#sekisui heim super arena

[tsuminiochiiru]

UtaPri Miyagi event details

【LIVE】「劇場版 うたの☆プリンスさまっ♪ マジLOVEスターリッシュツアーズ」LIVEイ���ント セキスイハイムスーパーアリーナ公演のチケットスケジュールが決定しました。https://t.co/BkW6ndj7i5— うたの☆プリンスさまっ♪ (@utapri_official) March 13, 2023 Start times have been announced: 11/25 — 15:00 doors open / 16:30 start 11/26 — 11:00 doors open / 12:30 start Tickets will be 12,000 yen and the blu-ray ticket lottery will run from 3/15/2023 ~ 4/23/2023. Details can be found here.

[yuzurujenn]

[2024.08.05] AERA x Yuzuru Hanyu: 24.8.12-19 No. 37

person in focus

"After all, it's frustrating when I can't perform well."

A session with photographer Mika Ninagawa for the first time in a year. In a long interview exclusive to this magazine, he talks about the ideals he pursues.

Writer: Takaomi Matsubara

Professional skater Yuzuru Hanyu

Born December 7, 1994 in Sendai. 2009 Won the Junior Grand Prix Final at age 14. 2010 Became the youngest Japanese male to win the World Junior Championships. 2011 While practicing at a rink in Sendai, the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred, and he had to live in an evacuation shelter. The rink where he was training was temporarily closed. 2012 First participated in the World Championships, coming in third. 2013 Graduated from Tohoku High School. Enrolled in a correspondence course at the Faculty of Human Sciences at Waseda University, studying human informatics and cognitive sciences. Won his first Grand Prix Final. Won four consecutive titles thereafter. 2014 First Asian gold medal in men's figure skating at the Sochi Olympics. First World Championship win. 2017 Second World Championship win. 2018 Second gold medal in men's figure skating at the Pyeongchang Olympics. 2020 Won his first Four Continents Championship, becoming the first man to win all major international junior and senior competitions. 2022 Participated in the Beijing Olympics. In July, announced his professional career. The ice show "Prologue" was held in Yokohama in November and in Hachinohe in December. 2023 In February, the ice show "GIFT" was held at Tokyo Dome. In March, the ice show "notte stellata" was held in Miyagi Prefecture. In March and April, he appeared in the ice show "Stars on Ice" (Osaka, Iwate, Yokohama). In May and June, he appeared in the ice show "Fantasy on Ice" (Makuhari, Miyagi, Niigata, Kobe). In November, the ice show "RE_PRAY" tour began at Saitama Super Arena. The following year, it was held at SAGA Arena in Saga in January, Pia Arena MM in Yokohama in February, and Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Miyagi in April. 2024 In March, the ice show "notte stellata" was held in Miyagi Prefecture. In May and June, he appeared in the ice show "Fantasy on Ice" (Makuhari, Aichi). On September 15th, he will be performing in the "Noto Peninsula Reconstruction Support Charity Performance Challenge" in Ishikawa Prefecture.

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It has been two years since he made a new start as a professional figure skater in the summer of 2022. In 2024, he led three successful ice shows: "RE_PRAY" (Saga, Yokohama, Miyagi performances), "notte stellata" and "Fantasy on Ice".

The shoot with Mika Ninagawa for the first time in a year began with a cheerful greeting from each other, "Thank you for your continued support this year," and "Thank you." When she said to him, "You're still as young as ever!", Hanyu replied with a smile, a little embarrassed, "I'm almost 30."

"Move freely."

With those words, he made expressions and gestures as he pleased.

Various scenes were set up in the vast studio. Hanyu, who changed costumes and was photographed in each scene, moved and made expressions freely, sometimes under instructions and sometimes as if he was imagining (creating) a story himself. The people watching repeatedly let out gasps of amazement as the images were displayed one after another on the computer monitor. It was nothing short of amazing how he instantly exuded various moods - from boyish with a hint of innocence to cool and seductive.

His creativity was not limited to the way he behaved as a subject. When the BGM was played during the shoot, his body naturally responded to the music, and he also requested songs himself when he saw the costumes. There was also a moment when he saw a prop that had been set up and asked, "Do you have one more of these?" This revealed his high level of creative awareness.

The shooting has completed.

"Thank you very much," he said, and there was something light-hearted and cheerful about it. After a year, what he showed in the studio was a more mature and expressive side to him.

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Exclusive interview with this magazine

[In pursuit of a distant ideal]

He is now in his third year as a professional figure skater. Reflecting on his days of taking on unprecedented challenges, he spoke about what he has gained from them and what the future holds.

Photo: Mika Ninagawa    Writer: Takaomi Matsubara

Yuzuru Hanyu, the journey continues

hair & make up: Noboru Tomizawa  styling: Masataka Hattori costume: NEEDLES    BED j.w. FORD    YUKI HASHIMOTO  prop styling: Ayumi Endo

Yuzuru Hanyu started out as a professional figure skater in 2022. In his first professional ice show, "Prologue," he performed the first solo ice show in history. He skated for nearly two hours, with a structure that richly conveyed his skating career. Following "Prologue," he then performed a solo show at the Tokyo Dome for the first time in history, "GIFT." The ice show filled the gigantic venue, which had never been seen before.  After "Prologue" and "GIFT," he held the performance "notte stellata" in March 2023, which was filled with thoughts and prayers for March 11. It has been a year since our interview last summer, following those three performances.

Changes in the "depth" of thinking

"When I was interviewed a year ago, it had just been a year since I turned professional. I had a desire to grow and learn more specialized things. In the year since then, I think that my technique, expression, and many other aspects have changed. Among them, I feel that I have had many more opportunities to think about expression. I have been thinking about expression even in my daily life. I think that the way I think about my show, the way I think about each program, the depth of those things has clearly changed." He talks about what triggered the change in the past year. "First of all, I had to spend more time thinking about writing a new ice story after GIFT and also about my own performance.” The new ice story was "RE_PRAY", under the title "ICE STORY 2nd".  It opened on November 4, 2023 at Saitama Super Arena. It was performed in Saitama for two days, on that day and the following day, and in the new year it was performed in Saga on January 12th and 14th, and in Yokohama on February 17th and 19th, for a total of six performances in three cities. After the premiere in Saitama on November 4th, Hanyu said the following. "First of all, I myself have learned from games, manga, novels, and various other sources, about what life is all about, how precious life is, and other similar things that everyone else roughly feels.

In games, the concept of life is really light in a sense, and you can repeat it, so you can use characters to do all sorts of things and push forward with curiosity. If you apply that to the real world, you might be a person who has the drive to grab hold of dreams, or conversely, from a different perspective, you might be a very terrifying person. But if you could do it all over again, I'm sure people would try it."

24 hours a day, always skating

In this story with a game motif, the question of "choice" is often depicted. We make choices in our lives, even if we are not aware of it. What if you choose a different option than the one you originally chose? Or would you choose the same option? This story asks the audience, which serves as an opportunity to reexamine their way of life. Of course, just like "Prologue" and "GIFT," the fact that this story was completed and received with overwhelming acclaim was due to the performance of Hanyu, who was the sole performer. And even after six performances, he did not try to stay in the same place. He continued to evolve. There were many evidences of this growth at the final performance of the Yokohama show, for example. The movements in the performance of "Chicken, Snake and Pig" where he moved forward as if resisting the shackles. The performance of "Megalovania", following a silent performance without music with only the sound of his edges resonating, was more integrated with the music than in previous performances. Not only in the production aspects, but also in the details of Hanyu's performance itself, there were traces of refinement here and there. After the Saga performance, Hanyu spent his days preparing more rigorously for the Yokohama performance.  "Of course, I trained and restricted my diet. Well, how should I say it, there are 24 hours in a day, but I spent the entire time on nothing else but skating. In other words, skating was always present, 24 hours a day.” "That's right. To put it simply, it felt like I was spending every day just working on 'RE_PRAY'." The reason he spent all his time facing skating was because he had regrets about the Saga performance. "After all, it's frustrating when I can't perform well." However, the standards of frustration have changed from when he was a competing athlete.

