Members of AKB48 perform at the Budokan in Tokyo this week as part of the Japanese Red Cross Society event “LOVE in Action Meeting.” The event, in which Miliyah Kato and Mai Kuraki also took part, was held to promote blood donation awareness among Japan’s young generation. In recent years, the number of young people donating blood has decreased.
© Japan TodayLove in Action
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MrDog
Is there like some kind of site policy to have an AKB story or photo on the site every day or something?
I'm not allowed to, I'm British and we're banned because of CJD.
Some of the signs they have in the street for donating blood look really cheap and shoddy and could hardly entice someone to go into the place and get a needle stuck in their arm.
I saw one today that said that there's a shortage, "especially for A, B, AB and O"... isn't that all of them?
Stranger_in_a_Strange_Land
I'm so sick of seeing AkBusu 48 everywhere. They don't make me want to give blood. They make me want to slash my wrists.
lostrune2
Hahaha, who's got their blood boiling?! Or is it boing!!!
Stranger_in_a_Strange_Land
More like boring.
papigiulio
Might aswell donate all that blood then after you slashed your wrists? ;)
I wonder who thinks of these events and WHO actually thinks by themselves. "OH akb48, thank god, almost forgot to donate blood" maybe akb should promote donating something else heh
gogogo
Good stuff.... JP people really need to get on this... but the Redcross shouldn't reject people from Fukushima giving blood.
gogogo
Can foreigners donate blood? Not sure if MrDog is serious
electric2004
While living and working in Germany, I regularly donated blood, but in Japan it is not possible for me, because there had been some cows with BSE in Germany, and additionally I was once for a one week business trip to London.
Well, also some Japanese cattle has BSE, therefore the only explanation for me is that there is good BSE (Japanese cattle) and bad BSE (all other). And then this is extended to blood donation for humans.
lucabrasi
We Brits can't. Not anywhere in the world (except back home, obviously). They say it's because of BSE, but I reckon they can't handle our beer-swilling, football-supporting ,sick-sense-of-humour DNA.
some14some
well, i don't understand 'love in action' but it's a nice picture.
goddog
They will use any excuse not to allow a non-Japanese to donate blood. Have you ever seen a questionnaire before donating in any other language? Nope.
MrDog
I think it's quite sad how spineless people thumbs-down posts without commenting.
If you don't agree with something, at least have the manners to say why...
No, I'm serious. British people can't donate blood anywhere except in the UK, as lucabrasi said...
sharpie
didnt ya hear? one of them sits on your lap while your giving blood.
namabiru4me
I am usually disqualified right after I say I have been overseas in the last year...
lostrune2
Can I get a cookie, or can I get a pie?
Stranger_in_a_Strange_Land
I think having tattoos also disqualifies you for donating blood in Japan, no matter how long ago you got them.
Spidapig24
Stranger,
They seem to disqualify you from a lot of things in Japan!!!
lostrune2
When ya donate blood, typically ya get a cookie as reward.
Think they'd rather ask: can I get a cookie or can I get a pie?
alladin
This groups is getting so very old. All of the members of this group aren`t very nice to look at and their not as talented as they perceive to be.
gogogo
Some interesting "can not donate if" on this list....
http://www.mutantfrog.com/2011/03/13/who-can-and-can-not-donate-blood-in-japan/
What struck me was if you're gay you can't donate blood what-so-ever.
If this list is correct I can donate :)
Stranger_in_a_Strange_Land
Thanks for the list, Gogogo.
Seems the tattoo thing is only prohibited if it's within the last year.
A ban also if you have used marijuana/psychoactive drugs within the last year. Funny.
I wonder what the reasoning is behind that.
CruzControl
Wow! They are all like 16 to 21 years old. How much younger do you want them to be?
oikawa
What an obscene photo! Girls! With bare legs! My children will never recover!
Stranger_in_a_Strange_Land
Yes, we must protect the children from women's bare legs.
bicultural
Where's Maeda, the # 1 girl?
Okinawamike
I think it's quite sad how spineless people thumbs-down posts without commenting. If you don't agree with something, at least have the manners to say why...
Don't worry about it Dog. Maybe it's the three... at the end of your post;>)
But if anyone thumbs downs this post I'll, I'll, I'll... Never mind, IT'S Friday and I just don't care!
Oh Ya, Go AKB48!
Zenny11
Okinawamike.
That is the Facebook, etc world where you vote up or down and don't need to say anything.
steve@CPFC
Any post that isn't a glowing endorsement of how great AKB48 are, usually gets a thumbs down.
gogogo
I hope ABK did this for free and didn't ask for money from the redcross, there was a ton of money donated to the redcross for the disasters.
selfish
Is it just me or do they all look quite ...erm.. (I am going to be nice today) ..average? I never took a closer look, always switched to another chanel when I saw them.
Zenny11
More important question did they only perform or did each one give a pint after the performance.
Okinawamike
Zenny11 and Steve:
I just clicked the thumb up button on your post and it changed from -2 to -1, to funny.
