Iwasa Misaki (Wasamin) / 7th Generation

Iwasa Misaki 10th Single Special Edition Mini-Live at Entaba Akiba (2022/05/26)

Misaki-chan has been doing a series of live and online events to support the Special edition of "Akira," her 10th single. Many of her mini-lives have been scheduled during the week, and during the day, which are inconvenient for me since I work in Saitama during the day. However, I was given the day off on Thursday because of my school's Sports Festival, which enabled me to attend this event, the second of three consecutive days that Wasamin had a performance at this venue.



Entaba Akiba, located down the street from the AKB48 Theater, is less of a CD shop, and more of an event space, although they do sell CDs. However, they are in limited supply and exclusively from artists who perform there. I have seen Wasamin at Entaba Akiba before, as well as Desurabbits. The shop is easy to miss since it's down a small staircase inside Onoden electronics shop. The walls are adorned with autographed posters and hundreds of artist chekis in a series of frames. In fact, I found this cheki of Waasamin from last year...



Since the admission was limited due to COVID restrictions, I decided to head down to Tokyo early, have lunch (I was really in the mood for a kebab sandwich) and then get to the shop early to line of for a ticket. I ended up wandering around Akihabara for a good 90 minutes before the shop opened and began accepting people for the event. I spent the last twenty or so minutes standing in front of the shop listening to endless loops of both the Onoden theme song and Maid Dreamin's "Moe Moe Kyun" song. LOL


Star Kebab Akihabara

It turned out that I arrived early for no reason. Not only were there more seats than people who showed up, but the admission order was random. I was third in line when they opened, and I got admission ticket #18. Oh well, it's a tiny venue anyway. So I really didn't care whether I got in first or last. Anyway, I ended up being the 8th person let in, and scored a seat second row center.



After explaining the usual rules, Wasamin came out looking fresh as ever, with a cute and summery dress and really nice shoes. It was really nice to see her up close li this again. I mean, I DID see her relatively close up at the play in March, and at her concert late last year, but mini-lives are always on another level of intimacy. By the way, here is the setlist...

1. Moshimo Watashi ga Sora ni Sundeitara (2nd single)
2. Wakare no Yokan (8th single c/w)
3. Yoru ni Kakeru (new release c/w version A)
4. Akira (10th single)

Wasamin talked about this being the first time she had performed Wakare no Yokan live in a very long time. Although to be honest, the same could be said about many of the songs she used to regularly perform at events. She also mentioned something about the new release getting a #1 ranking somewhere. I know it debuted at #25 on the Oricon daily pop chart, and Oricon only does weekly charts for Enka, so I'm not sure where she was talking about. I was really happy that she sang Yoru ni Kakeru live, since that's the song I mentioned in my message to her at the Limista online event. It's a song I'm very familiar with since YOASOBI is really popular right now, so I've heard the original version quite often.

The funny part came at the end. If you've read some of my old mini-live reports, one of the schticks her fans like to do is whine and cry when she announces the last song. However, we are still under the "no cheering or calls" rule at mini-lives, so people were trying different ways to do it without saying anything, like making crying gestures, or turning their glowsticks blue and hanging them upside-down from their face. Wasamin got a kick out of that. On to chekis...



As I said, there weren't many people there, so the cheki portion went rather quickly. I was 8th in line, and Wasamin was making the "heart" gesture before I even got up to her. She mentioned she hadn't seen me in a long time. Now that she mentioned it, I hadn't done a cheki or handshake with her where she could see my face in about a year.. There wasn't time to talk, but I did tell her that I was now working in Urawa, which she got excited about. I'm guessing because 1) she knows where Urawa is, and 2) it's considerably closer to Tokyo than my previous job. However, I wonder if she knows that the Tower Records in Urawa that she used to do appearances at is gone. (Actually, despite the lack of signage outside of Parco, the Urawa Tower Records is still there.)

Oh, and you also got a choice of signboard or sticker if you purchased both versions of the CD.



Wasamin is wrapping up this series of promotions with two mini-live events today in Asakusa. Then it will be on to her play with Umezawa Tomio and Ken Naoko in Osaka and Nagoya. So Wasamin will be keeping busy.

 

Akira Special Edition finished #1 on the weekly Oricon Enka chart. Congratulations to Wasamin!

 

Iwasa Misaki 10th Single Mini-Live at Aeon Minami-Koshigaya (2022/07/24)

Wasamin spent the better part of the last month in Osaka and Nagoya performing in a play with Umezawa Tomio and Ken Naoko. It was during that time that her management announced three mini-live events in Saitama Prefecture. She was in the middle of a series of events in Saitama when COVID-19 came to a head and all events were cancelled back in 2020. Granted, these aren't the first mini-lives she'll be doing this year, but the events in Akihabara this past Spring were done to a very limited crowd.