Still not enough

"Gradually, the focus is shifting from scores to an evaluation. If something technical that I had planned didn't go well, then my evaluation vector changes and my perspective shifts. I couldn't accomplish what I wanted to accomplish in Saga, so I was simply disappointed." After spending 24 hours focused on skating, the Yokohama performance came. After the final performance, he said, "I feel a sense of accomplishment like winning the Olympics." While he felt a sense of fulfillment, he wasn't completely satisfied. He also felt that his ability had not yet caught up with what he wanted to do. "So I feel like there are still things I need to study more. Of course, I think I'm evolving. I think I'm getting better. But I still feel like it's not enough. As I keep digging deeper and deeper, my ideals become higher, and the things I want to express are becoming more and more specific. The more my ideals become more concrete, the more I feel like I'm not catching up." He is aware that he still has areas where he needs to improve, especially in the finer details. This is something he realises now, which he didn't feel this way when he was competing in the sport. "It's impossible to realise this when you're a competitive athlete. After all, if you can jump, you win. To be honest, if you couldn’t jump, there was no point in talking about it, as the outcome of the competition was pretty much decided by how many types of quadruple jumps there are and where you put them in the program. For example, what memories do you have of this song, the background of this song, what is the story you want to express, how will the story and the song fit together, or what meaning is in the choreography, to be honest, there’s not much room to think about them. You have to complete all your technical elements in one go in the four minutes of a competition (free skate), so that's all you can focus on."

A world not in first place

Win the match. In a competition, that is set as a goal. "Since I had already achieved that, there was no way I could go any higher. If you think about it in the world of competition, I won first place, so even if I tried harder, I couldn't get any higher than first place. In other words, I just tried to see how long I could maintain that first place position.

But in the world I'm in right now, even if I think I'm in first place, it may not be. It’s a place where I can think, "I'm still at the bottom". When I look at the various works of art or technically excellent things from around the world, I feel that there are still many things I can't do, so I think that I still have a long way to go." When he moved from the world of competition, which was fixed in a sense, to a new world, it was no longer a confined space. However, whether one knows its vastness or not, whether one feels that there is an endlessly wide world out there, is up to the individual. So even though the world is infinite, some people only notice a limited space. Or, there are those who limit the space themselves.

Right now, Hanyu thinks, "I still have a long way to go." He feels like he's at the bottom. This is because he knows that the world is endlessly vast. The reason he feels this way is because he has the ambition to move forward without being content with the present. So instead of seeing the place he has arrived at as the end point, he knows that there is still space to go beyond that.

Ideals evolve

"I may have surpassed the ideal I had a year ago. But the sense of distance between me and my ideal is probably the same as it was a year ago. For example, if the distance between me and my ideal a year ago was 10 meters, it may be 10 meters, no, 11 meters now. That's how I feel. I'm living and experiencing life, I see information every day, and in the midst of that, my ideal evolves. My ideal gets further and further away. But at the same time, through what I have seen and experienced, I'm sure I’m also one step closer to my ideal." Then, after a short pause, he continued with a smile. "As long as I want to, I think I can continue for the rest of my life." The skater is still on his journey, striving towards the ideals he has built with his own will. 

Source: AERA issue 24.8.12-19 No.37, pg 9-15 Info: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0D89L6LS2

[yuzu-all-the-way]

⛸️Saitama Super Arena: 4-5 Nov 2023

Broadcasts

LIVE 4th Nov @ 5pm JST on TV Asahi Ch.1

Recorded (5th Nov) 12th Dec @ 5pm JST on TV Asahi Ch.2

LIVE + ARCHIVE 4th Nov on MyBeyond @ 5 pm JST (options available for just Live 32$, Live + Archive 35$, only Archive 35$)

⛸️Saga Arena: 12; 14 Jan 2024 (no performance on 13th)

Broadcasts

LIVE 14th Jan @ 4pm JST on TV Asahi Ch.1

LIVE + ARCHIVE 14th Jan on MyBeyond @ 4 pm JST (options available for just Live 32$, Live + Archive 35$, only Archive 35$)

Day 1 show (12/01) will be broadcast on 20th March on TV Asahi Ch2 at 7pm JST

⛸️Yokohama PIA Super Arena MM: 17; 19 Feb 2024 (no performance on 18th)

Broadcasts

LIVE 19th Feb @ 4pm JST on TV Asahi Ch. 2

LIVE + ARCHIVE 14th Jan on MyBeyond @ 4 pm JST (options available for just Live 32$, Live + Archive 35$, only Archive 35$)

Day 1 show (17/02) will be broadcast on 16th March on TV Asahi Ch2 at 7pm JST

ADDITIONAL SHOW

⛸️Miyagi Sekisui Heim Super Arena: 7; 9 Apr 2024 (no performance on 8th)

Broadcasts

LIVE 9th April @ 4pm JST on TV Asahi Ch.2

LIVE + ARCHIVE 9th Apr on MyBeyond @ 4 pm JST (options available for just Live 32$, Live + Archive 35$, only Archive 35$)

Behind the Scenes Special

Broadcast

5th May @ 7pm JST on TV Asahi Ch.2

Official website

Message from Yuzu - 2 translations (credits: @/axelsandwich & @/marika_yuzu twt)

[prfm-multiverse]

Perfume 10th Tour ZOZ5 "Nebula Romance" Episode 1 Tour Dates

Saturday, December 28, 2024 Pia Arena MM, Kanagawa Prefecture Sunday, December 29, 2024 Pia Arena MM, Kanagawa Prefecture Tuesday, December 31, 2024 Pia Arena MM, Kanagawa Prefecture (Countdown Live) Saturday, January 18, 2025 SAGA Arena, Saga Prefecture Sunday, January 19, 2025 SAGA Arena, Saga Prefecture Saturday, January 25, 2025 Asti Tokushima, Tokushima Prefecture Sunday, January 26, 2025 Asti Tokushima, Tokushima Prefecture Saturday, February 15, 2025 Ariake Arena, Tokyo Sunday, February 16, 2025 Ariake Arena, Tokyo Saturday, February 22, 2025 Ecopa Arena, Shizuoka Prefecture Sunday, February 23, 2025 Shizuoka Prefecture Ecopa Arena Tuesday, March 4, 2025 Osaka Castle Hall, Osaka Prefecture Wednesday, March 5, 2025 Osaka Castle Hall, Osaka Prefecture Saturday, March 15, 2025 Sun Dome Fukui, Fukui Prefecture Sunday, March 16, 2025 Sun Dome Fukui, Fukui Prefecture Saturday, March 22, 2025 Sekisui Heim Super Arena, Miyagi Prefecture Sunday, March 23, 2025 Sekisui Heim Super Arena, Miyagi Prefecture Saturday, March 29, 2025 Port Messe Nagoya 1st Exhibition Hall, Aichi Prefecture Sunday, March 30, 2025 Port Messe Nagoya 1st Exhibition Hall, Aichi Prefecture Saturday, April 12, 2025 Makomanai Sekisui Heim Ice Arena, Hokkaido Sunday, April 13, 2025 Hokkaido Makomanai Sekisui Heim Ice Arena Saturday, April 19, 2025 LaLa arena TOKYO-BAY, Chiba Prefecture Sunday, April 20, 2025 LaLa arena TOKYO-BAY, Chiba Prefecture

[newmusicradionetwork]

Japan’s Breakout Sensation Number_i Back With New Single & Video “INZM” Out Today

Quickly gaining a large and passionate following in their native Japan, the country’s latest music sensation Number_i is now poised to dazzle fans across the world. The trio of Sho Hirano (27), Yuta Jinguji (26) and Yuta Kishi (28) recently announced their debut album titled No.I (pronounced ‘Number One’) will be released on September 23. In advance of the album release, the group has released their latest single, the hard hitting “INZM” today, August 19. The song is produced by group member Yuta Jinguji. Number_i’s “INZM” out today, August 19, listen here. View the “INZM” video here.   GOAT” hit #10 on the US iTunes overall chart and #3 on the Hip-Hop chart, creating industry buzz. The music video surpassed 10 million views within three days of its release, reaching global #1 on YouTube’s daily music video ranking (as of January 3, 2024) and topping the Billboard Japan comprehensive Japan Hot 100 song chart. Currently “GOAT” has over 46 million streams on Spotify and its video has crossed the over 65 million views threshold. In a recent interview with Zach Sang, Number_i’s Yuta Jingui shares about the powerful aspirational song, which the group perform in Japanese with some English, “We want you to listen and be the greatest of all time.” Earlier this spring, Number_i released their mini-album No.O -ring- (pronounced as ‘Numbering’), which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Japan Hot Albums chart in its first week. Additionally, the music video for the Sho Hirano produced lead track “BON” surpassed 10 million views within two days of its release, peaking at #2 globally on YouTube’s daily music video ranking and making their return to the Japan Hot 100 chart, also at #2. Today, the “BON” music video has over 38 million views on YouTube. Aside from streaming and chart success, Sho Hirano (27), Yuta Jinguji (26) and Yuta Kishi (28) are taking over newsstands, gracing prominent magazine covers in their native Japan including Newsweek Japan, Elle Japan, Vogue Japan, GQ Japan, and Nylon Japan, in addition to features with ‎Highsnobiety Japan, MAPS Japan, MAPS Korea, Numero TOKYO, 25ans, The Fashion Post and more. The trio is preparing to support the new album with live dates (see below). More to be announced soon. Number_i Live Dates: OCTOBER 3 & 4 – Sekisui Heim Super Arena – Miyagi, Japan OCTOBER 26 & 27 – Sand Dome Fukui – Fukui, Japan OCTOBER 30 & 31 – World Memorial Hall – Kobe, Japan NOVEMBER 20 & 21 – Marine Messe Fukuoka Hall A – Fukuoka, Japan Connect with Number_i: Website | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube Read the full article

