Japan Aug-Sep trip PART 1

Hello September; one of my fave months! >w<

I'm back from my trip and after one of the biggest events in Medan, I'm at last freeeeeeee XD

So it's time for blog posts!

This trip was planned almost a year before my previous trip in March. To be exact, this trip is a 'in 2017 I DEFINITELY WANNA GO JAPAN' while the one at March was a sudden trip by my family!

I'm so sorry but this time, my trip was purely for self enjoyment that I didn't take a video for vlog! >.<
Even though this was my second Tokyo trip for this year, there was still a lotttttt of new experience and excitement for me! >w<

Ittekimasu~~~

My 'OOTD' mirror was full with posters-calendars-CDs so I couldn't take proper picture 😂

I left Medan on August 30, Wednesday! The flight was as before: 8am flight to Singapore -> 7hrs flight to Japan, which made me reach Japan around 10pm! (including the time difference~)

Hirunaka no Ryuusei~~~

One of the very few manga that managed to make me cry? Beside Orange and Shape of Voice!

I really like one of the characters and ummmm I enjoyed only watching that character in the movie 😂 I'm so biased ;;;

View from the plane when reaching Haneda~

View in front of the apartment that I was staying at 11pm!

Last time, I stayed at Akihabara, which was closer to places I'd like to visit (Ueno, Asakusa etc) but this time, I stayed at Sengoku. In a way, it's more inconvenient as Sengoku is a Metro Line that doesn't connect with any JR Line (I need to travel extra one stop to go to places with JR line) but at the other hand, it was also super convenient as the station is just 30 seconds away from the apartment! Plus, there were 24 hrs restaurant and convenience stores around!

Denny's!!

First dinner I had was at Denny's, a family restaurant!

It was my first time dining in a family restaurant, something I've been wanting to try! Because I'm a fan of WORKING! 😂 

As it was my first time, I asked the waiter 'do you have DRINK BAR?' and she replied 'we only have free flow coffee' 😂

Hamburger steak!

When I think about family restaurant, I'd think of Hamburger steak as well! It was delicious!!

Oh, almost everywhere in Japan provides free-flow rice as well~!

First shopping done was at 711 near my apartment 😂 

Beside buying milk, I bought October's version of VOGUE because it's YOSHIKIIII WEAREX/-/

If I'm not mistaken, it was the first time VOGUE has guys in the cover :D :D so I just gotta buy it >////<

And I found my dear Funasshi 😂 

And so.....OF course I was up and energized the next day as I'd experience something new!

Ohayossu!!

DAY2 OOTD theme: LEMONeD

Ah, please don't expect much photo of me in Japan 😂 

LEMONeD is HIDE's signature style? Of yellow+red!
The reason I was wearing it was that day, I experienced first time watching Visual Kei band's live, in a Live house!
But as the show was in the evening, before that, I dropped by my previous home (?)

Tadaima 😂 

I dropped by Akihabara because I was a visualkei fangirl but a fujoshi now 😂 

I saw Boku no Hero Academia cafe!

Somewhat I find this as the most interesting photo of my trip (?)

Dressed up Colonel Sanders 😂 

In Japan, summer ended around mid August? It rained quite frequently when I was there TwT

My dear Animate-----

The last I was in Akihabara, I went to 3 Animate but this time, there were only 2 Animate left~!

Thus I went to the biggest Animate in Akihabara and the Animate for girls; Animate AKIBA Girls' Station

Corner for Takuya Eguchi's 'Oretachidatte Iyasaretai!'

I think I mentioned in my previous Japan trip post that I planned for this trip to be a fashion trip? Like I'd spend more time at Harajuku or Shibuya to buy clothes? But apparently it didn't end up that way 😂

I told myself to only go to Ikebukuro (cross out Akiba) but it didn't end up that way and instead, I even visited Shibuya's Animate! Because starting from June? I fell for another fujoshi hell; I came to love SEIYUU 😂

So I gotta go all over the same path of Animate-KBOOKS-Mandarake for Seiyuu goods 😂

Animate is mainly promoting Saiyuki Reload BLAST that'll come out as Blu-ray~!

My concert was around 6, but at 4, I went back home because I realized that I forgot to bring my ticket ;;

And on my way home, I got lost

Somehow I ended up going to Hibiya station because I got lost between Akihabara-Sengoku

For the first time in my life (?) I find Tokyo's train map to be so confusing 😂

Back in March, I used mostly just one line, Yamanote Line, that connects Akihbara-Harajuku-Shibuya-Ikebukuro but this time, I got to change trains from JR line to Metro line so yeah >////<

Then I found Miyano Mamoru's billboard at one of the stations 😂

Right away I realized that I wasn't lost when I saw this crowd 😂

My concert was at Shinjuku ReNY. It was definitely my first time walking there from Shinjuku station. GPS wrote 14 minutes walk but I believe I took 30 minutes /-/ I was so happy when I saw this crowd 😂

Queueing to enter the venue~

At the most right were boxes for gifts to the band members~

I actually asked my friend to get me ticket from Lawson (convenience store) and I didn't realize that even though the ticket is 'all standing', there's number that gives direction of who shall enter first. 

