YAMAPI - Hand-shake event at Ikebukuro REPORT
Like most people know by now a hand-shaking event was held at Sunshine City in Ikebukuro the 23rd january (Sunday) and I attended this event. Since my sister had gone to an onzen with her boyfriend the day before, I went alone.
So, this day I didn’t sleep at all. I stayed up instead and watched ”The Black Swan”. I didn’t really dare to sleep and oversleep, but in the end I din’t get away until around 7am and so I was in Ikebukuro before 8 o’clock. There were heading to Sunshine City but not that many. For some reason a big group of people had gathered at the first building so I stood there too. Both girls and guys had gathered. Then I saw a foreign girl and thought I’d talk to her. She’s french so she didn’t know that much english and we didn’t talk that much. Later another french guy came too, so they started talking with each other. I sort of went on my own after that.
Either way, suddenly the whole herd moved to the park and there was this super long line! Some people went to the other side to wait so I went with them. That proved to be a mistake since after 30 minutes they said we had to move to the park. Annoying. So now I was at the back, far away from getting up those stairs that took you to some other even longer waiting lines. This was definitly the most boring part, being completely alone and waiting standing in the f*cking cold by yourself isn’t fun I tell you. (I also went in high heels as a ultimate test to myself? It was ok, the cold was the hardest part. I lost my toes that day, but at least I could see clearly everywhere.) So never go alone to this sort of things! XD
The security staff were screaming out stuff every now and then, about how to move slower and stuff. But also that the CD’s were sold out. How stupid. They also changed the order of the lines so many times that people who had been standing quite far ahead suddenly was the furthest back, annoying huh? Especially since they said that there’s a risk that not everyone would be able to come in. After two hours they said that there probably was no use in waiting or something (not exactly like that, I don’t remember). Some were really annoyed with this of course and went like ”you’ve gotta be kidding me!”. Understandable. Everything was delayed and then they couldn’t even get in. Anyways, people started to head away but most stayed. After waiting a bit more they began to let us up the stairs. When I got there, there was this really long line up to the building. The line was like seriously not moving an inch, so the staff said for people to build another line the other way. Most people, including me went that way.
I now began to think of the ticket, like how will you get in? So I went to a staff guy and started asking him where you could get it, if it was in the building and ’if it’s sold out how does things work’ and stuff like that. He said ”No, it’s already sold out. You can’t get in.” I thought it was weird since another staff guy just before had said to the fans ”not to give up”. The guy I talked to thought it was weird and said none of us could get in and that he din’t understand why they were still waiting. They had said many times already it was impossible but that fans wait anyway.
I gave up and went to two other staff members and they said similar stuff, but not really. See, they changed what they said all the time. One moment it was ”no, it’s impossible” and the next ”there’s a chance if Yamashita-san’s schedule isn’t too full”. Apparently it was a bad idea to get in my line because they had no chance of getting in (thank for that!). I talked to them for a LONG time and in the end it seemed like it was no way I would get in, only the people at the very front could. I sort of gave up, but at least I had got to talk a lot of japanese and it was funny (people were also really looking at me when I talked to them for like an hour). I called my sister and said I couldn’t get in. The line that were the RIGHT line was now also closed and you couldn’t get it.
Then I realized something! People were constantly heading to the toilet and to get there you could pass through the lines; in other words maybe I could sneak in. I didn’t want to give in the end anyway since there was still so many fans waiting. I went to a staff guy and asked for toilet, but now the rout had changed and you didn’t pass through security. Hehe, but I went to another guy and said I had been in the line before (half true), had went to the toilet and then couldn’t get back inside. He asked if I went alone or of I remembered who I was standing beside, but of course I didn’t. But I saw the two foreigners from before and said I met them that day and that I was with them. If we knew each other’s faces I could get in. So he let me through and went up to them. I said ”I’m with you” fast to them in english since the staff didn’t understand that. They just nodded and said I was with them. So lucky! And they were really nice. After that we talked a lot and it’s seriously so much more fun to not wait alone.
The line went on for awhile but actually rather fast. So soon we were close to the main building. We saw them handing out this white papers that you were supposed to fill with your name, address and phone number (lucky I learned these kanji). When you filled this you would get a CD sent to you later and then get a ticket to go meet him.
You couldn’t fill in an address if you didn’t have a japanese one, so lucky for the french guys that I was there! I filled their papers with my address so they could get in, I repayed my debt! XD I will now get three singles??
The last line wasn’t that long, but people were much louder as they got closer and they were playing ”hadakanbo” at repeat.
Soon we saw the white booth he was in and people really screamed here. Before, inside and after they got out. I seriously felt like ”calm down people”, though I can sort understand. ^^’’
For me though I’ve never been the over hysterical or screamy person so I just went in there normally, or something. It was the not the first time I’ve seen Yamapi up close, but not this close. It’s interesting to see him under other circumstances than the concerts.
So what can I say? He honestly looked a bit tired which I completely understand. Not from the fact that he shakes hands with people for hours, but the constant screaming. I don’t know how I would handle that, haha. But to also smile for several hours must be very straining, though I do think he still must have felt sort of happy that so many fans came to see him even though tiring. Especially if what he said here is true; ” Sometimes I get people crying when they see me, they say it’s because they’re happy to have met me. Fans like that only motivate me to work harder.” (from the Yamapi 360 degree all around Q&A translation by tesshimassu).
He looks very good though as we all already know. He’s hair looked great and he was reallt tanned, which was also the first thing I thought when I saw him. XD Very thin guy this, but not too thin.
He wore jeans and leather jacket, good combo all in all.
He had a pimple and up this close you can see he wore a bit makeup. It’s weird but it’s sort of nice to see, makes it real somehow (don’t ask).
It’s also a bit… I don’t know. There is seriously something about his eyes! I still feel like all the other times I see him, whether it be on picture, tv or live, that you would never be ably to know what he’s thinking about. It’s like a black vortex or something! Haha! But charming, charming. ^^
He was also like my height since I wore high heels, made him look a bit short. But hey, I’ve been as close to Ryo and he’s short so. Not complaing about height or anything. I’m rambling.
Well, I thought I should say something when I got to him, or more like when I had been pushed to him by staff members. When he shook hands with us fans he always used both of his hands, which feels nice. More genuine. It feels really special to be holding hands like that, although jsut for a short while.
He also made sure so he actually looked at everyone. He was really trying, which makes us feel happy even though we can see he's tired.
I thought I should say something just because I could but it had to be fast, so I said that the NEWS concert this year was the best. Simple. He looked back at me and said thank you two times, for some reason. Then it was over.
At times like this, before, in there and after, I sort of just become very calm. Afterwards I felt like "Okay, now I’m going home". What’s up with that?! No, I was really happy, just a bit calmer than most of the rest. The two french people were of course also very happy and I know the guy said something in french to Yamapi. He also took pictures of his hand (and we sneaked in ours in the pic).
We talked about this whole event and went to the station as we parted. Really too bad my sister couldn't come.
All in all it was really tiring, cold, painful and boring for a long part of this whole event so was it worth it? Yes, I think so. It is a one time oppertunity to actually get to come this close like this. Even though maybe they could plan it a bit better? Well, we got what we wanted right?
Maybe this whole event was hard on both us fans and Yamapi (and staff?) but it’s a moment to remember.
It was worth it.