Anyhow, since I haven't been seeing her that much lately, and since she was coming to where I live and work, I committed to going to all three events. Two of them are in Koshigaya, which is very close to where I work, and the other event is at Elumi Konosu, which is close to where I live. I headed out to Koshigaya early since they said there would be limited 'seating.' I hoped to score myself a nice spot.



Aeon Minami-Koshigaya is an extremely low-key mall, located a short distance from the much bigger Koshigaya Laketown. Wasamin has performed at both, but she appears here a lot more often. It turns out that the mall was doing a big Enka series throughout July, and apparently continuing into August. I arrived around 90 minutes before the event, and scored entry ticket #18. The stage is tucked into a corner of the 2nd floor clothing department. There were seats for around 50 and plenty of standing area in the back. I ended up getting a seat 2nd row center. I decided to bring my happi coat for a change, ad put it on a few minutes before the show. By the way, the seats were filled, as were the standing areas.

Setlist
1. Mujineki
2. Machibuse
3. Yume Shibai
4. Akira



Like the last time I saw her, Wasamin decided to wear a dress instead of a kimono. It has been really hot here for the past couple of days, so she decided a kimono would be too uncomfortable. She apologized, but I doubt anyone minded. Her second MC focused a lot on her experience with the play she just finished. She is very thankful to all of the opportunities Umezawa Tomio has given her, which of course segued into Yume Shibai, which is his signature song. Of course she finished with Akira. I always like doing the hand motions along with her, but I'm still having trouble with the ones from this song since I've only seen her perform it live a handful of times. Oh well.

They set up the 2-shot area right at the door, which meant the queue would be outside in the heat. I was already drenched in sweat, so whatever. Most of her staff were people I had never seen before. In fact, I didn't see her manager there at all. Instead, her former manager Ishikawa-san was there. I spoke to her briefly, but it didn't dawn on me at the time. I wondered if she is managing Wasamin again. I know all the Wasafans would love that, since Ishikawa-san has always been a fan favorite.



They quickly grabbed my bags and camera, and I positioned myself next to Wasamin. She greeted me with faux-crying, like "I haven't seen you in so long!" It's just that I have had to become a lot more frugal lately, and quite frankly Wasamin's events have become A LOT more expensive. I mean her shows used to be 4000-6000 yen. Now they're 8500-10000 yen. And her upcoming bus tour is almost 30000 yen. Sheesh. Anyway, I didn't have time to complain about that stuff. Instead I just told her that my new place of employment was just down the road from this mall, and that I really looked forward to seeing her in Konosu next month. After the 2-shot, I headed back to the station since I still hadn't eaten lunch. Oh, and when I got to the station I realized that they never took my 2-shot ticket. I guess I could've gone a second time if I wanted to. But that's okay. I got the one I paid for.

Next week she will be doing a make-up 2-shot cheki event in Tokyo for her previous single. I happen to have plans in Tokyo that evening, and would love to go. But the website announcement seemed to imply there would be no further sales. I'll keep my fingers crossed anyway. In addition to the two other mini-lives here in Saitama next month, she has a net-cheki event scheduled, as well as a dual concert with an idol group called ChuLa. I'm kind of interested in that show. We'll see.

 

Wasamin records song for new pachinko machine...

The name of the machine is "Daiku no Gensan 2,' by Sanyo. It will be released to pachinko parlors in September. Wasamin single the song "Shiro Kamome," which seems to pop up as one of the songs during "fever" game play on the machine. There's no word yet whether this will be part of a future CD release. If you recall, she sang "Futari no Umi Monogatari for a pachinko release in 2020, and that song ended up being a "special edition" c/w track for her 9th single.

Game trailer. Wasamin's song is featured prominently here.

if the video does not show watch the video here

Game play preview. You can see in what situation the song may be played in the game.

if the video does not show watch the video here

 

Iwasa Misaki 'Net Cheki' Event (2022/08/10)

This event was announced in mid-July. Since I hadn't done a cheki event recently, I decided I would take part. This particular event wasn't done via Limited Stand, like many of Wasamin's cheki events. Instead it was done directly by Nagara Group, her agency. I'm not sure why they do some one way and some another way, but whatever. That said, I also received a message that Live Pocket, a website that handles ticketing for certain events, will be closing at the end of August. So Nagara Group will need to change billing methods going forward. Anyway, here's the story...

