Arashi Live Tour 2014: THE DIGITALIAN… in Nagoya

I’m back home from a two-week trip to the Land of the Rising Sun. I’ve seen lots of things, had lots of experiences, met quite a number of people, and been to a considerable number of places, but the first post I am making is that of the concert to top all concerts that I’ve seen live: Arashi Live Tour 2014 – The Digitalian.(Disclaimer: this is not a con report. Others have written up better con reports than I could ever do. So… yeah.this is just a personal account of my experience.)

Arashi fans will know how difficult it is to score tickets to Arashi concerts. Even some Fan Club (FC) members and residents of Japan also have to go through some hoops to get some; foreign fans have to deal with not just hoops, but also twists and turns.

Yes, getting the concert ticket was stressful, and could only be described as a roller coaster of emotions. I admit that the hard work was all done by my friend Peach. We looked for possible sources, went to the usual suspects, until she just took her chances with Google Translate and worked her way through ticket.co.jp.

It worked.

Arashi The digitalian nagoya 01And so we were able to watch theΒ matsuri (festival) concert on December 5, 2014 (after watching CNBLUE in concert on December 3 and 4, but that’s for another blog post, haha!) at the Nagoya Dome in Nagoya, Japan.

It was exhilarating. It’s the boys’ 15th anniversary, so I was already expecting them to go all-out. I’m so glad I was right.

I had the pleasure of seeing them perform around 6 years ago at the Taipei Arena in Taipei, Taiwan during the Arashi Around Asia 2008 Tour. They had a two-night gig, which my friend Sheryll and I went to (yes, both nights). Getting tickets that time was easier since it was really catered to fans outside Japan.

Before the Concert

If there is no such thing as ‘concert coma’ before, let me make one up now. It is that state of being when you just wanna stay in bed and think about the concert that happened the day before. Screw food, screw everything else. You’re simply on a high.

But we thought it’d be a waste not to check out some sights in Nagoya while we were there, so the plan was to go off to Nagoya Castle and spend the hours there, then proceed to the Nagoya Dome at around 3:30 in time for the gates opening at 4pm. This was already half-past one in the afternoon.

So we got out stuff, mostly my Digitalian tote bag, scarf, passport, and wallet. Then we were off.

During our stay in Osaka and in Nagoya, it was already a common sight to see people – male and female alike – toting Arashi bags filled with uchiwas (those fans with the groups’ or the member’s faces). While at the castle, I was marveling at how one girl had, like, seven uchiwas in her bag. “Wow,” I thought. “It’s either she’s holding them for friends, or she plans on using all of them at the con”.

And then it hit me.

I left our fanlights back at the hotel.

Now let’s get one thing straight. I have never bought fanlights before. For any concert. Ever. But for this one, I made an exception, since it is an uchiwa AND a fanlight, all rolled into one, and it’s supposedly going to be used in a special way at the concert. So I had our two other friends (who watched Arashi in Osaka) to buy them for us when they lined up for goods.

So we had to practically speed through Nagoya Castle, then walk back to the station, then make several stops at the subway, then back to the hotel. By this time, it was already past 3. By the time we got to the Dome, it was already past 4. Haha! Stress~!

Arashi The digitalian nagoya 05
Nagoya Dome.
There were people standing on the sides of the path, holding signs saying they're selling concert tickets. I wonder how much they jacked the price up.
There were people standing on the sides of the path, holding signs saying they’re selling concert tickets. I wonder how much they jacked the price up.

We went in, found our seats, sat down… then realized we failed to have our fanlights activated! Apparently, it has to be activated, so that throughout the concert, the “powers-that-be” (production staff, maybe) can control the light that it will emit at certain points of the concert.

So we had to rush out again. I had to look for a staff who knows how to speak English, and it was a good thing we didn’t have to go out of the Dome again to have it activated.

We were supposed to have followed these signs to go to the activation tents. But we went past it to go directly inside. :)
We were supposed to have followed these signs to go to the activation tents. But we went past it to go directly inside. πŸ™‚

We went back to our seats, and waited until the clock hit 6pm. The show has started.

During the Concert

WHOOSH. That was what I felt when the lights dimmed, the audience got to its feet, the stage sprang to life, and the boys appeared for their opening number.

I was reminded clearly why I just adore these 5. They know how to put on a great show.

The first half was mostly songs off the Digitalian album which, I admit, did not initially grab at me when I first heard the album. Then I saw the songs performed live, and I changed my mind.