[mikumanogi-blog]

2023-05-10 “Summer! Love” Tereblog 55 [ENG]

(This is a joke on a song called Haru yo Koi 春よ来い, which means Come, Spring but in this case she used the word Love 恋 instead of the word 来い)

 I’ve spotted a Teresa-panda! (✌🏻ˊᵕˋ✌🏻)

 Hello I’m Nogizaka46’s 5th generation member Ikeda Teresa

Here is Ikeda fully enjoying summer, after this I flew in the sky! Using those water pressure things ((ʚ(  ˙꒳​˙)ɞ))

  Come, Spring is cold and while I was still thinking that I was shivering I realized that is was hot out  🎐.*  that’s why this time I’m going to try and rewrite my summer, the longed for summer has arrived (but to be honest I do worse in the heat than the cold…!)

 But wait! There are so many memoires that I remember making on the mid summer national tour!!! That’s why, I was so glad that they announced this year’s dates  ＼(^^)／ I’m so satisfied. 🌻🤍

  【Tour Schedule】

July 1st (Saturday) and July 2nd (Sunday)  Hokkaido (Makomanai Sekisui Heim Ice Arena) 🐻‍❄️🍧🥄

 July 12th (Wednesday) and July 13th (Thursday) in Osaka (Osaka Jo Hall) 🐙

 July 15th (Saturday) and 16th (Sunday) Hiroshima (Hiroshima Green Arena) 🦪( '-' 🦪 )ｶｷﾁｬﾝ

 July 22nd (Saturday) July 23rd (Sunday) Okinawa (Okinawa Arena) 🌺🌴🩵

 August 5th (Saturday) August 6th (Sunday) Aichi (Nippongaishi Hall) 🚙 ³₃

 August 14th (Monday) August 15th (Tuesday)  Miyagi (Sekisui Heim Super Arena) 🐄⸒⸒

 August 25th (Friday) August 26th (Saturday), August 27th (Sunday) August 28th (Monday)

Tokyo (Meiji Jingu Baseball Stadium) ⚾️🌟✊🏻

 Thank you!

 I just read Aya’s blog and I just realized I’ve only heard the word ‘going the whole way’ in terms of marathons and tours 💭

This year I’m going to put even more energy and exert myself than I did last year so I can I can go the whole way on this tour. I’m going to do my best so everyone please come and hang out with us (  ' ' )۶おー

A wild Mao-chan! This was taken on the stream the other day

 ( 'ω'o[ Announcements ]o

 Today, May 10th at 19:00 on Nekojita SHOWROOM I appeared with Aya 🐱🐾

…Thank you very much!!! (I forgot to post it ‘heavy sweating’)

I’ll give more details on it the next blog (*･ω･)*_ _)

 Thank yo-yo for reading until the end ( ･_･)/-------◎

 See you soon

 #Tereblog #55 (go-go-!)

 https://www.nogizaka46.com/s/n46/diary/detail/101455?ima=3047&cd=MEMBER

[leenaevilin]

[Update] ミュージカル『刀剣乱舞』 ～真剣乱舞祭2022～ (musical touken ranbu ~shinken ranbu sai 2022~)

the show will be running from May 8th, 2022 (Fukui) @ サンドーム福井 (Sun Dome Fukui) May 14th, 2022 and May 15th, 2022 (Aichi) @ 日本ガイシホール (Nippon Gaishi Hall) May 18th, 2022 and May 19th, 2022 (Osaka) @ 大阪城ホール (Osakajo Hall) May 25th, 2022 and May 26th, 2022 (Miyagi) @ セキスイハイムスーパーアリーナ (Sekisui Heim Super Arena) June 4th, 2022 and June 5th, 2022 (Fukuoka) @ 西日本総合展示場 新館ABC展示場 (Nishinihon Sougou Tenjijou Shinkn ABC Tenjijou) June 9th, 2022 and June 10th, 2022 (Hiroshima) @ 広島グリーンアリーナ (Hiroshima Green Arena) June 15th, 2022 and June 16th, 2022 (Chiba) @ 幕張メッセ イベントホール (Makuhari Messe Event Hall) June 22nd, 2022 and June 26th, 2022 (Tokyo) @ 国立代々木競技場 第一体育館 (Kokuritsu Yoyogi Kyougijou Daiichi Taiikukan)

Cast:

Kitazono Ryou as Kogitsunemaru (小狐丸)　 Oohira Shunya as Ima no Tsurugi (今剣) Torigoe Yuuki as Yamatokami Yasusada (大和守安定) Arisawa Shoutarou as Izuminokami Kanesada (和泉守兼定) Sakamoto Shougo as Horikawa Kunihiro (堀川国広) Takahashi Kensuke as Hachisuka Kotetsu (蜂須賀虎徹) Imari Yuu as Nagasone Kotetsu (長曽祢虎徹) Oota Motohiro as Sengo Muramasa (千子村正) [※ Fukui, Aichi, Osaka, Miyagi] Spi as Tonbokiri (蜻蛉切) Nakada Hiroki as Akashi Kuniyuki (明石国行) Okamiya Kurumu as Tsurumaru Kuninaga (鶴丸国永) Fukui Tomoya as Kuwana Gou (桑名江) Sasamori Hiroki as Matsui Gou (松井江) Itokawa Youjirou as Urashima Kotetsu (浦島虎徹) Ishibashi Hiroki as Hyuuga Masamune (日向正宗) Tachibana Yuuta as Buzen Gou (豊前江) Raita as Oodenta Mitsuyo (大典太光世) [※ Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Chiba, Tokyo]  Nakao Masaki as Sohaya no Tsuruki (ソハヤノツルキ) Konishi Seiya as Suishinshi Masahide (水心子正秀) Satou Nobunaga as Minamoto Kiyomaro (源清麿) Nagata Seiichiro as Murakumo Gou (村雲江) Matsushima Yuunosuke as Ookanehira (大包平) Nagata Kouhei as Koryuu Kagemitsu (小竜景光) Takemoto Yuusuke as Nansen Ichimonji (南泉一文字) Ishikawa Ryouga as Hizen Tadahiro (肥前忠広)

Fujita Rei as Enomoto Takeaki (榎本武揚) Kawasumi Bishin as Taira no Masakado (平将門)

Guest:

Makishima Hikaru as Ookurikara (大倶利伽羅) ※ Fukui Saeki Daichi as Iwatooshi (岩融) ※ Aichi Tamura Shin as Mutsunokami Yoshiyuki (陸奥守吉行) ※ Osaka Satou Ryuuji as Kashuu Kiyomitsu (加州清光) ※ Miyagi Katou Daigo as Yamanbagiri Kunihiro (山姥切国広) ※ Fukuoka & Hiroshima Kiyama Haruki as Tomoegata Naginata (巴形薙刀) ※ Chiba Tamura Shougo as Kotegiri Gou (篭手切江) ※ Tokyo

homepage twitter natalie

[rz-jocelyn]

[NEWS UPDATE] Musical Touken Ranbu: The Main Visual for the "Musical Touken Ranbu ~Shinken Ranbu Sai 2022~" has been Released

Featuring Sato Ryuji as Kashuu Kiyomitsu

NOTE: Ryuji will be participating as a rotating cast member for the Miyagi Performances in the “Musical Touken Ranbu ~Shinken Ranbu Sai 2022~”.