I purchased a ticket for two chekis, forgoing the 'special' yukata poses you get when you purchase five or more. I'll admit, the special chekis are usually really cute, and have a lot of writing on them. However, I have so many Wasamin chekis that I do these events mainly for the participation. The chekis are secondary. I can get the same interaction with her whether I buy one cheki or ten. In any case, I got back from my doctor's appointment, turned up the air conditioning (Yes, it continues to be hot and humid as hell here.) and watched that great Yankees-Mariners extra-inning game, which lead me right into the 15:00 event, which is the one I signed up for...


if the video does not show watch the video here

While waiting for my turn, I had an interaction with her around 27:45 when Wasamin, along with people in the chat were talking about what they ate for lunch. I mentioned I had tacos, which sent Wasamin to her smartphone to check what tacos look like while she pondered the difference between tacos and taco rice. Ultimately she knows what tacos are, but I don't think she's eaten them before. I'll give her some recommendations when I see her next week. Anyway, it came to the end of the event and she announced the last cheki. Huh??? I never heard my name called. I quickly checked my email. Yep, 15:00 ticket. I also confirmed it on the Live Pocket website. I quickly scrolled through the show archive to see if I missed my name, but again I didn't hear it.

I decided to check with my friend, Ichiro-san, who I knew was in the event. He didn't remember hearing my name either. He suggested I post something in the chat at the beginning of the second event. I decided to go with that, and if that didn't work I'd simply talk to her manager at next week's mini-live. By this time it was 17:45, and almost time for the second event...


if the video does not show watch the video here

The event started, and I quickly posted my message. I said I didn't hear my name in the early event, despite having a 15:00 ticket. So maybe my turn will come in this event. Wasamin immediately read my message (If you want to hear it, it's right in the beginning of the stream) and was like "Eeehhh?" She shortly paused, and said "You are in this event!" So good, my message got through. And lo and behold, I was the third person called. (around 5:10)

Given all the drama at the beginning, Wasamin made a big deal out of it when my turn came up. She asked if I really signed up for the first event. She also had a great reaction to reading my pre-written message...



My message was that I had been exercising early one morning in my local neighborhood, and all of a sudden I heard 'Akira', Wasamin newest single, playing in the distance. There was a man running while listening to Wasamin. So perhaps my neighborhood has lots of Wasamin fans? Then I ended it with saying I looked forward to her next mini-live up here in Saitama Prefecture (next week) But I loved her reaction to reading my message. It was great!

So yeah, Wasamin has a mini-live in Konosu next week, which is very close to me, and then in late-August she will return to Minami-Koshigaya. So I will get a chance to play with her again soon.

 

Iwasa Misaki Mini-Live at Elumi Konosu (2022/08/16)



When I moved to Okegawa, Saitama Prefecture three years ago, part of the excitement was the frequency in which Wasamin performed in the area. Ageo Shosen Plaza, Benibana Walk, and Elumi Konosu are all a very short distance from where I live. And that doesn't include the numerous other Saitama venues that she usually performs at, which are also relatively close.

The last time I saw her perform in Konosu was in the summer of 2019. And the last event I saw at Elumi was a Minyo Girls mini-live around a month before the COVID crisis hit Japan. I have been to Elumi on occasion over the past three years (they have a Kaldi Coffee Farm, and the worst QB House I've ever been to) It's extremely convenient for me, so her announcement of a mini-live there this month had me totally pumped. That was what I was talking about when I wrote that message to her at the recent cheki event. I looked forward to her returning to Konosu.



I decided to head to Konosu a little early, and have lunch at a nearby restaurant serving Kitamoto Tomato Curry. For those of you who are friends with me on Twitter or Facebook, you may be aware that the city of Kitamoto, where I used to work, is famous for tomato curry. Moreover, they hold an annual 'stamp rally' where you can win prizes for eating their signature dish at participating restaurants. Peace Indian Restaurant in Konosu is one of the participants, so I figured I would get a stamp out of the way,



I got to the mall around 80 minutes before Wasamin's events. It turned out they had four performers scheduled for the day, although the first performer cancelled. I made my 2-CD purchase, and got seating priority #23. They also offered me a free seat for the 13:00 performer, which I declined. I figured I would wander around the mall and wait for Wasamin's performance. Instead I ran over to my bank to get some cash, and looked around Kaldi to see if they carried some of the products I like. I did watch around half of the show from the back with the other Wasafans.



