The first meet-and-greet so-called “handshaking” event for fans to meet their AKB48 idols has been held since the May saw attack that injured Rina Kawaei and Anna Iriyama, and a male member of staff.
Billed as “the idols that you can meet”, AKB48 haven’t been within touching distance for fans for 41 days but returned to extend their hands to the “virginal” palms of Japanese men at Tokyo Big Sight at the weekend.
Immediately after the saw attack there was much speculation that it would spell the end of the mega band’s infamous mass meet-and-greets. Nogizaka 46, a spin-off group, did continue with them, though there were security checks and all bags had to be put in a cloakroom, for a large fee, natch.
In all, the AKB48 event saw around 250 idols, including sister groups, participate, though not the traumatized Rina Kawaei and Anna Iriyama.
In all, security was increased sevenfold. When entering the venue, visitors found fifty body-checking posts. Bags were inspected and metal detectors were used to scan fans’ bodies. For rare cases of female fans, there was a special lane with female staff doing the body checks. AKB48 had turned into airport security!
All bags had to be placed in a cloakroom and fans had to show the palms of their hands to staff. All accessories except for wedding rings had to be taken off.
The handshaking itself took place over a 1-meter plastic fence, separating the fans from their idols.
Organizers increased security from the previously conventional number of 50 to 350, plus event staff went up from 700 to over 1,000. The new measures were estimated to have cost them 10 million yen ($100,000) in security alone. Each member was assigned double the staff detail than before, up to four, all watching each anxious fan as they nervously approached their favorite idols.
Here is one such potentially dangerous fan forced to meet an AKB48 gal over a fence.
A handshaking event held in Osaka the next day on July 6th for sister group NMB48 also saw a sevenfold increase in security. NMB48 had previously postponed handshaking events three times while organizers considered new security measures.
