Morning Musume Fan Club Tour in Hawaii (March 2007)

[JFC]

They would need get a work visa to hold a concert for non-FC members? Damn that sucks.

[invisname]

Hmm that does explain a lot... the money required must not be worth it ><

But I wonder if there is a way to work it out well... the idea is that they can't sell tickets? or is it that they can't go over so many people? Or maybe its more that they can't technically have foreign people (that is non japanese people) unless they work for the company? (that's why sazabi and the store workers can?)

Ack another variable T_T... the 9th a sunday... I'd love to go I gotta see if there's a way I can get there and get home ok though... since I don't got a car...or my license... not that I can get in... maybe I'll just go during the day and post up signs hehe... I may not see them but they'll see me trying to make contact. Or does the cafe have thin enough walls that you can hear from the outside?

So many different idea with no clue what to do.......

Hawaii! Assemble!...lol, we need to thnk of something.

[flamingmoe]

^ The problem is once there is an exchange of American money it becomes a business venture. Right now, these trips are seen as merely a bunch of people going on vacation together. All the money transactions took place back in Japan. But the moment they accept your dollars, it becomes work, which would require them to go through all the red tape for not just the girls, but also all the staff bcoz they'd be classified as workers too. The younger girls might also have to comply with child labor laws. And I can only imagine what a headache it would be for Up Front to try to get American work visas for two Chinese girls who are working in Japan.

This is also probably why we don't see the girls selling their merchandise directly to the fanclub from the lobby of their hotel. Instead, they open up the H!P store temporarily, so all the permits, customs fees, and sales tax are handled through the proper channels. Perhaps, one way around it might be for them to hand out "free" passes to anyone who spends 100 bucks at their H!P store in Hawaii.

[invisname]

well they should let us buy a book or something that costs that much and has a ticket for the concert free with it... mmhmm... cause they don't really open the store up to us (only on the last day after all the merchandise is almost gone) and they let us scavenge whats left... my friend almost bought that shirt that was hanging on the wall cause its the only one they had left in his size...lol.

Dang though... it makes sense now... and now I feel bad for wanting to try so hard... ><... some legal person think of a solution!!

[sazabi]

yeah lol it kinda sucks now that you know why they don't do it for the public, but on a side note, they did mention how aware they are that the fans exist outside of japan. i would think if they marketed things correctly hawaii could be a hub for all the fans from the states and so on who would like to experience lets say a morning musume concert who just can't afford to travel to japan and spend all that money. it'd be good for tourism at least.

makes me wonder now if these other japanese singers when they do have concerts here and its a public thing how much they actually spend/make from it. flamingmoe did bring up some good valid points though about child labor laws, and all the staff being accountable too for work visas. they bring a pretty big crew when they come here.

btw invis, in front of pipeline cafe theres pretty big doors with glass that allows you to see inside, but i don't know how they're going to set up that day. i still gotta talk to my hook ups there see if it's doable. i hope the bar will be open haha that's what im hoping for the most out of the entire thing.

[invisname]

How aware?...lol just how aware is that to them?...lol

If Hawaii could be a hub it would work rather well! If they set they could figure it out to make Hawaii a sub that be cool but working that out would take a lot of planning and I doubt they'd want to risk it holding (I'd assume thats what they did with the H!P store before, having it open for anyone tourist or not didn't seem to help them and seemed like a risk didn't it?)

Hehe big doors with glass seem like a good thing but that being on the street and not near a public park we at a higher risk of being called out for loitering or perhaps even getting pushed back by whoever works there that day. Just cause the Shell security was nice to us doesn't gaurantee we'll always be as lucky ><

Work as well as you can I hope an option comes to pass soon... we are winding down on time and I was hoping we'd get things together.

If not maybe this time you can hook us up with some hidden snapshots like last time....hehe... I hope we can find out when the stores open for us too... last time it wasn't a day it was the night of the concert so ya...

Still going strong! Now it's a new mission (besides our mission during every FC that is)
NEW MISSION: figure out a way to let us go without causing any sort of legal issues!

[sazabi]

yeah security at pipeline is pretty tough but they're my buddies lol. that was a long read, i dunno if im in the rigth frame of mind to reply right now, im drunk out of my mind, tired, did i mention drunk? haha yeah damn carshow was crazy spent the whole day painting girls.

but yeah they said they are aware and if they did open to the public a concert people would come, so you can guess how aware they are after saying that.

[invisname]

Please tell me when the day comes sazabi you'll hold off getting drunk till after you are there... if we can't do anything I hope you could fill us in on the happenings...and that sounds difficult if you are drunk...lol

So anyone attempting to go... try not to drink till after all the cool stuff please!... I know you probably will drink so I hope its not to the point of amnesia...lol

[ShoujoHino]

I've actually never been to the Pipeline...ever. so I don't know what it's like there....

The only thing I can think of us to do other than the usual stalking (do you think they'll hit Leonard's Bakery? North shore is too far for me to stalk....) is go to the Pipeline EARLY to maybe get a glimpse of them going IN.
Of course, if we don't know the FC schedule we can't plan anything yet...but when we know the event schedule, we can kind of guess when they would start prep for the concert. With MM it was just the last day event so they were prepping from like the morning right? I will most likely have work, so if they come in the early morning bonus for me, LOL

There's also..the airport! Do you think they'll fly in from Narita? Hell, let's just wait at the gate, most flights from Japan usually arrive in the morning.

