SMAP 2008 super.modern.artistic.performance @ Kyocera Dome - Part 1
Day 1 - Oct 5
OMG I am so over the moon that I am finally able to see Kimura Takuya + SMAP live!!! This is so going to be a flail post and if you are interested, read on. Fyi it was a long journey for me to even get to the Kyocera Dome!
Left home in Singapore (Sin) for Taipei. Stopover for one night in Taoyuan City, which is half an hour away by car from the Taoyuan International Airport. As my flight was 8.30am the next day, I found this 3 star hotel online only the day before my departure! Talk about being last minute...
I had emailed them to come pick me up when I reserved the room. As it turned out, no one came...talk about bad luck... I then engaged the help of the Airport Shuttle Bus driver who offered to take me from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1. He told me to wait there while he called the hotel staff. Thank the Lord for helpful folks! They are a godsend in my hour of need, truly. He got through and they said someone would come in half an hour which would be 7pm by then (no time difference between Sin/Tpe).
The pickup place got a little complicated due to the different waiting points mentioned by the airport driver and hotel staff. Cut to the chase and I finally found the car at 7.25pm. I approached the staff as her car had the hotel logo on it (couldnt see the car number from the side). Told me she had 2 guests who had just landed and would I mind waiting a little longer? Well of course not since I had already whiled away one hour, what would another few minutes be?
Turned out they were 2 Taiwanese girls living in Japan, who had just visited their ex-classmates in Kuala Lumpur and Penang on a 5 day trip. They were enroute to fly back to Sendai the next day at 2pm. We got to chatting and one of them, a fulltime student named Xiao Rong, turned out to be very well-informed on the J entertainment scene. They were quite amused that I was actually travelling all the way to Japan to attend a live concert! I had to tell them this was my first overseas concert mind you, as I'd never done this before.
We made plans to meet for dinner and a little shopping when we arrived at the hotel. To my great surprise, it was a spacious room for what I paid for and there was even in room internet connection and tea / coffee making facilities and not to mention a 32 inch LCD TV! I was most surprised at the 2 UCC instant coffee bags on offer as even Japanese hotels I'd stayed in didnt offer this premium brand. Being not much of a coffee drinker, I didnt partake any or packed them on checkout. I knew its pricey as I like shopping in supermarkets, but especially when I am overseas to observe the different items on display.
We followed the directions given by the hotel staff and proceeded with our late dinner and shopping. Even though it was close to 9pm, the place was still bustling. We ate Taiwanese set rice meals in the basement food court of the Mitsukoshi department store. I bought a pair of canvas open-toed heels at the night market and managed to bargain for it as one of the girls also purchased a pair of platinum-toned heels. Hurray for a friendly mainland Chinese salesgirl who gave good service!
We couldnt hang out too late since my morning call was at 5.30am (had to depart at 6am for airport) and Xiao Rong, the student still had to finish her presentation for school 2 days later... We said a hasty goodbye but dang, I forgot to ask for her contact... The next morning I was running late and I didnt wish to disturb them... Haiz que sera sera...
Day 2 - Oct 6
Arrived at Kansai International Airport (KIX) at 12.15pm. It was a nightmare scene at the immigration queue as a Korean flight had just landed and had disgorged about a hundred grade school students there on a school trip! There were also other passengers too which meant the hall was completely full. It took me an entire HOUR just to clear customs. The immigration guy had difficulty recognizing me from my passport picture - stared at me so darn long - and made me scan my fingers at least 3 times! I think the baka was out to torture me or something! There I was tired from the prolonged wait; wanted to leave immigration so bad and had the good luck to meet such an irritating staff. No he wasnt old, in his mid-30s so there couldnt have been anything wrong with his eyesight.
It gets better. After immigration, the customs officer enquired why I was there and insisted on checking my 2 luggage. No I wasnt going to tell him I was there for any concert. At all. Let him figure that one out for himself. Hmphfphf.
Bought the airport limousine bus ticket from KIX to OCAT (Osaka City Airport Terminal) at 880 yen. ETD 13.55 - had another 30 mins to kill. Didnt want to grab lunch to risk missing the bus. Couldnt surf on wifi as the reception was x_x. Dang, time to practice Patience. Bus ride took 50 mins and by then it was almost 3pm! Was totally famished coz I had taken a light brunch on board due to a heavy breakfast. The nice Taoyuan hotel had prepared 2 declicious sandwiches + hot tea for me before my departure which I promptly had after checking in.