I could not pinpoint a single favorite from the show.

Aiba’s solo made me laugh; he’s such a dear. Ohno’s solo – OF COURSE – he’s the no-fail guy when it comes to solos. And that’s not just my bias talking. I also liked how Jun’s solo was low-key. No stripping or drama this time around – just him performing.

And let me just say, I LOVE ALL THEIR HAIR.

The MC part was, as always, fun AND funny. I only managed to understand less than half of it, though, since they were all speaking so quickly and using words too deep and slangy for my basic-er than basic Nihonggo to grasp. I only know they spoke about their junior days, and how they used to be so nervous dancing behind their sempai groups (seniors), then how Aiba is Mr. Disco Star, then there was another dig at Sho’s sloping shoulders (nadegata) when his towel kept on slipping down his, well, sloping, shoulders.

The stage also had this area where there are 5 number indicators with the respective colors of the members. At the beginning of the MC, they said that it indicates their actual, real-time heartbeat. I couldn’t remember the exact figures, since it changes every second, but…

Jun – between 125 to 130

Aiba – between 120 t0 125

Ohno – between 110-115

Nino – between 100-110

Sho – between 86 to 92

The four members pointed out how Sho’s is so low, and Nino snarkily pointed out that Sho is already a “pro” at things such as these, he does not get nervous any longer. Still, they have to find a way to bring Sho’s heart rate up. So they made him run down the length of the right stage, then back. Then down the length of the left stage, then back again.

It worked. His heart rate reached 140+. A few minutes later of heavy panting and breathing, and it clocked in at 150+. Keio Boy is so proud. πŸ™‚

Throughout the concert, the heart rate of the boys was displayed, and it was noticeable how Jun’s is the highest, even reaching 180. Aiba’s is close behind him, while Ohno is just in the middle. It’s Nino and Sho who are probably the least nervous among them, if the heart rate monitor is any indicator.

We were warned beforehand how Jun was very particular about how the fanlights are to be used, so we just had to fight our way through the throng to have it activated. During the concert, Jun launched into a long spiel on how it would be used, and Sho was like, ‘listen to the teacher’. “Sensei wa kibishii”.Β (the teacher is strict.) All in all, I think Jun was happy with the Nagoya audience in that regard.

My Thoughts

Our seats (on the stands) aren’t the best, but I was still very happy with it. It was at an angle from the stage, between 3 and 4 o’clock. But we can see pretty much everything.

It’s not a fluke, folks. If you thought those concert DVDs were edited to make the whole thing look like a festival, you’re wrong. The atmosphere is really jumpin’ crazy festival-like. It’s like there’s a burst of rainbows that just. won’t. quit.

I can’t tell which part of the con was my favorite, because I was riveted from beginning to end. The laser and light show, the fanlights filling the entire space, the numbers…. I was particularly in awe of their perf of “Hope in the Darkness”. I swear I could hear my heart beat along with it. (And let me just give a shout-out to Ohno’s hand. Haha!)

What amazed me even more is the turnout of people. The Dome has a capacity of around 40,000, and the place was filled to the rafters. Young girls, little girls (I think some are even 6-year-olds!) came with their moms, middle-aged women who looked like they came directly from work, hardcore fangirls wearing makeup and all dressed up, cosplayers, students who are still in their school uniforms…

…and that’s not all.

Elderly women walking together – some of them even using canes and walking sticks! Young and middle-aged men still in their suits (just came from the office) and work bags. Boys in their badass jeans and snapbacks. And I was even sitting next to a guy who is well into his 50s, and he’s with his wife! He was holding the fanlight, and I overheard him speaking to his wife, pointing out parts of the stage where the boys are likely to come out.

Cool, eh? I, for one, am impressed. With this much support and adulation that Arashi (and other Japanese acts) are getting in their homeland, it’s easy to understand why they are not too keen on going global and holding concerts abroad.

One other thing I appreciated was the obvious thought and effort put into the show. The idea of the fanlights is ingenious. Oh, there are a few who were unable to have their fanlights activated, so you can spot them when the Dome is flooded with blue or red lights, and they’re different, but they are only a few – at least from what I could see from my vantage point.

The orderly way with which the whole thing was conducted also amazed me. First, they made the ones at the 4th level go out of the Dome first, followed by the 3rd, the 2nd, then the ones on the arena seats. There were staff “manning” the exits, clearly showing the people where to go to. Even at the subway, the number of people going in is regulated, so there won’t be a mad crush at the cars.

