Just got back yesterday from my trip to Japan.
I still can't believe I saw Jihen live!!!
My show was Nagoya on the 17th and I did not see any other non asian attendee there o_o.
I got to the concert venue at around 3PM for the show (doors at 5h45, show started at 6h30) in hope of buying the merch I wanted, dropping it at my hotel room and being back fresh and bag free for the show... sooo did not happen.
For one thing: the line up for buying merchandise pre-concert was so long.
This is me at the end of the line that stretched to the end of the building then back at the entrance. I waited for over 2 hours and didn't even get to buy anything!
At 5h15 they closed the doors to everyone, and at 5h45 when they reopened I was not too far along so I was able to buy what I wanted before the show started, phew.
(Btw I took no other photo than that, because I didn't want them to somehow confiscate my camera and the previous 2+weeks worth of Japan pictures... But the only check up they did was to ask me if I had a camera in my purse.)
For a fan club ticket I guess I was expecting a better seat... but it was not bad either. Something like the 4th row of the 2nd floor (which is just like the 2nd half of the ground floor, only elevated 1 meter above it) but on the far far left.
Of course when the show started everybody got up from their seats!
I don't know why but the blonde wig somehow shocked me?
Also the costume they kept on for all of the show until encores was not that pretty - reminded me of deers or something. Lots of fringes in brown/beige colors. However at encores they were all dazzling in white and navy - Ringo looked just like a ballerina with a blue corsage and a white poofy skirt.
As for the show itself - I can't add much more than what was already reported. I liked all the songs. I screamed like mad. I did so much flag waving my arm hurt for the next few days. To me, it was a brilliant show even with a setlist centered on Sports. Kimaru at the end was chilling, with all of them disappearing in the smoke.
Even if I had seen in on DVD, I was still impressed at how the crowd was both responsive, respectful and too still (for my taste!). During the ballads, not a sound could be heard until the first applauses.
Don't know if they did that in other cities, but at one point during the show they showed pictures of Nagoya sightseeing that Izawa and Hata had done the day before... but of course I couldn't understand much of what was said during that time. Ringo at that point was on the side of the stage, not participating in the comments or descriptions at all and rather practicing hand/arm movements. She seemed to be really drained after songs like Ikiru.
It was alltogether a memorable experience that I would repeat anytime!
Good luck lazer... I hope you can make it happen.