We lined up around 1:35, and it became immediately apparent that the local silverbacks, who line up for seats without purchasing any CDs, were going to get shut out since there was seating for around 50 people, and the line was already in the mid-40s. At the end of the day, they let three people in from the 'freebie' line, although if they had waited another five minutes the Wasafans would've taken those seats too. This was by far the most attended event of the day. By the time Wasamin took the stage, the seats were filled, the standing area was packed, and even the 2nd and 3rd floor viewing areas were filled with people. By the way, I lucked out and scored a first row seat on the far right end.

Setlist
1. Saba Kaido
2. Natsu no Tobira
3. Ajisaibashi
4. Akira



Despite it being hot, Wasamin decided to wear a Yukata, which she hasn't done at a mini-live in a while. She sang 'Natsu' as a tribute to the hot weather (It was aroud 38 degrees Celsius that day) And Ajisaibashi was a pleasant surprise, as she hasn't sung that in quite a long time. She talked about how she missed performing in Konosu, which was one of her regular stops pre-COVID.

After talking with a few Wasafans for a minute, I queued up for my 2-shot. The line snaked around the venue, and was ultimately a 10-minute wait. When my turn came, I wanted to do that cute "chin" pose she always does, but for some reason, despite me knowing how it's supposed to look, i did it backwards. (LOL) She asked what the pose was supposed to be, and then I remembered to do it the correct way, which prompted both of us to laugh. I then asked her if she wanted to try eating tacos, but she kept acting like she didn't understand me. Sasahara-san, her manager, is a bit more lenient with time, so he allowed me to repeat my question few times before she got what I was saying. She laughed and said she did want to try them. I wanted to give her some recommendations, but I guess I'll do that next time. And I think I'll do a proper cute "chin-pose" next time too.



We all waited for the end of the 2-shots before collectively waving goodbye to her as she disappeared to the south end of the mall. It was a fun event, and I look forward to seeing her next weekend again in Koshigaya.

 

Iwasa Misaki Mini-Live at Aeon Minami-Koshigaya (2022/08/27)

Sorry if this one is a little late. It was the end of my vacation, so I was back to the grind. This was the third of Wasamin's summer free lives in Saitama Prefecture. So I figured I would end my six week holiday with one more Wasa-encounter. This was the same mall she performed at a month ago. Apparently Aeon Minami-Koshigays has become a "go-to" spot for enka performances, as they advertise an intensive schedule every week.



I decided that a priority seat was not important to me this time. I'd be perfectly happy with a standing spot in the back. In fact, when I arrived at the mall I did a little shopping before finally buying my two CDs for the 2-shot. Still, I ended up with priority entry ticket #25. Would I use it for a seat? I decided to grab a chair after all, and I ended up in the second row on the far left side. Per usual, all the seats were taken, with a considerable crowd standing in the back.



Wasamin came out in a light Yukata, despite the continuing hot weather. The setlist...

Setlist
1. Koi no Owari Sangenjaya
2. Toshishita no Otokonoko
3. Ohiashiburi ne
4. Akira

It was a nice choice of c/w tracks, and Otokonoko and Hisashiburi are both fun songs. By the way, they are still enforcing the "non-vocal" cheering rule, where we are only allowed to clap, not cheer or talk. I know this must bum Misaki-chan out a bit, as some of her songs have a lot of fun audience participation spots. Not to mention her fans like to interact with her a lot during MCs, and we can't do that right now. But we still do the best we can.

As always, I took a little break before lining up for the two-shot. The line was pretty long, and there were already fans requeuing for their second turn. Eventually my encounter with Wasamin came...



I got to correct that little chin-pose I messed up when I met her in Konosu. Wasamin kept complaining to me about the weather. But I told her I didn't mind because I got to meet and talk with her. That was pretty much it. As usual she looked adorable in her yukata. I'm not sure when my next wasa-experience will come. Perhaps she will do a Christmas holiday event, and perhaps I will have the time and the means to go. In the meantime, I will do my best to be a good Wasafan.

 

Iwasa Misaki mini-live at Aeon Mall Hanyu (2022/11/27)



Sorry that this one is so late. I just haven't been in the blogging/reporting mood. Anyway, I have been jonesing for a Wasamin mini-live since her other events these days have become prohibitively expensive. She announced two in November, one in Moriya (Ibaraki Prefecture) and the other in Hanyu (Saitama Prefecture) Ibaraki Prefecture would cost me close to 4000 yen just for the round trip, so I pretty much ruled that one out. That left Hanyu, which despite being in Saitama, was still quite a trek from where I live. Also, my friend @Tensai was in town, and I really wanted him to say hello to Wasamin since he hadn't been to Japan in over three years. So it was decided.

