JKT48 in Japanese Tabloid Yukan FUJI

Hello, friends!

Do you remember JKT48Stuff have ever introduced some articles about JKT48 in Japanese “major” news papers? And yesterday, January 21st, JKT48 got on a Japanese popular Tabloid Yukan FUJI [note: Yukan stands for Evening Paper] and its web version “ZAKZAK”. The article was written by Mr. KANEMASA JIRO.

And here is the translation. Enjoy!

JKT48はどれだけ人気なのか？　インドネシアに行ってみた
How popular JKT48 is? I went to see it in Indonesia.

中心メンバーの大島優子（２５）が近く卒業するなど話題に事欠かないＡＫＢ４８グループ。名古屋、大阪、博多の各姉妹グループもすっかり人気となったが、初めて海外に拠点を置いたＪＫＴ４８はどうなっているのか、現地を訪ねてみた。
AKB48 group, their topics still have an abundance such as Oshima Yuko (25), one of center members, will graduate shortly. Each sister group in Nagoya, Osaka, Hakata also have become popular now, but what is going on with JKT48 who is the first overseas based group? I visited Indonesia to see that.

　２０１１年１１月からインドネシア・ジャカルタで活動をスタートさせたＪＫＴ４８。日本人では高城亜樹（２２）＝ＡＫＢ４８兼任＝と仲川遥香（２１）、野澤玲奈（１５）＝ＡＫＢ４８兼任＝が加わっている。
JKT48 started their activity from November 2011 in Jakarta, Indonesia. As Japanese members, Takajo Aki (22) = double positioned with AKB48=, Nakagawa Haruka (21) and Nozawa Reina (15) = double positioned with AKB48 = belong to them.

　公演が行われるＪＫＴ４８シアターは、「ペッパーランチ」や「肉のハナマサ」といった日系チェーン店も営業している高級ショッピングモールの４階にある。エレベーターを降りると、そこにはあふれんばかりの人垣が…。その大半が中高生ぐらいの男子で、オタクっぽい雰囲気の青年だけでなく、リーゼントやパーマをかけた男性もチラホラ。
JKT48 Theater, where they show their performances, is located on the 4th floor of a high-end shopping mall where Japanese restaurant chains are open such as “Hanamasa” and “Pepper Lunch”. When I got off the elevator, there was exuberant crowd… Most of them seemed junior and senior high school students, not only geek-like (OTAKU-like) youth but I also saw a few men whose hair styles are regent style or a perm.

　観客に日本人を見かけると現地のファンは歓迎ムード。「よくきたな。まあ、俺のコレクションを見てくれ」と言って推しメン（好みのメンバー）の生写真のアルバムを自慢げに広げて見せてくれたファンもいた。
Once local fans find Japanese guys, they are in the mood for welcoming. There was a fan who said “Welcome, from so far a way! Well, why don’t you look at my collection?”, proudly opened his album and showed me photos of his Oshimen(favorite member).

　チケットは事前にウェブで会員登録して予約するシステム。外国に住む人は遠方枠があり、優先して入場できる。価格は１０万ルピア（約８６０円）で、学生と女子は半額になるという。とはいえ、「日本円で２００円もあれば腹いっぱい食事がとれる。中高生が通い詰めるにはやはりそれなりの価格」（現地在住の邦人ジャーナリスト）。
Ticketing system here is that fans register themselves on the web in advance, then reserve a ticket. For foreign residence fans, the super-far ticket category is provided. So they can enter the theater preferentially. The ticket price is Rp100,000(about JPY860 currently), but it becomes half for students and girls. However, “If we pay JPY200 for a meal here, our stomach will be full. It means the ticket price is not so cheap for teenagers that they cannot watch the show so often” (A Japanese journalist of local residents said).

　ここからが“ジャカルタ・タイム”。開演予定の午後４時を過ぎても開場する様子がない。アナウンスもないが地元ファンは慣れたもの。「ここに並んでおけば大丈夫だ」とあせることはなく、「せっかくだから前の方へ行ってくれ」と気遣いまで。また「秋葉原はどうだ？」と、日本への関心は非常に高く、親日ムードがあふれていた。
Now, it’s “Jakarta Time”. Although the curtain time 4pm was past, the theater didn’t seem to be open to the fans yet. I even didn’t hear any announcement, but local fans stayed as usual. “All we have to do is just to queue here.” They were not in hurry, on the contrary they took care of me ”You might as well move forward.” And they were highly interested in Japan, asking “What about Akihabara?”, I felt full of Pro-Japanese mood there.

　結局、予定より１時間５０分遅れで「チームＫ」のステージが始まった。インドネシア語の歌詞は分からないながら、歌唱力とダンスはＡＫＢ４８と遜色のない実力で観客を圧倒。客席はいす席と立ち見席に分かれ、前方の椅子席は座ったままだが、ＭＩＸ（合いの手）を打ちたいファンは立ち見席で、曲に合わせて激しく体を揺らして声援を送る。日本で活躍する姉貴分のＡＫＢ４８やＳＫＥ４８などと比べ素朴な顔立ちの子が多いが、そこがまたかわいい。２時間の公演終了後は出口に並んだメンバー全員とハイタッチして解散となった。
Finally, “Team K” show got started 1.5 hours behind schedule. Although I don’t understand the lyrics in Indonesian language, I saw the members’ singing and dancing were skillful as AKB48’s so they overwhelmed the audience. Audience area was divided into chair seats and standing room, forward fans remained sitting on chair seats, but the fans wanted to shout MIX chant (interlude) were in standing room and cheering with shaking their body violently to the music. Compared with members’ features in elder sister groups such as AKB48 and SKE48 in Japan, many members here have innocent feature, but it is also cute. After 2hours show, I enjoyed high-touch session with members standing in a line at the exit then went out from the theater.

　ＡＫＢグループは「会いにいけるアイドル」がコンセプト。クールジャパンを象徴するアイドルモデルは、インドネシアの若者の間にも確実に浸透し始めている。　（兼正次郎）
The concept of AKB group is “Idol you can meet”. The model groups from idol field which symbolizes COOL JAPAN is surely starting to penetrate into Indonesian youth. (By KANEMASA JIRO)
end

My Personal Takes

I have ever watched JKT48’s show several times, but I have never experienced the show time was delayed. Mr. KANEMASA (journalist who wrote this article) said this 1.5 hours delay is “Jakarta time”, however I think it was delayed by some unusual reasons. So from my experience, I believe there isn’t “Jakarta time” especially in JKT48 Theater without any unusual reasons.

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