Reminiscing first trip to Japan in 2008 & DBSK Live-T Concert in Osaka

In 2008, I decided to visit the Land of Rising Sun on my own. It was quite a last minute planning after hearing a friend of mine visited the main cities via the bullet train and subway. So I've booked my flights and day passes to Tokyo. Off I flew to Tokyo via Qantas Airline through Sydney. It was an unlucky day for those travelling on that plane as it had to turn back after flying an hour or so. We were then put into a motel and flew on that night instead of early morning. A whole day wasted at the airport for nothing. Hell! I complained non stop of Qantas and even rang the hotel that my first night accomodation had to be cancelled in Shinjuku.

I met with my voluntary tour guides at Shinjuku and she took me around the main areas such as Ginza, Harajuku, Ometosando Hills to take photographs. Shopping was madness for me...everything look cute and fresh! I was going nuts buying everything on green tea- green tea cake, green tea mochi, green tea ice cream, green tea latte...etc. But it was fantastic! Service was excellent from their customer service! Thumbs up!

Next I took the Shinkansen to Kyoto and met up with another volunteer tour guide. He took me on a bus to visit the Kyoto Castle, Golden Temple, Kiyomizudera Temple and other great places. ( I can't even remember the names of it anymore) Cherry blossoms were blooming and girls were even dressed in Kimono or Summer yukata.

My last stop of my Japan trip was of course the town of food- OSAKA! Osaka is famous for its octopus balls (takoyaki) and vegetable pancake (Okonomiyaki) which wasn't suitable for my taste. I love the octopus balls and ordered a few to eat despite my poor Japanese skills. Even though I've learned Japanese for a year back in Malaysia but it was down the drain when I had to converse to the locals. One thing I learn is never speak anything in
 English at first. They will run away before you could ask anything. Always go with the saying 'Sumimasen...' and they will respond 'Hai?'

And my final journey starts to get excited when I booked for TVXQ (Tohoshinki's T-Live Concert) in Osaka-jo Hall.

It was easy to find my way there to the entertainment hall. Heck! When I arrived at the front hall, there were so many local fans lining up as early as few hours ahead before the concert. I was slack and I arrived just in time to find my seat meanwhile grabbing an onagiri to have for dinner. As usual the concert started a bit late when the 5 boys appear on stage. The performance was great and the settings were dark and purplish suiting to their new album Purple Line. Love it!

 

Most of Tohoshinki's songs were sung in Japanese for the locals even though they are a Korean boy band. They were fluent in their Japanese language and cracked jokes

Ad at Osaka-jo hall for Tohoshinki Credit Card??!

with the audience as well. I am a Junsu bias and he is cute as ever displaying his cutey image to the fans. The lady who sat beside me was a Japanese elderly woman
is a total fan of Junsu. She bought tons of their merchandise from official magazine, glow stick, fan, binoculars..etc. I cringed when I realized she was as old
enough to be Junsu's grandmother! LOL! Sorry...can't help it! The fact that I am even older than Junsu as a 'Noona'...I felt like a fossil whenever I see those boys.

The concert wrapped with fans chanting for encore...it lasted for nearly 3 hours and every minute was worth it! But then it was the last time I saw the boys as Tohoshinki/DBSK before 3 left and formed JYJ. Definitely the concert brings back sweet memories to me when I was a Dong Bang Shin Ki fan. :)