We met in mid-morning at Omiya Station, and made our journey to Hanyu. I know I have seen Wasamin perform there before, although can't remember how long ago. Taking the Utsunomiya route, we transferred to another train out in the suburbs. These lines run parallel to where I live, but much further east. Eventually we made it to Minami-Hanyu Station, and met another Wasafan. Despite what it read on the website, we couldn't find any evidence of a shuttle bus at the station, so we decided to walk the 2+ kilometers. The weather was nice, and we were early, so no biggie. We eventually made it to the mall.



Aeon Mall Hanyu is a huge complex in a very suburban area. You get the feeling that the entire town converges on the mall every weekend. Lots of shops, restaurants, and a huge food court. I'm always excited when I find a Subway Sub shop (one of my guilty pleasures) Anyway, after lunch we headed back to the stage area just in time to get seats before they allowed the non-buying attendees in. We were third row on the right side. The event space was filled with people in both the standing area and along the balconies upstairs. Eventually Wasamin came out in casual clothes...

Setlist
1. Tomonoura Bojou
2. Blue Light Yokohama
3. Ettou Tsubame
4. Akira

It was surprising setlist for a couple of reasons. First, she didn't perform any of the c/w tracks from her recent single. But second, she hasn't performed Ettou Tsubame in ages, which was one of the most popular tracks from her first album Request Covers almost 9 years ago. She tee'd up Blue Light Yokohama as a "winter song," despite us being quite far from Kanagawa Prefecture where she usually performs it. She also mentioned her recent camping trip she went on with Kuramochi Asuka, but admitted she'd much rather go 'glamping' in the future. After the show we were queued up for 2-shots based on our seating. Eventually it was my turn...



Wasamin greeted me with a faux-crying "Kurisuu, aitakatta! Aitakatta!" Wasamin is now well aware that I am not attending all of her events anymore. It is strictly for financial reasons. I would love to see every event she does. But to be honest, they have become a lot more expensive, so I have to 'pick my spots,' so to speak. I told her that I used to go camping a lot in America, and she jokingly said "Let's go camping!" But then I dropped a little bombshell on her. It isn't something I can talk about publicly, but suffice it to say that I am a co-worker of someone who is closely related to one of Wasamin's good friends. She was shocked at first, but then took it all in stride. It is something I need to keep close to the vest for privacy purposes, but I wanted to tell Wasamin about it.

The cool thing is that Wasamin was totally stoked to see @Tensai again, and even made reference to him on her blog. After the event we walked back to the station and headed back to Omiya, where we decided to have dinner. However, all of the east exits were blocked. What was going on?



It turns out there was a huge fire outside the Omiya Station east exit that day, destroying the Matsumoto Kiyoshi drug store, the McDonalds, and a ramen shop. It was big news on TV that day. But we managed to make it to dinner at Torikizoku, and back home to watch the Japan World Cup match.



Wasamin has a bunch of events this month, many of which I am missing. However, I will be attending her Christmas Day event in Tokyo with Hasegawa Ai and Matsui Sakiko. So I'm looking forward to that.

 

Iwasa Misaki Online Cheki Sign Event (2022/12/21)

Only a couple Wasamin-events left this year. And since I screwed up and missed the signed calendar deadline by two hours, I didn't want to miss this one. However, two issues came up for me that caused a bit of personal drama. First, I had forgotten I had an appointment in the late afternoon which risked me missing the event. And then I noticed that my confirmation email said that I had booked for the early session, despite me being almost 100% sure that I booked the evening. I'm starting to think there is a glitch in the LivePocket website. I'm not entirely sure why, but all of my confirmation emails come entirely in English, and I'm wondering if there is a translation glitch when it comes to the time as this is the second time this has happened, where my email says one time, but I'm really booked for another.

Anyway, I watched most of the early event (with no sound) as I journeyed home from work and to my appointment. Watching the chat, I never saw my name mentioned. (The fans online like to congratulate people when it's their turn) So I was reasonably confident I would be in the 18:00 session. Here are the two videos...

15:00

if the video does not show watch the video here


18:00

if the video does not show watch the video here

I waited a long time, through a lot of other fans, but finally my turn came at 2:09:40. I was second to last. I essentially told her that this was my birthday present, and that I would see her this Sunday at the Christmas live. And yes, she did sing Happy Birthday to me. But yeah, a lot of fans were buying a lot of cheki to get the three unique bonus pics (Halloween, Christmas, and "Traveling")



In any case, I look forward to my pics arriving, and of course I look forward to my annual nengajo from Wasamin. But I'm really hoping Wasamin will be selling her calendar at this weekend's event. Despite not getting a signed one, it looks really nice, and I can't remember the last time I didn't have a Wasa-calendar.