Dates: May 25, 2022 to May 26, 2022

Venue: Sekisui Heim Super Arena (Miyagi)

Capacity: 7,063 people

Source: ( x )

[dailyexo]

[TRANSLATION] EXO - 210812 Official EXO-L Japan website update: ”‘EXO FILMLIVE JAPAN TOUR - EXO PLANET 2021 -‘ Event! Let’s relive the fond memories from EXO’s concerts! Miyagi edition!” (”『EXO FILMLIVE JAPAN TOUR - EXO PLANET 2021 -』開催記念！ EXOライブの想い出を振り返ろう！宮城編”)

"『EXO FILMLIVE JAPAN TOUR - EXO PLANET 2021 -』の開催を記念しお届けしている「EXOライブの想い出を振り返ろう！」企画！今日は、本日公演が行われている宮城編をお届けします！

今日公演が行われている宮城県では、2019年12月20～22日に『EXO PLANET #5 - EXplOration - in JAPAN』宮城・セキスイハイムスーパーアリーナ公演が開催されました。

#5公演のファイナルを迎えた宮城公演。ライブ本編の迫力あるステージだけではなく、アンコールで見せてくれた、まるで温泉に入っているようなおちゃめな姿や、サプライズで披露した『Obsession』のパフォーマンスも記憶に新しいのではないでしょうか。"

Translation: "For today's screening, we are in Miyagi. Some may remember seeing EXO here for their 5th tour ‘EXO PLANET #5 - EXplOration - in JAPAN’, which was held at the Sekisui Heim Super Arena.

The Sekisui Heim Super Arena performance was also the final stop on EXO’s 5th tour here in Japan. The whole concert was impressive, as expected, and EXO had a couple of surprises at the end. The members did a little hot-spring skit and their big surprise at the end was a full performance of their new song 'Obsession'. That was definitely one of the highlights of the night, wouldn’t you say?"

"そして今回のブログでは、＃５宮城公演の本番前、リハーサルに臨むメンバーの様子をお伝えしていきたいと思います！

毎回、メンバーたちの「よろしくお願いします！」という元気な挨拶から始まるリハーサル^^ この日も、そんなメンバーの元気な一声でリハーサルがスタートしました！ そして、同じ公演を通してもリハーサルは各会場それぞれに行われるのですが���会場ごとにパフォーマンスの立ち位置を確認したり、実際にステージの上で踊ってみてダンサーさんと演出のタイミングを微調整したり。リハーサルを通して気がついたことをメンバー同士伝え合い、真剣な表情で意見を交わしながら数時間後のライブ本番に向けて進行していきます。"

Translation: "In addition, we want to use this little blog to share some memories from right before EXO took the stage that night!

During every performance, EXO always greets the staff before rehearsals with their bright smiles and an excited 'We look forward to working together!' ^^ This rehearsal was no different, with EXO giving their signature greeting! Even though the group was performing more or less the same sets at each stop of the tour, rehearsing at each venue beforehand was key to keeping the members and dancers in sync. The stage set up varied slightly from venue to venue so the members and dancers had to work together to make sure they understood the layout of the stage. The members took this time to focus seriously on their performance and to point out any concerns or issues they noticed before showtime. And before they knew it, it was time to take the stage."

毎回、最高のステージをお見せできるよう、各会場でのリハーサルを大切にしているメンバーたちですが、そんなリハーサルのひとつひとつがライブ本番の圧倒的なステージに繋がっているのですね♪

そして楽屋での様子もお届けします！ この日は、カイとD.O.の少し早い誕生日のお祝いをしました！ カイの誕生日サプライズ用の「カイ心オープンマインド」のメッセージ入りケーキ^^"

Translation: "It goes without saying that EXO always delivers an impressive show with each performance, but to do that, the members must focus during rehearsals. It is clear that the members' efforts beforehand translate to their incredible performance on stage. ♪

And now we have some photos from backstage! On this particular day it was right before Kai and D.O.'s birthday! For Kai, the staff prepared a 'Kai-Shin, Open Mind' cake! ^^"

"記念撮影を撮る時に嬉しそうにケーキを見つめていたカイの未公開写真をみなさんにお届けします♡"

Translation: "And just for EXO-L JAPAN, here is a special photo of Kai's happy face when he saw the cake! ♡"

"そしてD.O.をイメージした『WE』『ハート』『D.O.』 クッキーも準備していたのですが、当日のMESSAGE BOARDでもお届けした通り、チャンヨルが記念写真を撮る前にD.O.の「D」を半分まで食べてしまい…。 びっくりしてスタッフが残しておいた証拠写真もみなさんに公開します(笑)。"

Translation: "And for D.O. we prepared some cookies that read 'WE', 'HEART' and 'D.O.'! If everyone remembers, we posted about the cookies on the MESSAGE BOARD after the Miyagi performance. Those who read that post may recall Chanyeol had already taken a bite out of the 'D' before we could take a photo… The staff was so surprised they decided to take this photo even with the missing chunk of the cookie (hehe)."

"そんな楽しいハプニングありのサプライズ。メンバーたちがバースデーソングを歌って賑やかな雰囲気でのお祝いとなりました♪

「EXOライブの想い出を振り返ろう！」では、これからも各地でのライブの想い出を通してメンバーたちのエピソードをお届けしていきますので、ぜひお楽しみに✩

そして、『EXO FILMLIVE JAPAN TOUR - EXO PLANET 2021 -』はまだまだ前半！ みなさん、引き続き楽しんでいきましょう^^"

Translation: "What an eventful night with so many surprises. To top it off, the members concluded the celebration by singing Happy Birthday. The atmosphere was lively as everyone celebrated together.♪

We've still got some more memories to tell you about in our little segment titled, 'Let’s relive the fond memories from EXO’s concerts!', so make sure to look forward to it. ✩

We are still not even halfway done with the 'EXO FILMLIVE JAPAN TOUR - EXO PLANET 2021 -'! Stay tuned for more, everyone! ^^"

Credit: translation, dailyexo.tumblr.com, Source: Official EXO-L Japan.

[bakugotrashpanda]

Chapter 5

Jiro x Kaminari 𝄢 Band AU 𝄢 Word Count: 1187

𝄞 Chapter Select

The show must go on.

The show must go on. A lovely little cliche said to have originated with the circus where the ringmaster and other performers rallied and kept things going smoothly so that the audience would be none the wiser that something was amiss.

In this instance, the whole band works hard to make up for any shortcomings the other members may have. The cover story Tokoyami created for the delay was the truth: Bakugou broke his arm due to grief of his marriage breaking apart. Fans were sympathetic, sending ‘good vibes’ and wishing him a quick recovery. No news of Kaminari’s infidelity or Jiro’s broken engagement was told because their engagement was a closely kept secret.

As one, the band heals and works together to move on. Shows are rescheduled with additional gigs planned as a pseudo-apology for cancelling suddenly. In private, they rehearse the song Jiro wrote, every repetition a cathartic release. The song brings them together; Bakugou opens up about the troubles he kept to himself but the obvious elephant in the room when it was clear he had been fighting. Jiro tells them the secret of how she found Kaminari and how her heart fell through the floor and her ideal life she built up shattered around her. Even Tokoyami opens up about his new girlfriend he is head over heels for and how nervous he is to mess everything up.

The second half of their delayed tour starts off with a bang. While the energy and adrenaline are still there, there’s an understanding among the fans that something happened and the three members of Dark Shadow recovered and came out stronger.

The three of them drive all over Japan, playing show after show, giving each performance their all. The time away from their hometown is much needed, and slowly, the pain deep in Jiro and Bakugou’s chests starts to heal. When nights get rough, they find comfort in being together as a group instead of at the bottom of a bottle.

The last show on the tour is sold out, and the roar of the crowd is deafening when they finally take the stage at the Sekisui Heim Super Arena. The lights dim, and Jiro takes a deep breath, knowing that once the colored lights fall on her, she is going all out.

Ready.

Inhale.

Set.

Exhale.

Go.

Red lights light up the stage, and Jiro shouts a greeting for the audience.

The whole show is above and beyond anything she’s done in the past. Her banter with the audience flows naturally, the songs are emotional – if there was ever a performance to record, this would be it.

In the audience, a hint of gold attracts her attention. Time slows. Golden eyes look up at her; silently pleading, hoping. Denki Kaminari. Before their break up, Jiro longed to look out at a crowd and find him watching her, to sing for him and only him as if the rest of the audience wasn't there. But now?

He has some nerve showing up at her show, seeing her best performance after the shit he pulled. Part of her wants to call him out and tell the whole world about the pain he put her through. The satisfaction and serotonin of knowing he wouldn’t be able to defend himself right now would be phenomenal. Another part of her wants to call security and get him removed. Ignoring him would work as well, but where’s the justice in that?

