The Nogizaka46 Experience Thread

I don't know if this goes here or not, but I passed by a shop in Akihabara while I was there this past week called Liberty Akihabara and the third floor specialized in idol photos, mostly AKB and Sakamichi. I decided to go on a whim, and while browsing through the store, I happened to find the Nogizaka46 Artworks book in a case. I believe this is the book that was being pre-sold while the museum was up and running.

I had no idea what the contents of the book were, but I didn't want to pass up on buying it, so I did. It's pretty much the museum in book form. Everything you saw in the museum is pretty much featured in this book. I don't remember what the asking price was when orders were being taken, but this is definitely worth the ¥3500 that I paid.

 

Nice find! The contents are pretty good, right? Can't really remember how much it was, 2000 price range I think, so that was a good price you got there!

 

Yeah, I think the best parts of the book were the things you weren't allowed to take pictures of in the museum, such as the preliminary logo designs and the MV storyboards and such. I didn't do a page count, but it looks like it's at least 150-200 pages.

I'm really glad I stopped by that shop. Even with all the other 48/46 merch I bought on my trip, this is probably the best thing I got.

 

Anyone plan on going to the handshake event in Nagoya on Dec. 15th?
I happen to be in Japan at that time so I'm going to make the trip to Nagoya for my first (and possibly only) handshake event.
It would be cool to meet up with other people so I'm not alone.

 

I believe the nogi HS is on the 14th as the 15th would be hinata,
anyway I will be going to both events with my friends(who I forced to come with me) you are welcome to come with us ^_^ its quite hard to queue alone as you can never leave your spot. Feel free to PM if your are interested ^_^

 

Where can you look for info for upcoming events (concerts/HS), I'm planning to go to Japan next year, would like to attend Hinata or Nogi event if possible.

 

The national handshake event is on the 14th, the individual handshake is on the 15th.

Unfortunately I won't be able to make the national as I won't be arriving in Japan until the evening of the 14th. Thank you for the invite, though.

You can check their websites.
http://www.nogizaka46.com/schedule/
https://www.hinatazaka46.com/s/official/media/list?ima=0000&dy=201912

 

I see, i hope you have a wonderful time in your 1st HS ^_^.

 

The handshake event was amazing. Also a bit awkward but still great.

Amazing being able to see them up close and meet. Awkward because I don't speak Japanese and can't communicate with them.

When you first turn the corner and see them, it's really crazy. It's really amazing seeing them, especially as a foreign fan when you really only see them on video. The awkwardness comes because when I first meet them my mind goes blank and I just want to take in the fact that they're right in front of me. Then when I've come back to reality and remembered the Japanese thing I memorized, the usher is already pushing me out. I really underestimated how short it is.

The three girls I wanted to meet most were Kakki, Zukki, and Ayamen. With Kakki and Zukki it really felt like the blink of an eye. I swear the time on those two were shorter than the other ones. But Kakki really acted like she was happy to see me and was sad to see me leave which was nice. Of these three, Ayamen was the only one I had two tickets for and the second time around I was actually able to say "I came to Japan to meet you" in Japanese and replied with a "Hontou ni" and it was really cute. I actually had two Zukki tickets, one in the first time slot and one in the third time slot, but we had trouble getting to the Shinkansen in time so I missed the entire first time slot. I also had Kiichan tickets at that time who I also really wanted to meet which was disappointing.

Since I had Zukki and Kiichan tickets in the first time slot, Zukki and Ayamen tickets in the third time slot, and a Kakki ticket in the last time slot, and seeing Zukki, Kakki and Ayamen is a must I figured since I was going to be there all day, I wanted to bid on some other girls too to fill in the time so I wasn't just waiting around al l day. Of all the girls, Hazuki seemed to be the most prepared to meet a non-Japanese speaking foreigner. She asked me (in English) where I was from. When I told her I was from America. She asked if I was from New York (I replied with where I was actually from). I had three Renacchi tickets and decided to use them all at once which was probably a mistake. Edit: By mistake, I mean using more than one ticket to the first time you meet a member, not that meeting Renacchi was a mistake. Since if you get nervous and your mind goes blank then a slightly awkward 5 seconds becomes a very awkward 15 or so seconds. I also met Seira which was nice. I did use two tickets and was able to get a few words in. The last member I met was Sakura. Like Kakki, Ayamen, and Zukki my mind went blank when I first met her. But this time instead of a blink an eye, it felt longer, like an awkward silence. But it was the end of the day and I was pretty tired. And jet lagged.

One thing that annoyed me, when I got my tickets in the mail I noticed I didn't get any of the Yuri or Rei tickets I won. When I checked I saw I had made the mistake of forgetting to pay for them (I think I forgot to click the last confirmation button) and then when I tried to bid again it said they were both sold out for that day. And that's what annoyed me as Yuri's lane seemed mostly empty and I would have gladly bought several tickets for her. My fault though I guess

In any case I said this might be my only handshake event but I don't think it will be. I feel the burning need to redeem myself and leave a better impression. I just need to get back to Japan again next year somehow...