Taking photographs was a no-no. There were staff members walking around, pacing through the aisles with large signs saying NO PHOTOGRAPHY, NO TAKING OF PICTURES, NO USING OF MOBILE PHONES. That broke my heart. I left my compact digicam at the hotel coz it was bulky, but whenever I think of its 50x zoom capability, my heart broke all over again. I did slip in my pocket-sized point-and-shoot, though, and it takes crappy pictures. haha! I manage to sneak in a few snaps because the staff did not go to our area. Much.

I suppose this is one of those rules I broke throughout this trip and, for that, I deeply apologize. Keeping some of the photos at very LQ for obvious reasons, and posting only a few of them.

Before the concert started.
Before the concert started.

Arashi The digitalian nagoya 12 Arashi The digitalian nagoya 13

On the first day, prior to entering the Dome, we saw some people lining up for the official con goods.

Arashi The digitalian nagoya 06

We went back to the Dome the next day to check out some stuff at the nearby Aeon Mall, and get a couple of last-minute goods, and the crowd was thicker.

Arashi The digitalian nagoya 07 Arashi The digitalian nagoya 08 Arashi The digitalian nagoya 09 Arashi The digitalian nagoya 10In the nearby Aeon Mall was a convenience store with an Arashi corner. πŸ™‚ I tried the Mets cola, and it’s… well, just cola. Nothing special. ‘Cept for the fact that it is endorsed by Arashi, I suppose.

Arashi The digitalian nagoya 14

I’m glad to have seen them perform onstage live again. I hope to be able to do so sometime in the future.

Wrapping up this post with a pic of Cathy’s (from Oz) Arashi nails. πŸ™‚

Arashi The digitalian nagoya 15

 

44 thoughts on “Arashi Live Tour 2014: THE DIGITALIAN… in Nagoya

Add yours

  1. I love your post, others write details, but no one share what you share (I think is pretty obvious what I mean) and you focused in other things, I really appreciate that.
    Hope in the darkness is my favourite song from the album, so I feel you.

    I have to wait, but in the mean time I can’t wait for the dvd of this tour.

    Thanks for sharing <3

    1. I’m actually quite amazed at how others are so detailed about it. Do they take notes or something? Haha! I simply go for what I can remember and what I felt in the moment, so I’d totally suck at making con reports.

      Glad you enjoyed reading this post! πŸ™‚ And I, too, can’t wait for the DVD to come out!

      1. Oh, according to the “experts”, he’s the one who conceptualized it. From the way he took the reins in explaining how it works, it looks like it.
        And I agree, I’m not at all surprised, too.

  2. Thanks for the interesting read,,,you’re able to snag lots of pic, good for you! as for me, I’m too afraid to even bring out my cellphone.
    Truly amaze with hope in the darkness, that performances successfully made me tears up,,,,and it’s first time experiencing the beauty of colorful fanlight, Thank God I decided to bought it,,,

    1. I was actually quite nervous the whole time I was taking my small camera out of my pocket during the show. πŸ™‚ I was also praying that the other fans beside and around me won’t rat me out. Fortunately, that did not happen and I wasn’t kicked out, haha!

      I totally agree! I loved their perf of that song, and totally look forward to seeing it again on DVD. πŸ™‚ What color were you in for the fanlights? Ours was in the red section. πŸ™‚

      1. Where were you seated? There are lots of guards in my section and none of the fans around me take any picture, even a fans beside me who take out her phone to text and got warned,,,that’s why I wouldn’t dare to take out my phone XD

        I know right? I still have chills whenever I hear Hope in the darkness and Asterisk. I got Arena seat and it’s on the red section. I’m lucky enough (well my section) to get a wink from Jun πŸ˜‰ . Seriously can’t wait for the DVD,,,

        I learn that you also bought the ticket from ticket.co.jp, is it unknown or known seat?

      2. We were also in the Red section, but on the stands, not arena (lucky you!!). Yep, we had to go with blind seats because we had a certain limit on how much we were willing to spend on the ticket. Haha! Our two nights’ worth of CNBLUE concert was not even half of the price of the ticket we got for Arashi (and we got arena seats for the first night of CNBLUE’s concert, too!).

        There were also guards, and a fan behind us poked my friend when she brought out her phone to take a selfie. I was hiding my camera beneath my coat. LOL.

  3. Haha, nice to see my hands made this post!!!

    I miss tour πŸ™

    So great to meet you, your pics are so much better than my iphone attempts!