Oh Ya, Go AkB48
BTW, I was responding to Godgod.
" I think it's quite sad how spineless people thumbs-down posts without commenting. If you don't agree with something, at least have the manners to say why..."
Okinawamike
Sorry, that was Mrdog's post I was responding to.
Go AKB48!
cleo
I thumbs-downed Okinawamike's post just to see what happened.
Nothing happened except the number changed.
Sorry, Mike.
Oh, and then I thumbs-upped it, and the number changed again. That's handy to know.
genjuro
Haven't been seeing Sayaka in these photos lately. Looks like Takamina's de facto center when Maeda's not around. Nice to see my faves Sasshi, Shinoda, Oshima and Tomochin.
Good on these girls to be doing this. Heck, if they can get a bunch of Akiba otakus and hikikomoris to give much-needed blood, much props to them.
hatsoff
Some of those girls don't look old enough to have given blood themselves, if you know what I mean.
ihavegreatlegs
Just watched them on the news. Kara is hotter in my opinion. Much nicer legs and pretty faces. None speak Japanese though.
Showed one AKB surfing for the first time and she was able to stand after an hour. That is cool.
CruzControl
Eguchi Aimi is not real!!!! She is a CG girl.
CruzControl
Eguchi Aimi, the new girl on AKB48 is not a real person. She is really a computer generated image to promote Gulico ice cream.
You heard it here first!
oberst
compare to kara and t-ara, these are just chubby school girls
Serrano
Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!
"Members of AKB48 perform at the Budokan"
That would be the hallowed Budokan.
Serrano
"These are just chubby school girls"
You mean not anorexic school girls?
recherche88
Wot? : 0 Who's AKB?
recherche88
Strangerinaastrangland
That's fair enough, Hepetitis B lives forever...
recherche88
greatlegs
Hey, I stood up after 15 mintues (got a shove from behind tho, does that count?).
Stranger_in_a_Strange_Land
@Recher
Because everyone with tattoos has hepatitis b? Perpetuating stereotypes concerning tattoos or anything else just makes you look foolish.
Stephen Jez
AKB48 = uncute and over rated
Serrano
"uncute"
I'd hate to hear what you'd say about... never mind.
warnerbro
Give me the handful of Kara over the AKB 48 any day, but don't tell my wife.
kangawota
Some fairly cutting comments here. The appeal of these girls is that they are NOT fake like so many, just average girls having fun and projecting an image of happiness and lightness. My god, Japan and the world can sure do with some of that right now. Seems some people can do nothing but take others down. You don't have to like them, but if you haven't got something pleasant to say, better to say nothing. Us gaijins can sure learn something from the Japanese about discretion at times.
yildiray
Nah, it's like golf - lower scores win!
steve@CPFC
Don't say horrible things about the pretty jailbait puppets, it makes me cry. Why can't people be nice and kind about everything and the whole world will have a big smile on it's face and we can all eat ice cream everyday with AKB 48 the saviours of Japan which BTW is my dreamy time... They have such talent and are genuine, kind and soemtimes when they leave they do photos or videos wity no clothes on which is also pretty, such talent OMG OMG!!!
These angels make the world a better place for all.
Gice blood and you may be nice too, with knobs on xxxxxx.
Eric Schneider
At least they all look healthy enough to donate themselves. Were they first in line?
sarka
Beautiful Japanese girls! I see no problem.
WilliB
Lots of legs, but I like Kara better. This bunch looks just so childish.
CruzControl
Shojo Jidai/Girls Generation beat Kara in the legs catagory.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PfprbgtF5g
Wolfpack
Pop music acts like AKB48, Kara, and Shoujo jidai have a target audience that they appeal to. Just like Hannah Montana, the Backstreet Boys, or Beyonce for example. If you don't like them, then you are likely not the type of fan they are looking for anyway. Regardless, they are doing a public service for the Red Cross - nothing wrong with that per se. However, based on the list of exclusions that Japan has for those that cannot give blood, they have their work cut off for them.
Nicky Washida
KARA whupps AKB butt - just my humble opinion as a 38 year old mother of an 8 year old who likes KARA!
These girls look no different to what I see in my neighbourhood every day. They dont dance or sing any better than anyone I see on the street either. KARA are also packaged up for the masses, but at least they have some vestige of talent to them, and their image is good - sexy but strong. Not the kind of chicks to blush, bow and say sumimasen when someone feels them up on a train. More like the type to break his fingers. AKBs image - surprise surprise - is a bunch of silly, giggly, innocent jailbait. But then, look at the market they have been created for. `Nuff said.
RAINkyutech
I don't like them , because they are not cute and they are not good at singing songs.
presto345
I donated blood in Japan for many years till the tainted blood scandal finally broke and then it was discovered I had been in Europe for a week or so long before that. Lack of proper screening procedures, bureaucracy and pure incompetence creates these situations.
But about the AKB, they are just young, adolescent girls. What is there not to like about them?
Alexander Warrick
Congrats, you're all replaceable with CGI