[invisname]

You have more experience in this than I do, do you think we could catch them at the airport? Or do you think that they could be shooting things in opposite order and doing somehting special first (meaning they are gonna show up first and do stuff... who knows maybe we can preay an alo-hello gam) and then do tour stuff... or perhaps they'll be here after... catching them at the airport is hard unless you know what day to be on the look out!

But brainstorming is good... only one with any clue on specific time instances is sazabi, and even then it seems like they know he might tell us so they keep him in the dark for as long as possible...lol.

You think they'll actually let us have a day of shop and not just the last couple hours after the concert event like last time?

I would love they would try leonards... since thats close... but who knows what might happen ><. the Fanclub tour part is gonna be in waikiki probably though, because of the store.

[sazabi]

yeah they pretty much keep me in the dark till a couple days before the actual event like last time. they only emailed me the schedule of the day of the concert several days before hand.

[invisname]

Well knowing a time would be awesome cause it would give us something to be aware of. If anything because of that big window door you mentioned we could maybe see them during the sound check?

The Wotas probably get to have fun doing otherstuff during the day so the early check will be clear for us to stalk around till the buses arrive... hehe

Can't wait till we have a clearer idea so our plans can be concrete

[cool_kickin_dude]

hate to say it, but the chances of me being able to see them in Hawaii is about the same as seeing the pic of Miki..

[Kago4ever]

Okay, I read the whole thread and didn't find my answer so I'll finally ask it. 

Sorry for being such a nub, I don't understand...  Why don't you all just join the fan club?  Or can't Americans join?

If I knew Momusu was coming back I'd fly to Hawaii (only if there was a chance I could get into that dang store!)  I'd also probably buy a couple thousand dollars worth of H!P stuff!  lol

[invisname]

gotta correct that a bit...

the chances of anyone being able to see them in hawaii (unless you are sazabi) is about the same as finding and obtaining a hundred bucks on the ground in a crowd of people looking down...lol. An exaggeration yes...but true.

Kago4ever its ok to ask no problem, the reason we don't join the fanclub is because it requires a Japanese address, which we don't have. Even then to be part of the FC tour we'd have to pay for the whole thing thats a trip to Hawaii from Japan, hotel and what not, and then a trip back to Japan from Hawaii, which for us is kind of a waste.

The only solution we have (besides sazabi doing us all a HUGE favor) is if we can somehow get hired to work at the store I believe... they get to go to the shows... (but they leave right after before the fans and the performers cause they have to get back to the store before the fans get back). I wish we could get a day of store open this time instead of just the last night... but if they didn't do it for Momusu then for GAM I doubt it.

[Kago4ever]

Kago4ever its ok to ask no problem, the reason we don't join the fanclub is because it requires a Japanese address, which we don't have. Even then to be part of the FC tour we'd have to pay for the whole thing thats a trip to Hawaii from Japan, hotel and what not, and then a trip back to Japan from Hawaii, which for us is kind of a waste.

Thanks for the reply...  Yeah, I sort of assumed it was something like that.  It was obvious to me there wasn't an easy solution after reading the whole thread. 

I have to say it's quite a shame that Up-Front doesn't show more interest in trying to get American fans involved when Momusu travels to the US.  I know all the paperwork jazz is a pain, but Up-Front is a large company, they have staffers that can go through the trouble to get the proper visas, permissions, etc.

Then again, do you think there are enough fans in Hawaii to sellout a small venue?  I don't know how many fans would fly over from the continental US (I know I would) but perhaps Up-Front is worried about attendance?

In the end, I know this is a business decision, but I still can't help but think that putting together a Momusu concert for American fans would be a *wise* business decision, both at the scene and for future US promotions!

I guess I better start saving for a trip to Japan!  But, I'll need a Japanese-speaking guide! 

[Blu-Cherri]

^I think they dont want americans only concert, but to have the hawaiin residants(and anyone from mainland willing to go) allowed to go.  So for japanese, but the american fans can also get tickets.  The language problem is that of the ticket buyer - not UFA or anyone.  So it should be do-able, quite easily really.

[invisname]

Blublu did you read the thread though, the major problem we now know of is work visa's... so it does make sense that we can't figure out how to get past that. It's a question as what is considered working idea for them and their stuff. What I mean to say is, how could they sell us tickets without making what they do work. LOL, boyo that sounds odd doesn't it?

I tend to wonder more about what their plan was for the old hello morning information village (I mean the museum one whose name escapes me) that was across the street from the store. I had never been there when it was there but I kinda wonder what their business plan was for having it there. Since ya know it probably costed more to have that there in open display and what not, when fanclub tours were not constant. I know nothing about back then and hawaii H!P tourism though...

But who knows what might happen, just nothing happening yet...lol.

[Blu-Cherri]

work visa's O.o oh right.  No I didn't read through...was it that obvioius...so many pages to read >.<
I guess that makes sense...but surely if they did it the money they got back would pay for it??? I mean there must be simple ways to do it...like you buy it through some japanese -insertsomecompanyinfonamethinghere-

But I did hear somewhere that it's really difficult to get visa's in America O.o....

I have the song Reina sings in my head though..(which i just found out is Aisha Loan de?????)

[Saburo]

Someone fire a flare if/when the temp store opens at the Shopping Plaza...