risque performance of the song on Oji59fun I reckon she’s got a good chance of hitting the target. I think the PV alone will make people buy it – hope they get rid of the gay dancers that accompanied her performance on Oji59fun though. I quite like the song myself and she doesn’t have to stretch her vocals so it’s an ideal tune for her. This challenge is basically only a marketing ploy to the fans and I can’t see them firing her from the group if she doesn’t hit the target. They’ve created a sob story to gain even more sympathy that she was largely ignored by the fans at first before she gained popularity on Oji59fun. She’s also quite old to be an idol – 25 years of age. We’ll see what happens when it all kicks off on the 15th October – the release date of the single.

A week later (22nd October), AKB48 release their newest single Oogoe Diamond. Having heard a brief taster this week I’m anxiously awaiting somebody to rip a copy off one of Japan’s radio stations so that I can hear the song in full.

The gravure-tastic Megumi Ohori

There’s plenty of AKB48 releases in October with various 2009 calendars coming out. I’ve already bought the weekly 2009 calendar but I’ve been unsure which individual calendar to go for: Atsuko Maeda, Yuko Oshima, Erena Ono, Mai Oshima, Tomomi Kasai, Tomomi Itano or Yukari Sato. As I’m going to buy a calendar of my favourite Japanese actress Maki Horikita there’s only one of them I’m getting. I’m sure all of them will look good but I’m going for Yuko Oshima. It’s such a shame there’s no calendar for Takamina, Nonti or Mariko.

The cute and adorable Erena Ono! Don't you just want to adopt her!

Decisions, Decisions???

With less than 11 weeks to go until I arrive back in Japan I’m scratching my head and trying to write an itinerary on where I want to go. I don’t want to waste my time just deciding on the day that I’ll go here or there, it’s best that I come prepared and know exactly on a certain day where I’m going.

I’ve more or less decided where I plan to go outside Tokyo – Kyoto (x 2 trips – one day will be a Lucky Star location hunt plus a pilgrimage to Kyoto Animation HQ and the other to visit the Toei Movie Land. It’s a movie theme park but also a working studio. If I’ve got time I’ll try and see the bamboo forest in Arashiyama). Further down in Kansai is Nara (another old capital of Japan) which has one UNESCO World Heritage site plus the famous deers that roam free in the park and readily take sembei biscuits from visitor hands though some can be a little bit aggressive and greedy. I also want to head over to Hakone which is in a place of outstanding beauty full of onsen springs. Lake Ashi in Hakone has a large pirate ship which you can take a trip on in the shadow of Mount Fuji.

Lake Ashi with Mount Fuji

 Just 25 mins from Tokyo is Saitama. Home to the Urawa Reds J-League football team and site of the large Saitama Super Arena which regularly holds J-pop concerts. The arena is where the John Lennon Museum resides with donations of items from Yoko Ono.  Actually seeing as it’s close to Tokyo I might pop over again and do a Clannad location hunt. The UK has various model villages dotted around the country but Nikko has model cities in Tobu World Square. London, Paris, New York amongst other places all done to perfect detail but in miniature form so have to go and see this.  Kamakura with it’s various shrines has been recommended and though largely ignored by tourists I want to visit Chiba. Oh and another visit to Yokohama.

Deer roaming around Nara

So that’s outside Tokyo but what about in Tokyo itself. Still many places I haven’t seen yet although I will be heading to places I’ve been before. I’m really excited about going back to Akihabara and Nakano, there’s nothing I like better than browsing around the shops there. I’m just wondering if the atmosphere has been damaged by the terrible stabbings that took place earlier this year – I hope not. In Akihabara is where the hallowed turf of the AKB48 Theater is located and this is a must see for me to go to the 8th floor of the Don Quijote building. If I can get tickets to see Team A or Team K via the email lottery I’ll be a happy man. I’ve read that foreigners get a lot of eye attention from the girls!

AKB48 Group Photo

As it’ll be nearing Christmas there will be various illuminations around the city so with my new Nikon camera which I’m hoping to buy soon I’ll be out and about during the evening snapping away. Gutted to be missing the Lightopia festival from the 21st December and the Winter Comike event in Odaiba but there’s still the awesome Caretta Shiodome Blue Ocean to enjoy.

The Blue Ocean at Caretta Shiodome

i’ll post a proper itinerary when I’ve finalised it. One thing I hope won’t happen is catching a damn cold which hampered me from travelling outside Tokyo the last time. I only went down to Osaka in December 2007 and even there I was really sick with a heavy cold.

Konnichiwa!

I’ve got rid of my other blog at Live Journal as I hadn’t updated it for a while plus it was all about Hello!Project which I’m bored of these days so out with the old and in with the new. What I’ll do with this blog is keep you all updated about my upcoming trip to Japan at the end of November and any other interesting stuff I find.