A voice in her ear asks if she’s paying attention, ready for the last song before the encore. Ignoring the metronome ticking in her ear, she looks to the stage crew and defiantly rips out the earpiece. The noise from the audience is deafening, and she shouldn’t have done that, but this will be worth it. Tokoyami and Bakugou stare at her, pulling the microphone close, Jiro’s sultry voice fills the stadium.

“Tonight,” she says, “There will be no encore. We have a never before heard song we’d like to debut.” She looks at each of the guys, willing them to read her mind, to know exactly what she wants and why. Bakugou catches on and taps out the tempo Jiro needs. When he nods, Jiro tucks her earpiece back in, the correct beat flowing into her ear.

The arena goes silent. Eyes closed, Jiro’s husky voice fills the stadium. Tokoyami’s guitar accompanies her voice during the first two verses. The drums build during the chorus filling her with love and comfort from having her band mates around.

And I know we weren’t perfect but I never felt this way for no one.

A drummer who loved and broke, and a guitarist who loves but is scared. Her family.

And I just can’t imagine how you could be so okay now that I’m gone.

Jiro’s eyes find Kaminari’s in the crowd – the only person stunned by the lyrics. This one’s for you, asshole. Amplifying her voice as much as she can without straight up shouting, Jiro delivers the next line with as much ferocity and intensity as she can.

Guess you didn’t mean what you wrote in that song about me.

The song flows through her, the closure she never got. But this isn’t just about her. She’s not the only one in pain. As the song builds again to the chorus, she turns to Bakugou and meets his eyes. A silent pain hides behind his concentration. Jiro’s eyes flick down to his wedding bands, still on display against his bare chest.

She nods to him, and the drums overpower everything. All the nights he practiced on his own to mourn a love he lost. The words come out of her mouth, but she sings them for Bakugou. Tears swim in her eyes, and she’s sure if she could see clearly, his eyes would be watery too. She falls to her knees, instruments stopping, her voice the only sound.

Cause you said forever now I drive alone past your street.

An explosion of music as Bakugou and Tokoyami come to life. Fat tears roll down Jiro’s cheeks, and she can make out Bakugou’s own mixing in with the sweat flying off his body.

Red lights, stop signs, I still see your face in the white cars, front yards.

His mouth opens in a yell that can’t be heard above the music, his own anger and sadness being released into the song. His shout turns into him singing the lyrics as well to his ex-wife who will never hear them.

Sidewalks we crossed, I still hear your voice in the traffic, we're laughing over all the noise.

The drums and guitar fade out, and Jiro’s voice, strong and true despite what she feels inside, finishes the song. She doesn’t acknowledge Kaminari nor the roar of the audience after the lights go out.

Rushing over to Bakugou and Tokoyami, the three of them embrace each other tightly in the darkness. Their best performance and their most heart wrenching.

Together, they exit the stage and head back to the greenroom and tell security not to let anyone in under any circumstances.

𝄞 Previous Chapter

𝄞 Next Chapter

[koyamilklove]

NEVERLAND by NEWS

EPCOTIA by NEWS

WORLDISTA by NEWS

STORY by NEWS

STAY ALIVE by KOYAMA KEIICHIRO

"NEWS LIVE TOUR 2020 STORY"

The four-part project starting with the letters "N", "E","W" and "S" is finally complete!

2017 NEVERLAND, 2018 EPCOTIA, 2019 WORLDISTA,and 2020 "STORY"

After visiting 7 locations nationwide, we deliver you a digest of the tour final.

<Performers>

NEWS (Keiichiro Koyama, Shigeaki Kato, Takahisa Masuda)

<Schedule>

🤍Kanagawa / Yokohama Arena

March 25, 2021 5 : 30pm〜

March 26, 2021 12: 00pm〜/ 5 : 30pm〜

🤍Osaka / Osaka-Jo Hall

March 30, 2021 5 : 30pm〜

March 31,2021 12 : 00pm〜/ 5 : 30pm〜

🤍Miyagi / Sekisui Heim Super Arena

April 17, 2021 5 : 00pm〜

April 18,2021 12 : 00pm〜/ 5:30pm〜

🤍Fukui / Sundome Fukui

April 24,2021 5 : 00pm〜

April 25,2021 12 : 00pm〜/ 5 :30pm〜

🤍Fukuoka / Marine Messe Fukuoka

May 1,2021 5: 30pm〜

May 2,2021 12 : 00pm〜/ 5 :30pm〜

🤍Hokkaido / Makomanai Sekisui Heim Ice Arena

May 15,2021 5 : 00pm〜

May 16,2021 12: 00pm〜/ 5 :30pm〜

🤍Aichi / Nagoya NGK Hall

May 22,2021 5 : 00pm〜

May 23,2021 12 : 00pm〜/ 5: 30pm〜

[tsuminiochiiru]

UtaPri Seiyuu Events

Two events have been announced for the Maji LOVE ST☆RISH Tours theme, one in late 2023 and a second in 2024. The 2023 event will take place in Miyagi prefecture while the 2024 event will be in the Kanto area. Both events will feature all seven ST☆RISH seiyuu. 2023 event details Dates: 11/25~26/2023Venue: Sekisui Heim Super ArenaTickets: Lottery serial number will be included with the Maji Love…

[gdwessel]

Summer Struggle in Sapporo 2021 Night 1 - 7/10/2021: Ibushi Out Due To “Vaccine Side Effects”; Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome Will Go On, Ticket Sales End Tomorrow; NJPW Strong Episode 48 - 7/9/2021; Kojima Challenges Lawlor on Strong 7/23/2021 Episode, Looks To Be Done In Impact

The first night of Summer Struggle in Sapporo, and the first night of the entire Summer Struggle tour itself, took place earlier today, and you can see it now on NJPWWorld. An IWGP Juniorheavyweight title match was the main event. Kota Ibushi was scheduled for this show, but had to sit out, officially due to “side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine,” ergo he was knackered after getting jabbed, which, hey, it happens. Hiromu Takahashi also made an appearance before the opening bell rang once more.

Summer Struggle in Sapporo - 7/10/2021, Hokkaido Makomanai Sekisui Heim Ice Arena (NJPWWorld)

Master Wato d. Yuya Uemura (RPP, 9:09)

EVIL & Dick Togo [Bullet Club] d. Tomohiro Ishii & YOH [CHAOS] (EVIL > YOH, Scorpion Deathlock, 11:37)

Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ryusuke Taguchi & Rocky Romero [CHAOS] d. KENTA, Yujiro Takahashi & El Phantasmo [Bullet Club] (Tanahashi > Yujiro, High Fly Flow, 15:00)

Jeff Cobb & Great O-Khan [United Empire] d. Kazuchika Okada & SHO [CHAOS] (Cobb > SHO, Tour Of The Islands, 11:41)

Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI [Los Ingobernables] d. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI [SZKG] (Takagi > DOUKI, Pumping Bomber, 13:40)

IWGP Juniorheavyweight Championship: El Desperado [SZKG] © d. Taiji Ishimori [Bullet Club] (Pinche Loco, 28:54) - El Desperado succeeds his 2nd defense

Taiji Ishimori fails to become a double-crown junior champion, like Despy was earlier this year. Post-main, Robbie Eagles challenges Despy via video message. I had honestly forgotten Robbie Eagles was still a NJPW wrestler, although he had taken part in Best of the Super Juniors XXVII just this past December. Whoops!

KENTA, Rocky Romero and Jeff Cobb all returned to the lineups today. Cobb looks to be in a feud with Okada, whilst KENTA is engaging with Tanahashi. Cobb returning is good because it means we can get more Great O-Khan.

Last post, detailing the now fourth state of emergency in Tokyo, I said nobody knew exactly now this would affect the already-postponed-once Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome, the rescheduled date being 7/25/2021. Now we do know: the show will go on, but ticket sales will be ending tomorrow (Sunday 7/11/2021).

On July 25, ‘Godzilla vs Kong presents: Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome’ will proceed as planned, with NJPW continuing its commitment to safe events as held across Japan with fans for the past year.

However, in light of the recent announcement of another state of emergency across Tokyo and the subsequent restrictions this enforces on live events, we regret to announce that ticket sales for Wrestle Grand Slam will end at midnight JST on July 11.

We deeply apologize for the inconvenience this causes. We look forward to welcoming fans on July 25, with fan safety given the utmost priority.

So there’s that, then. I am not altogether certain which attendance cap will apply here (5000 spectators or 50% capacity -- previous enforcement took the *higher* number into account), so I guess we will find out. I am going to guess it won’t be Wrestle Kingdom levels, but I could be wrong.

