Keyakizaka46 Reach Towards a Bright Future With Electrifying Performances at Tokyo Idol Festival 2016!

| Idol | Posted by Kai Okudara on Aug.10.2016

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Keyakizaka46, the newest group in the 48/46 empire, continued their impressive start with 4 appearances at the largest idol event in the world, Tokyo Idol Festival 2016!

August 6, 2016 – Smile Garden – 11:25am – 11:50am

Having arrived extra early (some may have even stayed in Odaiba overnight) to get their reference number tickets and waited for around 2 hours for Keyakizaka46 to take the stage, a wall of fans surged forward as the blue plastic barriers were opened. Entire sections of the barricades were simply carried along with the crowd as everyone was aiming to be at the very front of the stage. Several idols on breaks from their performances peeked out from under their sun umbrellas as they crowded the sides of the stage to watch Keyakizaka46 as well.

As Keyakizaka46 took the stage amid the oppressive midday heat, the fans were rewarded for their patience and steadfastness as this was a rare opportunity to see one of the most exciting new groups on 2016 on an outdoor stage at a summer festival. Jumping right into their set with “Silent Majority”, Keyakizaka46 had the thousands gathered along Odaiba’s West Promenade firmly under their spell. The members were besides themselves with excitement to be invited to such an event mere months after their debut, thanking the fans for coming to see them. As the members talked about summery things, Mizuho Habu reminded all the students to not let their summer homework pile up until the last minute. As the members retreated backstage, Yui Imaizumi and Yui Kobayashi, the unit known as “Yui-chans”, were handed acoustic guitars and charmed the crowd with their duet “Shibuya-gawa”.

Switching quickly between hot and cold, Keyakizaka46 let out their inner tsundere with “Te wo Tsunaide Kaerouka”, melting hearts with their pouty expressions and bright smiles and Yuka Sugai chasing Akane Moriya around the stage like a pair of quarreling lovers. Reaching towards the blue skies overhead, their first performance of Tokyo Idol Festival 2016 floated to a close with “Sekai ni wa Ai Shika nai”, Neru Nagahama (Hiragana Keyaki46) joining the others on stage.

01 Silent Majority
02 Shibuya-gawa
03 Te wo Tsunaide Kaerouka
04 Sekai ni wa Ai Shika nai

Photos by Nathan Gey

August 6, 2016 – Hot Stage – 7:25pm – 7:50pm

Even as the sun set over Odaiba on the second day of Tokyo Idol Festival 2016, the heat did not dissipate as Keyakizaka46 took the stage for the second time at Zepp Diver City welcomed by loud cheers and the warm glow of penlights. Dressed in their white and navy outfits from their second single “Sekai ni wa Ai Shika nai”, the movements of the members seemed much crisper as they were less restricted by the hot moist air outside as they began their set with “Silent Majority”.

Taking advantage of the bigger stage at Zepp Diver City, the next song was “Kimi ga Inai”, the members carrying Rika Watanabe across the stage like pall bearers and setting her down gently at center stage. Maintaining the cool expressions on their faces, Keyakizaka46 stirred up the air with their hands and fingers, searching for the “you” that is not by their side.

Yurina Hirate lead the greeting and thanks for the fans who were packed into the venue. Continuing the talk from their midday performance about things that remind them about summer, Nijika Nishimori pointed out their white outfits and asked the audience to remember it as their second single was releasing the following week. With warm orange and purple lights simulating a sunset, the “Yui-chans” (Yui Imaizumi and Yui Kobayashi) cooled the mood off temporarily with the folksy “Shibuya-gawa”.

The feud between Yuka Sugai and Akane Moriya started up again with “Te wo Tsunaide Kaerouka” as the others pointed and waved playfully at the fans who were calling out loudly and waving their penlights to the light bouncy tune. Eventually making amends, Akane and Yuka joined hands and struck a cute pose.

Calling out Neru Nagahama to the stage, the members shared their impressions about their final song of the evening “Sekai ni wa Ai Shika nai”. Delivering their rapid-fire spoken word lines and reaching their arms high overhead, Keyakizaka46 wrapped up the audience in their world where only love exists to finish up their first day of Tokyo Idol Festival 2016.

01 Silent Majority
02 Kimi ga Inai
03 Shibuya-gawa
04 Te wo Tsunaide Kaerouka
05 Sekai ni wa Ai Shika nai

Photos by Nathan Gey

August 7, 2016 – Ship Stage – 10:00am – 10:30am

With Keyakizaka46 opening the final day of Tokyo Idol Festival 2016 at the Ship Stage right around the same time as SKE48 at Hot Stage, fans had been waiting in the heat for hours and the lines came pretty close to each other despite the distance between Zepp Diver City and Fune-no-kagakukan Station.