Nogizaka46 Lights Up the Nippon Budokan with a Festive Christmas Live!

| 48 / 46 Group | Posted by 76do_ on Dec.24.2015

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On December 20th and 21st, Nogizaka46 held their 2-day Christmas concerts, “Nogizaka46 Merry X’mas Show 2015” at the legendary Nippon Budokan. The sold-out concerts, featuring a total of 20,000 fans and showcased the group’s growth over the past year, serving as a warm-up for their first appearance on the year-end NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen.

The venue cheered in unison upon hearing Overture and the concerts started with “Inochi wa Utsukushii” as members took the stage. They performed 5 more upbeat songs before captain Reika Sakurai greeted fans and asked members about their memories of past Christmases.

Both senbatsu and under members participated in a Christmas medley, which took place about halfway through the concert. The special medley alternated between popular Christmas songs and the group’s hit singles. Dressed in red and white, the members threw autographed balls into the crowd as fans happily waved their penlights.

During the MC, Kazumi Takayama brought the popular “Imaginary Girlfriend” segment from the group’s TV show over to the live, and produced 4 Christmas scenarios featuring Erika Ikuta, Reika Sakurai, Sayuri Inoue and Miona Hori, who acted out the episodes on stage and delivered cute passages that left the fans cheering while wanting more.

The encore opened with “House!” and “Hashire! Bicycle”, two cheerful numbers from the group. While fans were disappointed to hear that the upcoming annual Birthday Live would be postponed due to venue scheduling difficulty, they soon found consolation in the next announcement, which said that all 37 members of the group will perform “Kimi no Na wa Kibou” together at NHK
Kouhaku Uta Gassen. Then fans and members became one as they sang “Kanashimi no Wasurekata” together, after Sakurai her goal for the Kouhaku performance, which is to show the merits of Nogizaka46 to as many people as possible with everyone performing there.

The double encore closed out the event with the customary “Nogizaka no Uta.” Nogizaka46 was practically unstoppable during 2015, as the members dominated all forms of media, appearing on TV, in magazines, and stage plays in addition to their activities as musical artists. We look forward to their performance at NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen and what Nogizaka46 will become in 2016!

Set List

01 Inochi wa Utsukushii
02 Sekai de Ichiban Kodoku na Lover
03 Popipappapaa
04 Tsuki no Ookisa
05 Kizuitara Kataomoi
06 Nanimo Dekizu Soba in Iru
07 Shitto no Kenri
08 Tachinaorichu
09 Sukima
10 Sekkachi na Katatsumuri
11 Arakajime Katarareru Romance
12 Otona he no Chikamichi
13 Christmas Medley
– Joy to the World
– Nandome no Aozora ka?
– Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
– Girls’ Rule
– Santa Claus is Coming to Town
– Inochi wa Utsukushii
– We Wish You a Merry X’mas
– Seifuku no Mannequin
– Jingle Bell
– Oide Shampoo
14 Korogatta Kane wo Narase
15 Yasashisa Towa
16 Watashi no Tameni, Dareka no Tameni
17 Hatsukoi no Hito wo Imademo
18 Kimi wa Boku to Awanai Hou ga Yokkata no Kana
19 Ima, Hanashitai Dareka ga Iru
20 Kimino na wa Kibou
21 Girls’ Rule
22 Romance no Start
23 Danke Schön
24 Ushinaitakunaikara

E1 House!
E2 Hashire! Bicycle
E3 Kanashimi no Wasurekata

W1 Nogizaka no Uta

Related Links

Nogizaka46 Official site: http://www.nogizaka46.com/

Nogizaka46 Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/nogizaka46

Author

76do_

An overseas 46/48 fan who used to translate under the name of bilingual48. Can also be found at Nogizaka46 handshakes once every 2-3 months near Karin Ito’s lane – just look for the guy with purple sunglasses. Also, apparently I look like Akimoto-sensei, especially when wearing a suit.