 

Iwasa Misaki Christmas Event (with Hasegawa Ai and Matsui Sakiko) at Shibuya Loft 9 (2022/12/25)

If you asked me what my ideal Christmas would consist of, going to Shibuya would be far down on my list. Frankly, I don't like the place at all. It is way too crowded, full of tourists, and just a clusterf**k overall. Then again, if you asked me who I would most want to spend Christmas with, there is only one answer....Wasamin.

With that in mind, I headed down to Shibuya to spend the evening with my favorite girl on the planet. And while I was down there, I decided to make the best of the situation, first meandering around to various HUB locations to redeem my free drink birthday coupons, and then to Guzman y Gomez for a nice burrito dinner, before heading to the venue. I thought about heading to a fourth HUB location for another drink, but I was full, and I didn't feel like re-joining the hoards of people wandering around the area. In fact, it was much more fun to hang out with the other Wasafans and catch up.



I arrived at Loft 9 around 35 minutes before doors. For those of you who are familiar, this is one of the many venues tucked behind Shibuya 109, Spotify West, Club Asia, Shibuya O-Crest, they're all back there, along with a bunch of love hotels. A fun area.

I hung out mainly with Wild-san and Kingyo-san waiting for doors to open. It turned out that getting there early was meaningless, as there was a number on our virtual ticket that dictated our entry order. By the way, there were a bunch of cute girls in the queue. I'm guessing they may have been Hasegawa Ai's former groupmates in Fudanjuku/Nakano Fujoshi Sisters. I'm not sure though. They were let in pretty early and had really good seats. I had ticket #65, and grabbed a table toward the back. Kingyo came in very late, but the seat next to me was empty, so we shared a table. I had hoped they would be selling Wasamin's calendar at the event, but there were only CD's for 2-shots. So I grabbed two CDs for one shamekai ticket, and I was good to go...




The three girls came out in their Christmas outfits. Of course Wasamin was the most adorable. (No, I'm not biased...honest) It turned out that this was more of a variety show. There was a short interview, followed by a long quiz. Although it seemed a bit contrived, and the answers the girls "wrote" were all pre-printed on their tablets. It was stuff like "What is phrase you often hear from your manager" and "caption the following photo" stuff like that. Eventually they did a short singing set. The playlist was as follows...

1. White Story (Hasegawa Ai's new single)
2. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
3. Koibito ga Santa Claus
4. Jingle Bells
5. Meri Kuri



Sakippe was on the keyboards, and Wasamin switched off lead singing with Ai-chan. The entire event took around 90 minutes. After series of photoshoots, and stage prep (they had to pack up Sakippe's keyboard) it was time for 2-shots. A lot of the Wasafans bought Ai-chan's CD, and lined up to see her. The funny thing is, I used to be a fan of Nakano Fujoshi Sisters, but Ai wasn't the member I liked. So I beelined to Wasamin's queue so I could get my 2-shot done and get back to Saitama, as I was really exhausted.



I was about sixth in line, and just as I stepped toward Wasamin, She (in her usual cute expressions) cried Kurisuuuuu! Immediately after she asked "Isn't my outfit cute?" Now to be honest, a) it was very cute, but b) it's not the first time I have seen her wear it. In fact, it's not even the first time I have taken a 2-shot with her in that outfit. But of course, I love Misaki-chan, so of course, I told her it was "cho-kawaii" In fact, I told her that spending Christmas with Misaki-chan is the BEST Christmas!



After that I hustled my way back to Shibuya Station and barely made the 21:05 train back to Central Saitama. I lucked our too and got a seat on the train, so I could doze off a bit for the 61 minute ride back home. I'm not sure when I'll next see Wasamin, but I DID pick up her new calendar for the online store. Hopefully it shows up soon, so I can promptly replace my 2022 version. And I should be receiving my Wasamin-nengajo early Sunday morning.

 

A little late, because I was waiting on the calendar. Here are my Wasamin holiday goodies...



First, the Wasamin chekis, which I got from the online holiday cheki sign event. You can watch it on the post two above this one...



Wasamin nengajo 2023, sent to all fan club members. I was surprised because it arrived a little later than usual. Usually I hear it drop into my mailbox around 8 a.m. on New Year's morning. This year it didn't arrive until almost lunch time. No matter...



Wasamin calendar 2023. I screwed up this year and missed the deadline for the signed calendar. That said, I can't remember the last time I didn't have a Wasa-calandar, even dating back to her AKB days. I ordered it before Christmas, and was surprised that they took over three weeks to ship it.

