NGT48 Fly High With First Overseas Performance at Asia Song Festival 2015 in South Korea!

| 48 / 46 Group | Posted by Kai Okudara on Oct.13.2015

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NGT48, AKB48’s newest regional affiliate group, took a huge step towards their dreams by participating in the “Asia Song Festival 2015” at the Asia Domain Stadium in Busan, South Korea on October 11, 2015.

Asia Song Festival 2015, whose lineup included popular artists from Asia and K-pop groups EXO, B1A1, GOT7 and Red Velvet, attracted an audience of 30,000 people, which was huge and unprecedented for NGT48. Adding to the young group’s worries was their inability to rehearse before the event due to Yuki Kashiwagi, known for her knack for attracting inclement weather, bringing a torrential downpour with her to Busan. Apart from Kashiwagi and captain Rie Kitahara, who had been to overseas events before, this was the first overseas performance for NGT48. On top of that, an audience that was comprised almost entirely of females, presenting another unfamiliar situation for the members of NGT48.

Once they were on stage, there was nothing but applause and cheers from the audience. During the talking segment between songs, Kitahara greeted everyone with “Yorobun annyeong haseyo~ NGT48 imnida” (“Hello everyone, we are NGT48”) and the mostly female crowd welcomed them with loud cheers, some even called out members’ names. Banners made by 48-Group Fan Club in Korea were also on display at the venue. With these welcoming gestures and show of support, the members were able to overcome their initial nervousness and put on an unparalleled energetic performance.

Rie Kitahara (NGT48 Captain)
Yorobun annyeong haseyo~ NGT48 imnida. I am Rie Kitahara, the captain. We would like to thank you for inviting us to perform at Asia Song Festival. It is an honor to be able to perform in front of everyone.

Yuki Kashiwagi (concurrent member of AKB48)
Good afternoon, I am Yuki Kashiwagi. I have been looking forward to meet everyone. NGT48 hails from Niigata, and is the newest group “48 Group” in Japan. We are working hard towards spreading our wings and performing on the global stage. Thank you for your continued support.

The experience was also educational because the members were able to watch the extraordinary performances of other global artists that are representatives of music from all over Asia. It looked like they were taking mental notes what they needed to improve upon after returning to Japan.

The Talk Stage was attended by Kitahara, Kashiwagi, Yuka Ogino, Minami Kato and Marina Nishigata, with Leeteuk from Super Junior as the host. When they were asked to do a cute pose, the members posed as toki (crested ibis), which is Niigata’s prefectural bird, and the motif for NGT48’s logo and costumes. In return, Leeteuk showed them Super Junior’s signature pose and some poses that are considered cute in South Korea.

NGT48 also attended filming for a soon to be aired program on October 12, 2015. During the segment on Korean and Japanese food culture, NGT48 brought a gift of Sasa-dango, Niigata’s specialty food which are burdock root or red bean paste dumplings wrapped in bamboo grass.

Performing in South Korea was a precious experience for NGT48, who has yet to perform in their theater and has not had that much media exposure up until this point. Members who did not go to South Korea were featured in numerous events in Niigata as well. As NGT48 proceeds towards their eventual debut at the NGT48 theater, the members are accumulating a variety of experiences as varied as the ingredients of noppe stew, another famous food from Niigata. It will be exciting to see what they serve up when that time comes.

Participating Members:
Tsugumi Oguma, Yuka Ogino, Minami Kato, Yuki Kashiwagi, Rie Kitahara, Aina Kusakabe, Reina Seiji, Moeka Takakura, Rika Nakai, Miharu Nara, Marina Nishigata, Rena Hasegawa, Hinata Homma, Ayaka Mizusawa, Maho Yamaguchi, Noe Yamada

Related Links

NGT48 Official site: https://ngt48.jp

NGT48 Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/official_NGT48