    1. Hey, Cath~!!!!

      You know, to this day, I am kicking myself for not having taken a photo of all 4 of us together that night! NUTS! Were we too high on the Digitalian aftermath to even think about it? The sad part is, we were engrossed in taking photos of the food, but not of ourselves!!! ARGH. #fail

  4. I’m glad to read and see you had a wonderful time watching their Digitalian Concert! Hope to see the awesomeness of the concert on DVD soon~ πŸ˜€

    If you don’t mind me asking… Did you buy the tickets online when you were already in Japan or just before? If I could make it on their next concert when I visit Japan, I’d love to watch them live so what would you recommend or advice?

    (Btw, I’m from the Philippines too~ ^^)

    1. I, too, am waiting for the DVD. πŸ™‚

      My friend and I (my friend, mostly) purchased the tickets directly off the ticket.co.jp website before heading to Japan. We totally just winged it because the site was in Japanese; she just used Google Translate, and we hoped for the best.

      Oh, she also happened to have a cousin who lives in Japan, so we used the cousin’s address, since those ordering via the website has to have a Japanese address where the tickets can be mailed to.

      (and ooh, whereabouts in the Philippines are you? πŸ™‚ )

      1. I want to see Hope in the darkness already… Is it really that awesome? ^^

        Oh, I see! That’s awesome then~ I guess Ticket.co.jp really is trusted when you’re buying tickets! Sadly, I don’t have any close friend/ relative living in Japan… (It’s really hard to be a fan if you’re not stepping the same soil as them, lol) xD

        Oh, I’m currently in Valenzuela right now, but I’m from Taguig. You? πŸ™‚

      2. Ooh, I just checked your about me page(curious much, hehehe!) and if your an igorota then you’re most likely from baguio/cordillera region? I guess my hometown is an hour away from yours then. Haha! I grew up and spent most of my childhood in La Union~ Pero because of my mom’s work, Lumipat kami sa metro manila. But now that she’s retired, I’ll be going back to the province soon… (Still in the process of deciding whether I’d go study medicine in Baguio or Pangasinan)

        Should I call you Ate/Manang Jeffer then?

        -Bands πŸ™‚

      3. Hey, Bands!

        β€œHope in the Darkness” gave me tingles. Veeeery nice tingles.
        And there are perks when you are fanning someone who is not on the same β€œsoil”, as you said. The novelty does not wear off that easily. Haha!

        Yep, I’m an Igorota. Born and went to school in Baguio, currently working here, too. But I’m residing in nearby La Trinidad.

        And La Union is close! Hey thar, neighbor! Yep, you can call me Ate or Manang or just Jeffer, Haha!

  5. your seat is the opposite of mine xD
    If 12 is the center stage, my seat is around 2/3 o’clock.
    Well, mostly saw their side face :3

    Hope in the Darkness is one of my favorite from the album and it’s a surprise to see the performance. Well, honestly I can’t remember much. I wonder what I was thinking at that time xD

    1. I think I, too, was in a daze most of the time. πŸ™‚ And jumping and singing along. And having to pick up my jaw as it dropped to the ground repeatedly when I saw how pretty the lights (and the boys) were!

  6. Hi! πŸ™‚ I’m an Arashi fan from the Philippines too and I’m glad to stumble upon your blog. I’ll be in Kyoto on November 6-8, and since I heard that Arashi will be having a concert in Nagoya on the same dates, I’m thinking of going, but it’s my first time going to Japan and attending a concert so I’m quite nervous~ “^_^ Hope you could help me with some queries:

    1. How’re the logistics to/from Nagoya Dome? Is it easy to access by train? I don’t plan on staying in Nagoya after the concert, so I’ll be rushing to catch a train to Kyoto right after.

    2. How early do you need to arrive at the venue? Buying some concert goods would be lovely, but as this isn’t really part of my Japan trip budget, this isn’t a necessity for me. So would it be okay to arrive at the venue an hour before?

    Thanks in advance! ^_^

    1. Oh wow, you’re going!!! That’s great! HAVE FUNNNNNNN!

      From Kyoto to Nagoya Dome? Yep, totally accessible by train, because the Dome is right beside the station. The logistics… well, it depends where u’re coming from. I suggest you use Hyperdia to find the fastest and easiest route to get anywhere.

      I suggest you take note of the available trips back to kyoto, tho. The con could go 3-4 hrs, and the way to the train is at a snail’s pace cuz of the wave of people headed.home.