 

hi anyone can offer any advice for individual handshake? planning to apply for the 25th single one at Osaka. how many members would i be able to see per slot and how many tickets should i go for if i only want to meet them for a short while, like 10 seconds?

 

Guys, if I want to handshake with Kotoko before she graduates, what'll be my best way to meet her? Buy how many CDs? Go for the national or individual one?

 

I think she will not be participating in the 25th IHS/NHS anymore, if I'm not mistaken her Nogi activities is only until end of March 2020?
No NHS schedule yet, for IHS here http://www.nogizaka46.com/event/20200127.php

 

Strange no one posts here, last one being pre-pandemic!

Told Rei today that I enjoyed Doko e and Skits and she got visibly happy, like she hasn't been reminded of those shows in a while.

Also after 100 years, my first time getting a comment read at the teiten camera! (lol) It's not meeting them per se but it is 'interaction' in a way.

First, Yakubo showed up wearing something white... she was so small, cute, slim, tiny, adorable. I impulsively wrote かわいい子来た ('a cute girl is here') on chat. She picked this up and went はい、かわいい子でーす ('yep, cute girl here').

Then some time later, Yuna read my 今日レイちゃんにあえて幸せ～ ('so happy I met Reichan today') to Rei. I remember her reaction but not all of the words she said. I might need to recheck the VOD one of these days when it turns up somewhere.

 

recently I don't comment much on their posts or live streams, rather just enjoy the live videos and stuffs.
quite a long time ago pre-pandemic, I had my comment 'マレーシアで仕事中”(in the midst of work in Malaysia) read by Maichun during Nogiobi . also in another Nogiobi , had my comment "飛鳥ちゃんに怒られちゃうよ”　responded by Manatsu when she wrote down telling Asuka(the next member in rotation) to speak some embarrassing non-Asuka-like cute words. Kazumin also responded to my congratulatory 755 comment(if I remember correctly, I was probably the 1st one) when it was announced that her favourite anime Sailor Moon was getting a Nogizaka musical, she responded by posting ”今年は凄い年になると思います” attaching to my comment. the last one I remember is more of a prize that I won the Nogizaka Always with You(now called Itsunogi) alarm app gacha-gacha for Kanarin to call out my name telling me to get up . this is still kept in the app after all these years even after she graduated. they don't have these kind of gachas nowadays

 

Started this last single but couldn't finish it due to missing button labels and reference images in some steps:
Online Meet-and-Greet: Beginner's Guide (forTUNE music & forTUNE meets)

 

another tibit to meet and greet, years ago there has been some foreigner passport denial... but for almost 2 years now I had no problem with verification with my US passport, no talk with staff either. Results may vary

 

Went to the Real M&G event at Kyoto Pulse Plaza on 5/6/24.

No posts here yet about Real M&G proceedings in particular so if anyone reads this and plans to go in the future, this is how it went:

Spoiler

First, the venue is divided into two, and this is the same for the previous Real M&G events: one for where the actual M&Gs take place, and another for selling stuff like 生写真 which by the way sold out quick. There are signs anyway so you cannot miss it.

There are designated times for each 部 (will be referred to as 'session'): the time when reception opens and the time the member lanes start moving. So from the outside you fall in line, just follow the people; there's usually staff marking the end of the line with a sign that says 最後尾. This first queue is the security check, and as you get closer to the check area you will hear specific instructions about drinks: if you've brought one with you, have it in hand because after the staff inspect your belongings, they have to confirm and see you take a sip of it airport-style. Then you will get checked with some handheld metal scanner. Security here will ask you to raise your arms and turn around, the keywords are 手をあげて and 後ろ. You should be allowed through smoothly here unless you've decided to leave triggering items in your pockets. Also I saw someone raise his shirt only because the scanner detected his belt. Overall, if you just observe the people ahead of you, you will get the idea.

Now you're falling in line to where the member lanes are; once there, just go to your member of choice. By the way, there are signs right at the entrance prohibiting pictures and video/audio recording, but you still somehow see pictures of member lane markers online...

Each lane has staff that will first check your tickets (QR code), ask how many you want to use, and check your identity verification document. Then you move forward to fall in another line, at the end you will have to scan your QR code one last time, leave your belongings at designated baskets, before finally going to the booth with the member.

Timekeeper staff will be right AT you during the interaction but you can straight up tune this out. He/she will say two things: まもなくです (warning, about three seconds left) and お時間です (time's up), after which you are moved towards the exit lane. Now here if you're lucky, something might cause the next person a small delay (e.g., extra convo with staff, he dropped something, etc.) and you get a few extra seconds to trade gestures with the member.