Last night’s NJPW Strong was the Road to Tag Team Turbulence, that tournament beginning with next Friday’s episode. Here, three singles matches act as prelude, including the return of someone we could really do without.

Barrett Brown d. The DKC (Schoolboy, 7:02)

Alex Coughlin Challenge Match Series: PJ Black [ROH] d. Alex Coughlin (Bad Habit, 9:33)

Josh Alexander [Impact] d. Rocky Romero [CHAOS] (Divine Intervention, 11:51)

Amazing how that main event happened what with Rocky in Japan this morning and Josh Alexander in Chicago last night wrestling Jake Something in AAW. Ahem. PJ Black also returns to Strong, but was also still spouting off anti-vaxxer bullshit on Twitter just yesterday, so fuck that guy. 

The tournament starts next episode, with these matches taking place (not sure of order):

TJP [FREE] & Clark Connors v. Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows [Impact]

Kevin Knight & The DKC v. Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs

Yuji Nagata & Ren Narita v. Fred Yehi & Wheeler Yuta

Brody King [ROH] & Chris Dickinson v. JR Kratos & Danny Limelight [Team Filthy]

Strong’s 50th episode (which I’ve now “corrected” my episode count above, so there’s no Episode 47 here on this blog. However, they had a special recap/best-of episode around XMas or New Year’s last December and I didn’t count that as an ep, but clearly they do. So now we’re in line, I guess.) will happen during the tournament, and it will be main evented by “Filthy” Tom Lawlor’s 3rd defense of the NJPW Strong Openweight Championship, taking on Satoshi Kojima, who challenged him several episodes ago, and had been feuding with Team Filthy’s JR Kratos.

In other Bread Club news, Kojima looks to be done in Impact Wrestling, as he tweeted out on Thursday. Since Impact is still no-fans and pre-taped, who knows how much more material will make it to air. He was not on this Thursday’s episode of Impact, but there’s another episode to go before the Slammiversary PPV next Saturday 7/17/2021. My guess would be if Kojima is on that, he will face William Morrissey as that was who seemed to be calling him out on last week’s Impact episode. We’ll see as the Slammiversary card gets announced.

Tomorrow is the second night of Summer Struggle in Sapporo, with another title match main event. Kota Ibushi is still listed for this show, but the card is, as always, subject to change.

- 7/11/2021, Hokkaido Makomanai Sekisui Heim Ice Arena (NJPWWorld)

SHO [CHAOS] & Yuya Uemura v. El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru [SZKG]

Tomohiro ishii [CHAOS], Ryusuke Taguchi & Rocky Romero [CHAOS] v. EVIL, Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo [Bullet Club]

Hiroshi Tanahashi & Yota Tsuji v. KENTA & Yujiro Takahashi [Bullet Club]

Kazuchika Okada & YOH [CHAOS] v. Jeff Cobb & Great O-Khan [United Empire]

Kota Ibushi & Master Wato v. Shingo Takagi & BUSHI [Los Ingobernables]

IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr. [SZKG] © v. Tetsuya Naito & SANADA [Los Ingobernables]

[fmdtaeyongarchive]

@fmdelliot | april 18, backstage at sekisui heim super arena

it’d be easy to blame the mistakes ash had made the previous night on the lack of sleep he’d gotten the night before. that is, it’d be easy if ash wasn’t so used to running on no sleep. as it is, it’s hard to credit them to anything other than his own neglect of practicing when he’s supposed to. on most days, ash would shake it off and try harder for a few nights to get management off his back, but, this time, for some reason, he instead goes to find elliot backstage before their next concert.

“are you busy?” ash asks as he finally peaks his head into the room elliot is in. staff had sent him on something of a wild goose chase trying to find the older, but he’d finally found him in the maze of the backstage area. “i fucked up last night during gravity, so i wanted to see if you could go over some counts with me before we go out on stage.” he took a step forward into the threshold of the room. “if you’re busy, i can look for someone else.”

[prfm-multiverse]

Hikaru Utada's Best Album Release Date Announced, Full Tour Schedule Announced. The release date of Utada Hikaru's best album "SCIENCE FICTION" has been set for April 10.

The album will include 26 songs in total, including the theme song "Nan-iro nanai hana" for the Fuji TV drama "Kimi ga kokoro ga okara de" (Because You Gave Me Your Heart) and newly recorded versions of their signature songs "Addicted To You", "traveling", and "Hikari". In addition to the previously released songs, the album will also include a new song (title undecided) and an album edit of "Somewhere Near Marseilles - Marseilles side" as a bonus track.

List of Dates & Venues for HIKARU UTADA SCIENCE FICTION TOUR 2024 (Japan) Marine Messe Fukuoka SAT 13 JUL 2024 - 17:00 (Doors Open: 16:00) SUN 14 JUL 2024 - 16:00 (Doors Open: 15:00) Aichi Sky Expo, Hall A FRI 19 JUL 2024 - 18:30 (Doors Open: 17:00) SAT 20 JUL 2024 - 16:30 (Doors Open: 15:00) Saitama Super Arena WED 24 JUL 2024 - 18:30 (Doors Open: 17:30) THU 25 JUL 2024 - 18:30 (Doors Open: 17:30) Sekisui Heim Super Arena (Miyagi) TUE 30 JUL 2024 - 18:30 (Doors Open: 17:30) WED 31 JUL 2024 - 18:30 (Doors Open: 17:30) Yoyogi National Stadium, 1st Gymnasium SAT 3 AUG 2024 - 16:00 (Doors Open: 15:00) SUN 4 AUG 2024 - 16:00 (Doors Open: 15:00) Osaka-Jo Hall TUE 27 AUG 2024 - 18:30 (Doors Open: 17:30) WED 28 AUG 2024 - 18:30 (Doors Open: 17:30) K-Arena Yokohama SAT 31 AUG 2024 - 16:30 (Doors Open: 15:00) SUN 1 SEP 2024 - 16:30 (Doors Open: 15:00)

[yuzusorbet]

Fantasy On Ice, Sendai, May 31 (Fri) to June 2 (Sun) 2019 ~my account~

[wrote it for myself, to remember all the little details]

When I heard that Sendai was one of the places for Fantasy On Ice 2019, I immediately knew I had to get tickets.  I made my first trip to Sendai in April 2018 for Yuzuru Hanyu’s Olympic victory parade and I fell in love with Yuzu’s hometown.  FaOI Sendai would be the perfect occasion to visit again!  I quickly asked some friends for help and, miraculously, they managed to get tickets for all 3 shows from the official ticket draws.  I’m eternally grateful!  At that time, Yuzu’s participation was not yet announced but we knew he would be there.  Even if he couldn’t do jumps yet, he would definitely make an appearance in his hometown.  Weeks later, it was announced that he would be in the shows in all 4 locations.  Fans were delirious with joy!  Besides the thought of seeing him, it also meant he was recovering well!

This would be my 4th Yuzu-ice show.  2015 I went to FaOI Kobe; 2017 Niigata; 2018 Shizuoka.  So glad Sendai is an FaOI location this year;  it’s the first time!  

I flew into Tokyo Haneda Airport and took the shinkansen to Sendai.  My hotel is very near the main station.  The show venue is Sekisui Heim Super Arena, in a small town called Rifu, north of Sendai, in Miyagi Prefecture.  It is not easily accessible, so there were special shuttle buses to take us there from Sendai Station.  We had to buy the bus tickets from a vending machine in 7-11 in advance.  Cost for a 2-way ticket was 2500 yen, half-price for one-way.  

Day 1, Friday (show time: 5pm) 

At about 3pm, I followed signs that pointed to ‘FaOI shuttle bus’, which basically meant following the crowd.  (The long queue was to the right of this photo.)

Boarding the bus in an orderly manner.  Each bus moved off once it was full.

On the bus, I looked around me and wanted to laugh.... everyone’s phone screen or wallpaper was Yuzu’s face!  hahaha...... it was surreal. xD

It was a long bus ride, about 45 minutes.  We finally reached and I saw many stalls selling food outside the arena.  But the sky was grey and rainy, and suddenly the drizzle became very heavy rain.  I quickly lined up to go into the arena.  Thank goodness I had my waterproof parka.  Much better than an umbrella!

When I got to my seat, I had a nice surprise.  The people sitting next to me were Taiwanese fans that I had met during Yuzu’s parade last year!  So happy to see them again! 