And you may have read that Wasamin will be one of the judges for this year's AKB48-group singing contest, which will be broadcast this week on TBS. Here is the link to the event thread... Singing Contest

 

Iwasa Misaki and Matsui Sakiko at Blues Alley Japan (2023/02/26)

I'm finally getting around to writing this report. I am on vacation right now with an abundance of time on my hands, so here goes...



I went back and forth on whether I wanted to go to this show, In fact I waited until almost the last minute before buying a ticket. The deciding factors were 1) that she was performing with Sakiko, who I now have a somewhat personal connection with, and 2) There were no other Wasamin events I wanted to go to in the foreseeable future. So I bit the bullet, bought a ticket online, and picked it up at my local 7-11. By the way, there were two events, a matinee and an evening show. I wanted to go to the early one. However, the ticket site said that the early show was almost sold out, while there were plenty of tickets available for the night set. Despite the less desirable seat, I kept with my plan for the matinee.



Blues Alley is a small jazz/supper club just down the street from JR Meguro Station. In fact, this was the second time Misaki and Sakiko performed there. (There was also an event scheduled there for former SKE member Deguchi Aki) I checked the train schedule, and noticed that the JR Takasaki Line, which runs near my home, was experiencing major delays. So I set out early to make sure I could make it to the show on time, and boy was getting there a pain in the butt. Trains were completely stopped, so I kept changing train lines to circumnavigate the issue (someone was hit by a train in Tokyo) Over two hours later I finally made it to Shinagawa, over an hour later than expected. Good thing I left extra early. I ate lunch in Shinagawa before making the short ride to Meguro...



I did not opt for the 2500 yen lunch ticket at the venue, however my ticket did include a free drink. The feature cocktail was the "Misakiko Cassis Soda." I'm not a fan of Creme de Cassis, so I ordered a Heineken instead. The lunch plates looked nice, although I don't think I would pay 2500 yen for one. My ticket was for Table B, which made me hopeful that it would be close to the stage. However, the tables were arranged with the "lower" letters at the back of the room. So I was literally sitting against the back wall. The good news was that there was hardly anyone sitting within my sightline, So I had an unobstructed view. They also had monitors throughout the room, although they were about a half-second behind, making them slightly strange to watch.



I was really looking forward to see Wasamin's new blonde hair extensions, which look adorable, and went really well with her cream-colored dress. Both Wasamin and Sakiko looked really pretty, so I was anticipating a fun show. After the opening, the setlist was divided into 1) Sakiko corner, 2) Misaki-corner, 3) Collab corner. There was also a segment with Wasamin on guitar. Here is the setlist...

Setlist
1. Koisuru Fortune Cookie (AKB48)

(Sakiko corner)
2. My Heart Will Go On (Celine Dion)
3. Let it Go (from Frozen)
4. Subtitle (Official Higedan Dism)
5. Sakura no Ki ni Narou (AKB48)

(Misaki corner)
6. Akira
7. Tomonoura Bojou
8. Hatsuzake
9. Mujineki

(Collab corner)
10. First Love (Utada Hikaru)
11. Kimi no Naha Kibou (Nogizaka 46)

(collab-guitar corner)
12. CHE.R.RY (Yui)
13. 365 Nichi no Kami Hikouki (AKB48)

EN1. Sakura no Hanabiratachi (AKB48)



I am always impressed by Sakiko's bright disposition while she is playing piano. She always looks so happy when she is performing. I also notice it on the videos from the Saitama Prefecture tourism show she appears on. And as I said before, Wasamin looked totally adorable. I loved her outfit, and I really loved her hairstyle. I'll be honest and admit I was expecting more never-before songs from Wasamin, but what they did perform was fine. I really loved the Utada and Yui covers. I became very thirsty toward the end of the show, and ordered a cola, which turned out to be 800 yen, sheesh!



After the show I wandered around the lower floor, talking to my fellow Wasafans. They kept changing the location of the post-show shamekai, which ended up being done upstairs by the entrance to the venue. When my turn came, I requested a "Nyan Nyan" pose to celebrate "Cat Day," which was earlier in the week. I told her I enjoyed the show and LOVED her hairstyle. She started asking me a question, but the trouble I always have is that I get confused as the staff start ordering me out while she's talking to me, so I can't concentrate on her Japanese. Also, I told them I wanted a vertical picture, and even positioned the camera that way. So I wasn't completely happy with this shot, compounded by the fact that my eyes are squinting as I struggled to get the pose right, and failed miserably anyway.



After that I headed out, stopping in Ikebukuro before heading back home. I think Wasamin is always glad when I show up to events since I don't always go. Of course I am always happy to get an opportunity to meet with her. She has a couple of collab events coming up with many artists, as well as the Nonaka Misato birthday show with a bunch of other AKB grads. I may consider going to that, She also has another bus tour coming up, but t's REALLY expensive, so I will probably skip it. I'm hoping with all the relaxed mask rules we will start seeing more mini-lives, especially up here in Saitama.