Gobbled down a quick lunch at 950 yen which consisted of tempura, hot soba and rice on OCAT building Level 5. What followed does not bear repeating (but I shall anyway) coz I had to ask a total of 4 - 5 persons for directions to the hotel!! If you've been to Japan, you'd know almost all the city trains are underground and all the lines are interconnected in that they share stations but on different levels (and some bus terminals are connected too). In this case, OCAT was at Namba but I didnt know how to get to Dotonburi Hotel in the vicinity despite looking at the map and asking for directions. Finally this lady working in the basement drycleaning shop who didnt speak any English gave me directions via the subway tunnel. Ahh I was immensely grateful to her for being my lifesaver...I had started my journey at 6am and still hadnt seen my room when it was already 4pm! And this coming from someone who had conquered the central Tokyo subway system last year! - hatsukashi desu!! +_+
When I finally spotted my lodging I was cho ureshi! (but not before asking a good-looking salaryman in a well-cut navy pin-striped suit this time for final directions!) I was so close as it turned out hehe... First thing I did was to blast the aircon after I was in but to no avail. I think it was close to 30 deg C if I wasnt mistaken. And guess what? When I put the TV on, they were showing Hana Kimi reruns! Yay my first program and I get to see Oguri Shun on a Sharp 32 inch LCD TV not a xx computer...
Mm I have no grouses with the room except the aircon being too weak. Other than that, it was good value-for-money for what I paid. Standard 2x 500ml bottles of mineral water were nicely chilled in the mini fridge but I appreciated the little touches they provided - Kose facial sets for my 3 day stay, Pola shampoo and conditioner (not the sachet ones) and Shiseido facial wash. Lastly was the high speed internet! When they said high, they sure werent kidding around!!!
Left for dinner at 8pm but was distracted by Tsutaya right away! Despite my hunger, was in there for nearly 2 hours as I had to make sure I got everything I was there for (and then some!) It was magazines galore with all the assorted fall drama coverage and I m a diehard for print stuff. Cant ever get enough!!
After that expedition, got some pics of the area and saw Yamapi in a huge Toshiba pc notebook billboard. Ah my first JE bombardment... A stall was hawking its takoyaki and I ate them to tide me over until I found a proper place for dinner. Walked around more and found out there was a 24 hour Yoshinoya 2 mins from my hotel. Shiawase so, to be able to have a complete meal after midnight!
Day 3 - Oct 7 - SMAP here I come!
YAY sooo excited its finally The BIG Day! OMG its the day I'd been waiting for forever and ever. S-E-R-I-O-U-S!!! Show time: 7pm
2pm: set out to have lunch at Yoshinoya again. Was chatted up by this African guy outside it who wanted to be my "friend" but I cut him off and said I had to rush - it was the truth. I suspect he's a gigolo...eeewww. Anyway he had the cheek to follow me into the restaurant 10 mins later to have his meal too(!) and tried to strike up a conversation again but I totally ignored him. Quickly left after I finished. Goodness I have no stomach for whatever he's after.
2.40pm: reached the concert venue after 2 trains ==>
Train 1: took Sennichimae Line from Namba to change at Nishi-nagahori.
Train 2: took Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line for 2 stops to alight at Dome-mae Chiyozaki. Woo-hoo! After all the trouble I'd been through, to be there finally seemed a million times worth it! The atmosphere was palpable with all the fans there. The early fans had already bought their con goods and were chilling out while the rest of us queued for our turn. It was a snake like queue that started behind the stairs leading to the Dome that meandered all the way up 2 flights of stairs to the Johnny's stand but it was orderly and good natured as we were eagerly waiting to get our hands on the goods too!
Shall not go into the details since they are readily online but will share with you my loot: the requisite penlight (1300 yen), Kimura poster (800 yen), mini hand towel (500 yen), mobile phone strap (1500 yen), wrist band (600 yen), 2 shopping bags (300 yen each), 1 SMAP and Kimura folder (500 yen each), Kimura and Shingo fan (500 yen each). I think that's all. If I thought the crowds were bad when I bought my stuff, it was much worse 2 hours before the con. Fyi there were so many fans that the queues were 10 deep.
Oh btw, they were promoting Nakai's new film with Nakama Yukie “Watashi wa Kai ni Naritai” (”I Want to Be a Shellfish”) big time - selling the posters as well as even pre-selling the DVDs. Now I truly understand what cash cows our idols are to Johnny's. What would he do without them?
PS. Gomen ne there arent any pics right now as I m still away on tour. Next up - Arashi!