entertainment

AKB48, sister groups perform in disaster-struck Tohoku

8 Comments

AKB48 and their sister groups SKE48, NMB48 and HKT48 held special performances in the Tohoku region on Tuesday to mark the second anniversary of the March 11 disaster.

The performances were held as part of a tour of disaster-struck areas and took place at local venues as well as at the group's theaters.

AKB48 members visited 10 locations in the disaster-struck areas at which they reaffirmed their support for the people affected by the disaster. At 2:46 p.m., 264 members from the four groups observed a minute of silence in tribute to the victims.

Sports Nippon reported that Mariko Shinoda, who turned 27 on Monday, visited Rikuzentakata, and offered flowers at a memorial site, alongside locals and other band members.

Among the locations visited were Otsuchi, Rikuzentakata, Kamaishi and Yamada in Iwate Prefecture, Kesennuma, Watari, Onagawa and Takajo in Miyagi Prefecture, as well as Minamisoma and Iwaki in Fukushima Prefecture.

Minami Takahashi told attendees in Kamaishi: “I am really grateful for the warm welcome you have given us. It was great to be able to spend some time with you. I don't know how much difference we can make, but we're going to continue with our support work and try to help.”

Group members performed 12 songs at each location, including their new charity song “Tenohira ga Kataru Koto.” The mini-concerts were all free.

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8 Comments
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Haven't these people suffered enough?

11 ( +15 / -4 )

Nice gesture. Wasn't aware that they were up to 264 members though. This is fast becoming an empire.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I think you are both right. Jamie's post gave me a good giggle, but in fact - much as I don't like AKB myself - there are probably many up in Tohoku who do, and it WAS nonetheless a good thing to do.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

These girls and women try to use their position to raise money for the Tohoku region ($ 240 mil. so far) and hold free concerts. And what have you people done, who constantly criticise AKB48 for their efforts? Tell me what did you do exactly for disaster vidtims?

Also AKB48, SKE48, NMB48, HKT48 provides these girls and women with a chance to make it big in life, and what chance did you offer to young people? Well?

People who never did anything for others will never like nor understand AKB48.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

@Icecreampoliticsfova

These girls and women try to use their position to raise money for the Tohoku region ($ 240 mil. so far) and hold free concerts.

If that total raised is real than you could say that the group has probably done more for the people of the disaster struck region than any other single entity (Japanese government ???) That's a lot of money!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

if you have nothing nice to say don't say anything at all Jamie Lunel, you may not like them but i don't see you raised massive amounts of money for and giving moral support to the victims in that area and have for 2 years now, people don't have to like their music or anything about them but they should in the very least respect them for all they've done for the tsunami victims.

-1 ( +7 / -7 )

"The mini-concerts were all free."

How about the major concert(s)? And if not, how much of the total proceeds went towards the disaster, given it was charity? Just curious. I'm not knocking AKB or their sister bands; doing charity is a good thing. I'm just curious how much of the major performance was in fact charity.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Sounds great. For the first time I can say I wish i lived inTohoku.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

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