 

I think she'll get an even bigger kick out of you being the "David" that bought into many of her cheki and CD signings

 

Iwasa Misaki Net Cheki Event (2023/04/16)

Yet another online cheki event for Wasamin, which I really like since they are easy to participate in and relatively inexpensive. The 'gimmick' for this event was that in addition to the special outfit poses you could get for buying a lot of cheki, you could also get an "instant cheki," which was taken while she was signing your other pics. Here are both sessions. I took part in Part 1 at 15:00


if the video does not show watch the video here



if the video does not show watch the video here

My turn came around 36:10, although I did make comments to her throughout the broadcast, some of which she responded to. My message to her was mainly about her live event at Blues Alley, and that I thought her new hairstyle (with the blonde extensions) is really cute. I also commented in the chat that I liked the outfit she was wearing. What she was talking about at the end of my turn is an event in Kawaguchi that she is appearing at during Golden Week. I do plan on going, although I'm not completely sure what the event is. So that will most likely be my next Wasa-encounter.

 

Two upcoming Wasamin events for 2023...



This year's special play/concert with Umezawa Tomio and Mizumori Kaori, coming in November. And once again, it will only play in Nagoya and Osaka. No Tokyo dates.



The Iwasa Misaki/Matsui Sakiko Live House Tour, September-December 2023. I will most likely try for the Christmas Eve Tokyo show.

 

Iwasa Misaki and Hayabusa Live at Angyo Sports Center in Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture. (2023/05/05)

BTW, sorry for the massive delay in writing about this...

Wasamin wrapped uo Golden Week with two live singing events, one in Hiratsuka and the other in Kawaguchi. Hiratsuka is quite the trek from where I live, but Kawaguchi is in Saitama Prefecture, fairly close to where I work. In fact, during the April online cheki event, Misaki-chan specifically asked me if I was coming to see her there. So it was settled. I would spend Children's Day, the final day of Golden Week, with Wasamin.

Kawaguchi is fairly easy to access, both from central Saitama and Tokyo. It's just north of the Arakawa River on the JR Keihin-Tohoku Line. That said, Angyo Sports Park is far to the east. In fact, it took a 30+ minute bus ride to get there from the station. There were a few other Wasafans on the bus I boarded, so I knew I'd have no issue finding the place. It was just a block away from the bus stop, in an industrial area.



The event was part of the local Green Earth Festival. There wasn't much in the way of food or cool booths for adults, mainly activities for kids and tips for 'clean' living. It was a warm and sunny day, so I spent most of my pre-show time trying to stay in the shade. At the end of the day, I did get a little sunburnt on my face and arms. On the stage were a series of local performers, mainly junior high school kids. Wasamin and Hayabusa were the main event. The local silverback crowd seemed to have reserved all of the seats earlier in the day, so all of the Wasamin and Hayabusa fans were standing in the back. Eventually the show started. Here's the setlist...



Setlist
1. Omatsuri Mambo (sung by all)

Note: Wasamin left the stage, so the next songs were exclusively performed by Hayabusa.

7. Saba Kaido
8. Koisuru Fortune Cookie (enka ver.)
9. Blue Light Yokohama
10. Toshishita no Otokonoko
11. Akira

Hayabusa returns.

12. Yoi Uta (sung by all)

So essentially it was a Hayabusa and then a Wasamin mini-live, sandwiched between two songs sung by everyone. By the way, there were two guys standing by me, talking extremely loud for half the show. Many people, including me, were staring them down. They were truly annoying. Aside from that, it was the first time I had been to a Wasamin performance since February, so I really enjoyed it. Afterwards we headed to the CD sales booth. There were no 2-shots being offered. Instead Wasamin was actually selling the CDs, and packaging your goodies for you. It had been a long time since I had a regular handshake with her that didn't involve posing for a pic, and you know what?

I loved it. As nice as 2-shots are, you spend most of the time posing and taking the pic, and barely given 10 seconds to talk as you are being rushed away the moment the pic is done. In this format, I got talk with her for almost a minute. It was very refreshing.



I hadn't eaten all day, so I grabbed some soba from a tiny shop hidden behind the bathrooms, before catching the next bus back to Kawaguchi station. Anyway, this is the last Wasamin event I've been to. She hasn't really done any. Although I did participate in her "Net Greeting" event this weekend. That was a ton of fun, and I will report on it as soon as I receive my goods in the mail