      2. We actually arrived at the venue an hour before the start, but i suggest you be there at least 2 hrs earlier. So you can be more relaxed finding your entrance and seats. Plus human traffic can be quite dense so you want to avoid the crush.

      1. Hi, thanks for the tips! I plan on taking the Shinkansen from Kyoto to Nagoya, then the subway to the Dome. Maybe 1.5 hours before, then? And yes, I’ve heard from other people too that it can take a while before you can get out of the venue after the concert… I’ve checked and the last train from Nagoya Station (20 minutes away from the venue) to Kyoto is 10:58pm… Guess it’s worth a risk? :)) I’ll check my options based on the info I got :)) Thanks a lot! πŸ™‚

  7. You managed to take a lot of photos, I’m kinda jealous! I went to one of the Osaka shows and there were staff around all the time so I only managed to sneak in before and after concert photos. I really loved how Digitalian was done, and am excited just thinking about what they would come up with for Japonism *_*

    1. Ninja moves, haha!
      Our seat was also on the first row between aisles, so there were those staff holding the No Photography signs walking back and forth. I took shots just as they walked past me. πŸ™‚

  8. Hello!! Sorry, I have a question again XD

    Would you know how to determine which seats are on which level of the Dome? Ticket seats have started to be revealed and I’m kind of aiming for at least 2nd or 3rd level standing. But tickets on sale only have the info about the gate, row, and seat number XD

    Thanks again in advance!! ^_^

  9. ooohhhh i just stumbled upon this site because i am googling ways how to get tickets for an arashi concert and they have the japonism show from april to august. tried going to the ticket.co.jp site and i cant understand a thing. i now admire your friends so much for doing google translate. haha! im also from the philippines and quite surprised that Arashi have a good fanbased here (i thought i was alone since 2006. hehe)…btw, im a kpop fan as well! πŸ™‚

    I have few questions:

    1. are you a fanclub member?
    2. you mentioned that there are sellers outside the venue, are those legit? i heard that Johnny’s is very strict and even asking for ID.
    3. how much did you get your ticket?

    thanks!

    1. Hello there, thanks for stumbling by!

      Where in the Phils are you at? Arashi fans in the Philippines are some of the most passionate I’ve ever come across. πŸ™‚

      So, to answer your questions.

      1. No, I’m not. I need to probably change my whole life and move to Japan to be able to do that.
      2. I think those sellers are legit, but there were just too many of them, and some looked shady, so I can’t say if ALL of them are legit. I suppose they are fan club members who got more than one ticket in the balloting and selling the extras. Or fc members who are NOT fans but now make a living off getting tickets and selling them while jacking up the prices 5, 6, 7 times over.

      3. Err… you know how asking a woman her age is taboo? Asking an Arashi fan how much she paid for con tix is the same, haha! Let’s just say that, for the Nagoya con, I paid around 7x the original ticket price. ‘Nuff said. πŸ™‚

      Good luck on your getting one! I hope I can, too, but I can only rely on friends – again! *weeps*

    1. I just went through it normally. All they did was check whether my ticket was legit, but nothing about whether I am an official FC member or not.

      …but this was in 2014, so I’m not sure how their system works now. Are you going anywhere to their tour this year?

      1. I want to attend the 5×20 but i still dont know with whom i will go (fc member) because i’m affraid if i buy from ticket.co.jp i can’t get in, do you have any friend that an ofc?

      2. When I went, I saw some people selling tickets outside the venue, and they sell to anyone, I think, regardless of whether the buyers are fc members or not. I think that still applies today.

        We also got our tickets off ticketco.jp. I have friends who are fc members, and I’ll try to ask them about it.

      3. So this is what my friend said:

        “As per the new ticketing system, for this con, you only get tickets on the day of the concert. And to get them, you have to present the QR code they will be sending to the winning FC member.

        The guidelines this time also state that the winning member must come with the people he/she named as companions (and they say they will check so bring an ID). That’s one more thing to hurdle.”

        Wow…. it sounds tough…

      4. It does sound really tough. Looks like the best bet would be to apply for FC membership… which is another set of hoops international fans have to go through.

        I’m not sure. If given the opportunity, I would love to see them again live in concert, but considering how I am not an FC member, and I don’t think I’d ever be one, I’d probably only end up hoping and actually not being able to go, haha!

        You should try, though. It’s definitely worth it seeing them live!

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