Besides the great company, my seat position was really good too.  Right in the centre of one long side (East) and not far from the rink for an ‘A’ seat!  (First row is Premium, then Arena, SS, S, A, B.)

While waiting for the show to start, we chatted and exchanged gifts.  One of them gave me a little drawstring bag with a single feather embroidered on it.  A simple design that is so beautiful, especially for us Yuzu-fans.  I was so touched.  I only had snacks from my country to offer. :P

Then the show started.  When Yuzu came out for the opening, we all screamed!!!!  He danced with so much energy and happiness pouring out of him and his jump was awesome!  It was a 4T with a high kick, and then, as he danced in front of the whole group of skaters, he did a “I can’t hear you, c'mon” kind of gesture to the audience. (You can see it HERE.)  OMG he was so cool!!! I don’t know how the people sitting on the short side, right in front of him, survived.

2nd part of the opening:  Yuzu skated in with Jeff, Javi and Luca, and they were joined by 4 ladies.  His pair dance with ice dancer Anna Cappellini was so cute! And he was so smooth and confident! 

Individual performances: so many wonderful performances…. I will mention some of them at the end.

When singer ToshI came onto the stage, he said, “Sendai is figure skating and we have 2 Olympic gold medalists here… Arakawa Shizuka (loud cheers) and Hanyu Yuzuru!!!!!!” (loud screams)   Then he did the Yuzu-call......

ToshI: YUZU!!  (points mike to audience) Audience: YUZU!!! ToshI: YUZU!! Audience: YUZU!!! ToshI: YUZU!! Audience: YUZU!!! ToshI: But he’s not coming out yet. (hahaha…..) (Next was Stephane Lambiel.) 

Yuzu’s performance was last, as usual.  'Masquerade’ was so passionate and intense that my heart was thumping like crazy and I had to scream at many parts (and I heard  others’ screaming as well).  The music plus ToshI’s singing was very loud and drowned out our screams, thank goodness.  When Yuzu threw down his glove at the end, we all jumped to our feet and screamed and clapped.  MASQUERADE WAS ELECTRIFYING!!!  Video here.

Finale: Yuzu came out in the finale costume (black and white with frilly sleeves). So handsome!  After the group number, he disappeared backstage while the others did their jump or spin battles.  He appeared again wearing the  FaOI tee, wiping his face with a towel and sipping from a water bottle.  Then he went to stand next to Plushenko.  He tried the quad lutz, popped first time, then 2nd time he stepped out a bit.   When all the skaters started to go back in, one by one in a line, he did the 'high ten’ with each of them, some hugged him, he twirled Anna, and then Luca twirled him!  haha…. that was so cute!   Then as always, he stepped out of the rink, and from the side of the stage, he shouted “arigato gozaimashita!!!”  He bowed, walked backwards while waving, and before he disappeared through the curtains, he blew us a kiss!!  I think I died……

The show ended at about 8.30pm.  Rainy, dark, and took forever to get onto one of the shuttle buses that took us back to Sendai Station.  But head is totally filled with Yuzu and Masquerade, and heart is totally happy. :)

Day 2, Saturday (show time: 2pm)

On Day 2, I did not take the shuttle bus.  My friend Ella came to watch the Saturday and Sunday shows.  Her Japanese friend rented a car and drove us there.  (5 of us in the car made the shared cost much cheaper than the shuttle bus ticket.) 

It was a sunny day and I was very excited about the food (which I did not try on Day One due to rain).  From afar, I saw the tentage.....

When I got there, the whole place was like a carnival!  As I wandered around, someone suddenly tapped my arm.  It was my fan-friend K-chan!  How amazing that she spotted me among the crowds!  The last time we met was one year ago at FaOI Shizuoka!  So happy to see her, even if it’s only for a minute. xD

The stalls were awesome.  I have never seen food at previous ice shows!  The food sold here were specialties of Sendai and the regions nearby, and there were long queues at every stall.  There was nama biru (draft beer), miso ramen, yakisoba, gyu-tan (grilled beef tongue), croquette with bits of gyu-tan inside, skewers of Yonezawa beef (famous beef from Yamagata), and zunda soft serve ice-cream (zunda = sweet edamame bean paste).

  Above: my Zunda ice-cream.... so yummy.

Above: Gyutan.  Below: Croquette and Yonezawa beef.

I wish I could eat everything!  But I only had time to try these 4 things over Sat and Sunday.  They tasted SO GOOD.  (Thanks to Ella for her recommendations!)  There were many benches near the stalls and people were sitting there enjoying the food under the blazing sun.  

It felt like a festival to celebrate Yuzu being there. :))  Besides the official merchandise, there were also booths selling Sendai snacks in beautiful FaOI packaging and music boxes of Ballade No.1 and SEIMEI.   There was even a photo booth with staff helping fans to take photos! xD 

And when you got into the ice arena, every seat had a plastic bag with some promotional material and a pack of FaOI Sendai wet wipes!  haha….. so you could wipe your sticky hands and mouth if you brought food in to eat! 

Sendai, you really are the best! :D  (So, I have 3 of these wet wipes from the 3 days but I can’t even bear to open one of them to use!)

For Day 2, I was on the other long side (West) and a bit off-centre nearer the short side.  So I had a totally different angle of the show and my row was nearer the rink than yesterday -- fantastic!  The person next to me was also Ella’s friend and she offered me some lovely sweets.  Yuzu-fans are really sweet! :)

Opening: Yuzu fell on his opening 4T, so when he came out again with the other 3 guys (Jeff, Luca and Javi), he did a beautiful 4T before doing the usual steps with the others.  Hahaha, I was laughing inside, that is so HIM!

In the middle of show: ToshI’s YUZU-call this time was even longer than Day 1!  Felt like we were at a rock concert!  He made each side of the rink call out “Yuzu!” 3 times, like a battle to see which side was louder.   So it was one long side first, then the short side (in the video below, you can hear it’s a bit softer cos short side has less people), then the other long side.   Toshl says in his blog that this is the “やりすぎ編😅 ”, meaning the “too much (or overdone) version”.   Haha…. I like Toshl.   (Didn’t know him before this.)  We were all so high shouting “YUZU!!!” with all our lung power! xD Video of Day 2 Yuzu-call (ToshI’s blog)

Something comical: During the flying acrobatic skaters’ performance, I could see 4 or 5 men at one corner outside the rink pulling the rope to raise the skaters into the air.  They were running to and fro holding the rope and they were so funny!   End of performance, when the 2 skaters bowed, the men also bowed in their corner and waved as they marched off in a line!  Haha........ (this could only be seen from seats on the West side.)

Intermission: In previous FaOI’s, during intermission, 2 of the skaters (but never Yuzu) came out in zambonis and shot little presents to the audience, like signed FaOI tees.  So I waited a while but there was nothing happening... (same for all 3 days).  So I went for a walk to stretch my legs.  Went to put my fan letter into the gift box for Yuzu.  It’s just a simple postcard from my country. :) 

Last performance: Yuzu’s ‘Crystal Memories’ –- so beautiful I think I forgot to breathe. The Y-spiral was near my side of the rink.  His right leg raised up high was slowly lowered in a beautiful line with his body and it was just so heavenly to watch from where I was.  So many other exquisite moments...... words won’t do justice. Watching live, costumes always sparkle and glitter 100 times more than what we see on screen.  Yuzu was so sparkly he looked like an angel of light, sent from heaven to bring beauty and love to our world. Video of 'Crystal Memories’

Finale: As the skaters skated around the rink waving, Yuzu skated slowly, looking up at the audience.  I think he was trying to see as many fan-banners as he could. Like yesterday, he went backstage to change out of the finale costume and wore the FaOI tee to do the quad challenge.  The 4Lutz today was a step-out/hand-down.  The staff were putting some chairs onto the ice near the stage. When Yuzu realised it’s group photo time, he dashed backstage and came out very quickly in the black-and-white finale costume again, and he was grinning away.   Haha, it was a really quick change!  I wonder who the lucky person was, helping him backstage. xD

At the very end: He shouted 'arigato-gozaimashita!’ and we shouted back 'arigato-gozaimashita!’   Then, just before he disappeared into the curtains, he did the phantom 'take-off-the-mask’ gesture.  And we SCREEEEEEEEAMED!!! xD

I floated on cloud nine to the car park.....  Soon we were on our way back to Sendai Station area.  In the car journeys to and fro, the music was excellent, thanks to a friend who has a Yuzu-playlist in her phone which she connected to the car stereo.  All the music that he has skated to, from novice til now.... SP, FP, exhibitions..... ahhhh what great music..... it was really the GREATEST selection!