My number was B-6, while the procedure is from S1-250? Then A1-200? And lastly B1-some number. 

I didn't know that it was written, thus I managed to walk push myself in until the gift box area while waiting for my number to be called 😂

I queued for the band's merchandise, like 10 minutes before the show starts ;;

And this was the inside!

The band I was watching is called DaizyStripper. It was their FINAL live with the theme of 'SINGLE & COUPLING', which means they'd play songs that they released as SINGLEs. That show was part of their 10 years anniversary event.

It was a simply awesome experience!

1. I've never experienced watching a live in Japan before. So the whole entering procedure was also something exciting for me 😂

2. it was a 'live house', a term that I've been only seeing for years and never been before. it's not a concert hall, so there's really a 'unity' feeling between fellow fans and the band members. Where I stood was slightly behind the middle line but I still could see the band members clearly XD it's 'visual kei', so I enjoyed look along with music :P

3. the place was small the sound was loud but it wasn't noisy! I think this is what is called as Japan's quality? XD because I'd expect ringing in my ear after live shows but I didn't feel that at all~! <3

4. I experienced what I always see in live videos? From headbang headturn headspin bodybang handmovements and even seeing mosh pit and body diving by the members and holy water (water out from the band member's mouth 😂)  

it was a totally monkey-see-monkey-do for me but it was real fun! But the conclusion is, my body (especially my neck) ached the next day 😂

One of pamphlets I received after the show~!

After the live show, the staff gave out plastic bag with pamphlets inside!

And there went my (official) first day in Tokyo~!

DAY2!

KOKORO NO MAMA NI SAKEBEBA

(ok, only SuG fans would know this 😂)

OOTD theme: Pierced Strawberry

One of the T-shirts I bought from million$orchestra last year! <3

I went to Shibuya, thus mandatory picture with Hachiko~!

My plan that day was to go to SuG's fanmeet (limited to overseas fans) at late afternoon, so I dropped by Shibuya before that~

Shibuya crossing~!

Lunch was at NEGISHI!

One food that I've always been craving since my last visit 😂

I thought of just ordering normal beef but once I entered  the shop and smelled the beef tongue, I couldn't help but ordering it 😂

Met Ayako-san!

She dropped by for a surprise visit (I already know, so it was a surprise to my mum :D) right before her work~

Oh, I was with my dad, mum and my parent's friend~!

And then, I went on a 'seiyuu fangirl' journey around Shibuya 😂

TSUTAYA

TOWER RECORDS

Kiramune shrine >////<

Special pop-up for Shin at Tower Records~!

Shin is a vocalist from the band ViViD, that disbanded few years ago. One of the reasons why I'm not a full-time VKei fangirl anymore is bands I used to love have mostly disbanded T_T and most members of the disbanded bands have disappeared? So I'm really happy that SHIN is back >w<

Mario Kart out of nowhere (?)

I didn't take pictures but my Shibuya trip was TSUTAYA -> Tower Records -> Shibuya's Mandarake & Animate, when Shibuya is actually famous for fashion trip 😂

Then I went to Toranomon for SuG's fanmeet at Pony Canyon~!

I'm so lucky that the company's building is less than 10 mins away from train station

In other words, I didn't get lost 😂

Stopped by FamilyMart~

SuG had special 'photo selling' at FamilyMart since the beginning of the year. The method was we get to choose what photo of SuG we'd like to buy and print on the spot! So I tried printing one and I chose the Budoukan photo, as that's the show I was in Tokyo for~!

I met fellow SuG fans >////<

Years ago, I had a few friends (in real world) who liked SuG but I'm the only one who stay loving them for 7-8 years. I've also made a few online friends and most of them also didn't stay long. So it was really my very first time meeting fellow SuG fans T_T

Meeting place was at Pony Canyon's company~

Hmmmmm everyone (including me) expected the members to appear but they didn't 😂

It kinda felt like we wasted 1-2 hrs for nothing but of course we couldn't say anything because it has passed 😂

I saw Japanese RUSH HOUR----

Because I left Pony Canyon's area around 5, so there were people who shoved themselves into the train by entering backward (pushing back way) and as the picture shows, the train manager forced the door close 😂

And I bought my favorite snack~!

DANGOOOOOOO though my face will become dango (round), I still really love dango 😂

After the fan meet, I went to meet my friend for dinner and went to karaoke at Japan for the first time :D

DAY 4

My OOTD still revolves around million$orchestra because that was one of the most important days in my life. That was September 2, SuG's Budoukan live day.

The real reason why I wanted to go Japan in 2017 is because SuG announced that they'd have a live in Budoukan in 2017. They announced it back in 2016 May, but only confirmed the date in 2016 December. 2017 is the 10th years anniversary of SuG, and they decided to take the biggest challenge of performing at Budoukan.

Family picture at Ginza

Like before, I went somewhere else before the concert time and that day, I dropped by Ginza!