Exit the lane and you repeat the same procedure for every member you want to meet. You can't loiter around this time; there's patrolling staff that will ask everyone not falling in line to DO fall in their respective lines. Otherwise you should exit the area. If you have another ticket for a later session, you line up again outside when the session reception opens, go through security check again, repeat.

So onto my report. I only met three members - I skimped since I wasn't really feeling this single (heh) but what the heck.

Seimiya Rei (2nd session)
I've had Online M&G with her before. I asked in English, 'Remember me?' and she said, 'Oh yeah!' but it didn't look like it at first. When I said in JP 'I've been a fan since the Saraba days' she did like five nods in a second like it clicked, seemed like she did really remember me. I let a quick 世界大会だよ！ but I got ushered away at this point, she said something and I couldn't lip-read (too far now) but my best guess is she said the same phrase back.

Ikeda Teresa (2nd session)
First time seeing/meeting Panda. And on one ticket too so imagine how awkward this was (I applied not believing I would win). I literally haven't decided what to say up until that last QR check. When I got up to her I just greeted, introduced myself, went ちょっと新規ファンなんで釣ってください！/'I'm just a new fan so please fish me!' (I'm not even sure how 釣ってください translates to English) She did the heart sign and went 'Daaaaisuki!' and did the pouting lips thing before I got ushered away.

Nakanishi Aruno (3rd session)
I've been following Nakanishi's fan circle on SNS since that thing happened and it's funny when I recognized Twitter names/handles on the queue. Also there was a mom-and-daughter lining up and the mom asked, 'What are you gonna say?', and the daughter said, 'I don't know, I just wanna say "thank you"' and I reacted and she looked and smiled when she recognized the shirt I was wearing: an Agnes B. lizard shirt same to one Aruno wore early on, that a friend gave to me. So anyway, I very quickly said what I had to say to Aruno, time's up, we thanked each other, I got ushered away, but then the next fan didn't step forward immediately (like described above) and me and her were still looking at each other, she smiled again and said いつもありがとう one last time.

It is true that members on the neighboring lanes can be visible from the queue, if the angle is right. Members I had a glimpse of while waiting:
Seimiya: Ayame, Mayu and Rika. Mayu was on 100% idol mode as she seemed to be doing a lot of fan service gestures. Ayame and Rika were more on talking and waving.
Ikeda: Miku, Nagi, Yumiki. I was aware of Ioki being to the immediate right but her queue 'snaked' to the left, towards Ikeda's lane, so the queuing people were kinda blocking the view. Miku was to the left and I got a long, good look at her, probably longer than Teresa herself, because her timekeeper was also on the left and the exit lane on the right, leaving that right exit lane completely open most of the time. I only saw Nagi briefly while queuing up for the identity check. And holy hell Yumiki is really slim.
Nakanishi: Nao only. ^_^ <- Nao is like this, she doesn't have eyes when she smiles, the precious little cupcake. Hehe.

The length of the hall couldn't fit all member lanes so Tomisato and Nakanishi's lanes (they were last: #32-33) were positioned perpendicular and opposite to the first lanes. I also saw Renka and Kubo from a distance when, under the pretense of locating Nakanishi's lane, I walked all the way to the first lanes (3rd gen lanes) hoping to get a glimpse of the other members.

The booth setups are exactly like how Nakanishi described it: like a 宝くじ売り場 (lottery ticket counter, maybe a quick Google Image search will help). You folks might recall another analogy she used which is like a 'prison visit'; this is only partially true since on the acrylic glass there is only that one default hole at the bottom where the hands are supposed to go (I guess it's for the sound?), but there's a metal bar by it that you cannot touch/lean on, effectively preventing you from drawing even closer like in prison visits. So you just stand up straight and talk. Nevertheless it is still pretty close - I would say a good 2-3 feet of separation.

The instant realization for me was how even 'smaller' they could be in real life. Is it because I always watch them on 16:9 ratio? Haha. You guys know the so-called 'Mercator projection', where some places appear larger in maps than they actually are? Same concept but the other way around. Seimiya, Ayame, Yumiki and Aruno struck me as, 'wow, they're small...' Miku and Teresa on the other hand looked normal.

In conclusion, I do not know how long before or if they ever will bring back handshake events. Members though are safer this way so I guess as long as profit isn't hurt, why risk? Meanwhile, Bokuao are already doing it - with gloves, but no lotteries and 1 ticket is longer, less popular but venues are less crowded.

 

Hello. I'll be in Japan for a while, especially in Tokyo around September the 8th. Are there any Nogizaka related places or activities that you would recommend?

(Wrong thread? I hope not. If so I can delete the post).

 

Doesn't look like they have anything on their schedule, at least on the website. I'd suggest at least stopping at Nogizaka station to hear the station jingle or finding the Nogizaka Hill sign. Hopefully others can chime in but have a great trip!

 

Thank you!