As we reached Sendai Station area, a funny thing happened.  Our friend drove onto the wrong road and we found ourselves on a highway going off to a different area!  She frantically looked for an exit but there were none.  We just had to keep going on this highway, further and further away from Sendai Station!  Then I saw a sign saying we’re heading for「泉中央」...... hey, isn’t that the area of Ice Rink Sendai?  We’re heading for Yuzu’s home?  Our friend kept apologising for going the wrong way but we told her IT’S OKAY!!!!  We’re going to Yuzu’s home!!!  Hahaha..... the wrong road suddenly felt so right! xD

The sun was setting.....  We became quiet.... gazing at the golden colours of Yuzu’s hometown while his music serenaded our senses.

(Glad these photos I took with my iphone in a moving car turned out well.)   After driving for some time, our friend found the way back towards Sendai Station.  We were late in joining a group of fans for dinner but what a nice little detour we had!   Very grateful to our Japanese friend who did all the hard work while we just soaked in the sights and sounds!

Day 3, Sunday (show time: 1pm)

For Day 3, I bought a one-way shuttle bus ticket as I would return by rental car.  Like Day 2, I lined up for food before the show.  The lines were very long and there were staff holding signs that said “end of line (food name)” for each stall so that people would know exactly where to queue.  Moving slowly in line, I used the time to admire the Yuzu-world around me.  Almost everyone was wearing or carrying things that showed their love, like Ciontu tees, Pooh keychains and Irene bags.  I myself was wearing the Phiten mirror ball necklace.  Some things were so beautiful and unique and I took photos.  (edit: separate post made on this; link is below.)

After eating, I walked around and spotted Yuzu’s signature near the arena office!  It was from year 2010!  At that time, the wing in his signature was very distinct.  So cute. :)

Close to 1pm, I went into the arena to look for my seat.  I had an ’S’ ticket and I was excited about being much nearer the rink than the previous 2 days with 'A’ tickets.  But when I got to my seat, I saw that I was only just in front of my row yesterday!   Realised that my 'A’ seat yesterday was the FIRST row of all the 'A’ seats and my S seat today was the LAST row of all the S seats.  Hahaha…….. I was a bit disappointed but then I was really lucky for the A seats!  (Seat order: Premium, Arena,  SS, S, A, B)

The good thing is, I was on the West side again and nearer the stage this time.  I would be able to see Yuzu going in and out very clearly!  And I had my concert binoculars!  I bought it just the night before, from a budget shop near my hotel. Sometimes the shows provide rental of binoculars but this one didn’t.  I usually use it for the finale, when the skaters are just having fun, so I can see Yuzu’s cute expressions. :)

I was also extra happy as I would be sitting next to Ella who came into the arena soon after me.  2 Japanese fans behind us heard us talking and knew we were not Japanese.  They showed us a huge folder with many Yuzu clear files and pamphlets, and asked us if we already have them.  We said no and they took out some to give to us!  Omg..... what super nice fans!!  They said they would be going for Kobe FaOI and Toyama FaOI as well!  They were at Worlds in Saitama too!  (Wow, I wish I could say the same!)  How lucky we were to sit in front of them!   

Opening: Wonderful like the other days and Yuzu did a beautiful 4T.   After the group performance, as he walked towards the backstage curtains, he took off his outer mesh top and swung it around, just before he disappeared thru the curtains.  Haha.... how cute can he be…… xD

Middle of show: ToshI said he talked too much yesterday so today he would say less.  The audience protested a bit with an “Ehhhhhh??”  But there was no Yuzu-call today. :(

During Masquerade,  Yuzu fell on both his jumps.  For us fans, it did not matter at all, but we knew he would feel terrible about it.  I wondered if the temperature was affecting him as the venue was very warm.  Day 1 was OK but it was warmer on Day 2, and on Day 3  I was actually sweating a bit in the middle of the show.  And I wasn’t the only one feeling it cos I saw people fanning themselves.  Literally a very hot FaOI.

Finale: After the group number, Yuzu disappeared backstage to change into the FaOI tee while the others did jump/spin battles.  Came out with towel and water bottle. Wiped sweat, drank water.  Then he did some stretching, and sat on steps at the side of the stage and massaged his legs for quite a long time.  (So glad I was seated that side and I saw him so clearly.)   I guessed he was getting ready for the quad lutz …..  because he fell on both his jumps during Masquerade, he really wanted to do a good jump for us.  He tried 3 times - popped twice and fell on the last one.  And decided it was enough. Thank God!  I was getting worried because he had only just recovered.  My heart was in pain watching him try so hard.  Yuzu, we know you always want to give your best. But please take good care of yourself!   (One week later, he did a beautiful 4Lz in Kobe Day 3!  YES!!!!!!!!)

At the end, instead of the usual deep bow towards all the skaters and artists, he knelt down and bowed with his head on the ice.... orz.   He looked so cute and funny doing that and we all laughed, but our hearts were aching cos we knew he was feeling truly apologetic and extremely ‘kuyashii’....

For the final skating around the rink to wave to the audience, he went to Plushenko and pushed him to the start of the line, then Plush and Yuzu 'circled around each other’ trying to make each other first in line, haha….. it was so sweet.  Video (from Plushenko’s IG) 

At the very end, at the side of the stage, he took the mike and said a few words.  I cannot remember what he said except for this: -  Actually this is not Sendai…. (it’s actually Rifu, just outside Sendai) - He wishes FaOI will come here again. (what else did he say…….. sigh, my head must have been too overwhelmed by this time.)

After shouting arigato-gozaimashita (without the mike), he walked backwards towards the curtained doorway, and just before he disappeared, he bowed deeply and said 'arigato-gozaimashita’ again (with the mike). My heart deeply and sincerely also says, “Yuzu, arigato-gozaimashita!”  Thank you for everything you do!

At past FaOI’s, I always bought one tee and one towel.  (I think they only had one design each.)  This year, they had 2 designs each and it was so hard to choose and Yuzu wore both tees and I love both colours of the towel..... so I bought everything (goodbye my money).  And the FaOI book of course;  the cover and photos inside are so beautiful. 

I felt this was the best FaOI I’ve ever attended.  I will mention briefly some performances that I love a lot.

~Shizuka Arakawa: so beautiful and elegant;  love her skating, esp her spiral and layback ina bauer.  Love her costumes too.  One was white and sparkly, the other had a Japanese style.  Both performances were excellent. ~Nobunari Oda:  Music from the movie 'Ghost' - his skating was so sad, I almost had tears.  Then 'Mission Impossible' was so funny!!!  Really love Nobu-kun! ~Stephane Lambiel: Love both numbers, especially the one with ToshI singing the sad and beautiful Japanese song 'I Love You'. ~’Akai Sweet Pea', sung by ToshI, skating by Johnny Weir.  I love this song!  Originally sung by Seiko Matsuda. ~'Monochrome' by Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte: So amazing!!!  Everything looked like a black-and-white movie!  The colour on their skin must have taken a lot of time and effort.  Their performance was superb! ~Rika Kihira: So energetic and strong!  Love the choreo. ~Satoko Miyahara: skated her new SP on Day 1 and her new FP on Day 2 and 3.  I like both a lot! ~Javier Fernandez: the flamenco performance was so fun! 

Plus all the other performances, I enjoyed them all!  Thank you to all skaters and artists and staff! 

On Sunday, once the show ended, Ella rushed out of the arena with her huge bag.  There was a taxi waiting to take her to Sendai Airport to catch her flight home.  I was a bit worried she would miss her flight but she made it, phew!  And she saw some skaters at the airport!  Jeff, Scott, Rika and Satoko!  Wow, they are fast! :D 

A big thank you to Ella and all the Yuzu-fans I met.  I received so much love and so many gifts..... really grateful to all you wonderful people! 

The little pouch with a feather was perfect for my new binoculars.  Will be bringing them along for future events. :) 

So many beautiful things and memories added to my treasure chest.....  Dear Yuzu-kun and Yuzu-fans, til we meet again, take care and God bless!

(Next, I will write about the other places in Sendai that I visited on this trip.)

*All photos are taken by me.  (some faces are blurred for people’s privacy.) *If my memory is not so accurate for some details of the show, my apologies. :)

Added later:

Part 2: Yuzu-world

Part 3: home rink and Olympic monuments

Part 4: Nanakita Park and schools

Part 5: An unexpected journey

Part 6: yuzu and zunda

Part 7: other Yuzu sightings