I went to the biggest stationery store in Tokyo, ITOYA

The store was 6-8 levels high, and the picture I took was from the level they sold papers. They had a large variety of paper and color that I was awed O_O

And I said hi to Softbank's shibainu XD

I took photo with 2 dogs when I'm actually more of a cat lover 😂

Tried out yogurtwater

Japan had a variety of mineral water, from lemonwater peachwater variousfruitswater saltedlemonwater and even yogurtwater 😂 i think i managed to try them all~

After lunch and quick window shopping at Ginza, I went right away to Kinoshita station, where Budoukan is

Path toward Budoukan

I thought SuG would be my very first live in Japan but I found out about DaizyStripper sometime after. But still, it'd be my very first time watching SuG live after years being their fan, and my very first time stepping into Budoukan, a place of dream. I believe Budoukan is dream and goal to every singer and band out there (mainly in Japan) and of course, that includes me.

Long path toward Budoukan

It took less than 10 minutes from Kinoshita station to Budoukan but the path was uphill, so it felt kinda long 😂

The queue for goods started from 1.30 and still so many people when I was there at 4 ><

Flowers for SuG

Even now, as I wrote this post, I still can feel tearing up 😂

A bit of personal story.

I roughly mentioned my love for Japanese culture to be anime & manga -> jpop (mainly anisong) -> visualkei -> anime & cosplay

But throughout the way, the one that affected me the most, when I was around 14-18 was Visual Kei

I mentioned at one of my videos that my past was L'arc~en~Ciel -> Gackt -> Miyavi -> PSC Company -> SuG, though there were actually Alice Nine and X Japan in between. 

I already left most of those people and bands but since I started to like SuG back in 2009, I've always been following them. I thought I'd leave them back in 2013 when they went on a 1year break but I couldn't let them go 😂 so SuG is totally my 'teenage year'

I was really happy when SuG announced Budoukan show, because at last I'd be watching their show live as well, after having I think almost 10 DVDs of their live shows! But 2 months ago, they announced that they'd go on an indefinite hiatus after Budoukan's live. In other words, my very first SuG show would be my last T_T....

Budoukan

I cried. I laughed. I danced. I waved my hands. I moved my head. I screamed.

I've always been a crybaby when it comes to watching concert that I always tend to want to tear up during opening act, which mean I cried right from the start of SuG show T_T there were so many feeling from 'at last i can hear this song live' to 'this would be the last time i hear this song live' T_T

I don't think I'll keep up with any other Visual Kei band anymore after this, like I don't even check up new songs of the bands I used to like anymore except SuG's, so in a way this live was a farewell to my 'teenage year' T_T

Thank you

The song I cried the most was Teenage Dream, one of the most important song to me, for so many parts of the lyric strengthened me.

零れだした涙もきっと  明日の覚悟を強くさせるんだ

the tears that came out, definitely makes your preparation for tomorrow become stronger

⎡生きてく意味を失った時　言葉と音が救ってくれた⎦

when i lost the meaning of living, words and music saved me

I posted this in Twitter and Instagram (which was shared to FB) but one sentence for that night was:
I went to see a dream (SuG's live) at a dream place (Budoukan) to receive a dream (goal)

I had beef stew at Denny's right after Budoukan's show

Because I felt like just go straight to bed and cry (even more) but the apartment was locked 😂

People may see me as a mere fangirl, for I do have 'disgusting' fangirl behaviour or thoughts such as writing fan-fiction or having celebrity crush on certain band members but SuG really meant a lot to me. I've only watched SuG live once, but I've received a lot of lesson and inspiration from them.

What echoed in my heart the most from that night was what Takeru said. 
"The first step of a dream/goal is to find that dream"

I mentioned that I received a dream. It's more than performing at Budoukan. It's the path toward it. 
Even until now, I can't confidently say 'this is my style', 'this is the kind of song that only I can sing or write'. I do think 'finding out who I really am' is also a dream. 

It may look like 'you don't even know what or who you are, and yet you want us to support you when you are still unclear and blur'.
But I really hope 'V Kanon' to be something that everyone creates together, and not one-sided product that only 'V' created. I wish 'V Kanon's growth to be seen by everyone and 'V Kanon' to be something that everyone can be proud of for taking part at.
I chose 夏音(Kanon), 'sound of summer' for my name because 'summer' isn't something to be spent just alone, but it's the season of new experience and feeling, from happiness to sadness with everyone.
2 years have passed since I started to establish 'V Kanon'. But I still can't strongly say 'I can go all alone by myself', for my strength is still from everyone.

After the Budoukan show, the more I felt 'one day, I'd like to perform here at Budoukan,'
The more I felt 'I'd like to work harder to achieve my 'singer songwriter' dream'
I'd be totally copying SuG if I say 'let's achieve Budoukan dream together (with the fans)' but my dream is definitely not something that I can achieve alone.

I'm really blessed for having my lovely family and a lot of supportive friends and every single people connected via my FacebookInstagramTwitterYoutubeWorldcosplay and this blog
But I'm also determined to do my best to make sure every single support won't go to waste.

The only thing I can say to wrap up this post is I'll still be under your care from here on, yoroshiku onegaishimasu.
And my next Japan trip post won't end up this serious so please do look forward to it as well >w<