SAITAMA--They have been disparagingly described as self-centered, obsessive nerds lacking social skills.
But Kaoru Takahashi, a 47-year-old homemaker in the city of Saitama, disputes this image of AKB48 fans.
In a letter titled “I have become a fan of AKB48 fans” that ran in The Asahi Shimbun’s Voice column, Takahashi expressed gratitude to the fans who helped her 15-year-old daughter, nicknamed Shiitan, at the idol group’s “general election” event on June 7 at Ajinomoto Stadium in Chofu, Tokyo.
The letter spread around Twitter. And some with negative opinions of the music idol fans reconsidered their views.
Three days before the election, Shiitan, a first-year high school student, sprained her right ankle at a sports festival and had to use crutches.
She has been a big fan of AKB since fifth grade and even wanted to go to a concert when she had a high fever. Takahashi “thought she’ll probably go no matter what” this time, too.
Shiitan went alone despite using crutches for the first time. In addition, the Kanto region around Tokyo experienced record rainfall on the day of the event.
On the day before the election, Shiitan posted on Twitter: “If you see someone wearing a school uniform and on crutches, that may be me. I’m lonesome, so I’ll be glad if you call out to me. Though I might annoy you.”
She said she tweeted that message because “I thought going on crutches might annoy people and I wanted to tell people in advance.”
When Shiitan was about to take a seat at the venue, three male fans “about my dad’s age” to her sides and behind wiped dry one of the interconnected metal folding chairs with handkerchiefs.
Shiitan does not know if they had seen her tweet.
When it was time to go home, many fans asked her: “Do you need some help?” and “Are you OK?”
Shiitan walked on the side of the lane to stay out of people’s way, but the fans instead removed traffic cones and discarded raincoats so she could walk more easily.
Fans yelled to others to clear a path for her at a crowded train station, and a passenger gave up a seat for her on the train.
“I was so very sorry to them, but I thought they were all truly kind people and that none of them were bad,” Shiitan said.
Shiitan arrived at the station closest to her home after midnight.
“Is your leg all right?” her mother asked with a worried look.
Shiitan smiled as she explained what had happened.
Takahashi said she was under the impression that AKB fans “buy a bunch of merchandise but just throw it away.” When she heard her daughter’s story, she changed her mind.
“I had figured she would just annoy people being on crutches, but those fellow fans helped my daughter in a place where I couldn’t do anything to protect her. I was constantly thinking about how I can convey my appreciation.”
Takahashi sent her letter to The Asahi Shimbun via e-mail in hopes that “some fan might see it.” It ran in the June 10 morning edition.
That evening, Takahashi’s letter appeared in a retweet with a photo attachment from one of Shiitan’s friends, also an AKB fan. “Shiitan, could this be you?”
Shiitan tweeted the following message: “It’s an article in The Asahi Shimbun. My mom said she wanted to thank all the AKB fans who helped me and sent it to The Asahi Shimbun. Thank you very, very much!”
Shiitan’s post was retweeted around 2,000 times. It even elicited responses from those not particularly fond of AKB48 or their fans: “So these kinds of fans exist, too.” “I’ve rethought my opinion (of them).”
Shiitan quickly gained 200 followers.
“I don’t know if my message got to the people who actually helped my daughter, but I’m happy for everyone spreading it,” the mother said at her daughter’s side.
“AKB fans think about the group’s members, too. They’re very kind,” the daughter added.
But Kaoru Takahashi, a 47-year-old homemaker in the city of Saitama, disputes this image of AKB48 fans.
In a letter titled “I have become a fan of AKB48 fans” that ran in The Asahi Shimbun’s Voice column, Takahashi expressed gratitude to the fans who helped her 15-year-old daughter, nicknamed Shiitan, at the idol group’s “general election” event on June 7 at Ajinomoto Stadium in Chofu, Tokyo.
The letter spread around Twitter. And some with negative opinions of the music idol fans reconsidered their views.
Three days before the election, Shiitan, a first-year high school student, sprained her right ankle at a sports festival and had to use crutches.
She has been a big fan of AKB since fifth grade and even wanted to go to a concert when she had a high fever. Takahashi “thought she’ll probably go no matter what” this time, too.
Shiitan went alone despite using crutches for the first time. In addition, the Kanto region around Tokyo experienced record rainfall on the day of the event.
On the day before the election, Shiitan posted on Twitter: “If you see someone wearing a school uniform and on crutches, that may be me. I’m lonesome, so I’ll be glad if you call out to me. Though I might annoy you.”
She said she tweeted that message because “I thought going on crutches might annoy people and I wanted to tell people in advance.”
When Shiitan was about to take a seat at the venue, three male fans “about my dad’s age” to her sides and behind wiped dry one of the interconnected metal folding chairs with handkerchiefs.
Shiitan does not know if they had seen her tweet.
When it was time to go home, many fans asked her: “Do you need some help?” and “Are you OK?”
Shiitan walked on the side of the lane to stay out of people’s way, but the fans instead removed traffic cones and discarded raincoats so she could walk more easily.
Fans yelled to others to clear a path for her at a crowded train station, and a passenger gave up a seat for her on the train.
“I was so very sorry to them, but I thought they were all truly kind people and that none of them were bad,” Shiitan said.
Shiitan arrived at the station closest to her home after midnight.
“Is your leg all right?” her mother asked with a worried look.
Shiitan smiled as she explained what had happened.
Takahashi said she was under the impression that AKB fans “buy a bunch of merchandise but just throw it away.” When she heard her daughter’s story, she changed her mind.
“I had figured she would just annoy people being on crutches, but those fellow fans helped my daughter in a place where I couldn’t do anything to protect her. I was constantly thinking about how I can convey my appreciation.”
Takahashi sent her letter to The Asahi Shimbun via e-mail in hopes that “some fan might see it.” It ran in the June 10 morning edition.
That evening, Takahashi’s letter appeared in a retweet with a photo attachment from one of Shiitan’s friends, also an AKB fan. “Shiitan, could this be you?”
Shiitan tweeted the following message: “It’s an article in The Asahi Shimbun. My mom said she wanted to thank all the AKB fans who helped me and sent it to The Asahi Shimbun. Thank you very, very much!”
Shiitan’s post was retweeted around 2,000 times. It even elicited responses from those not particularly fond of AKB48 or their fans: “So these kinds of fans exist, too.” “I’ve rethought my opinion (of them).”
Shiitan quickly gained 200 followers.
“I don’t know if my message got to the people who actually helped my daughter, but I’m happy for everyone spreading it,” the mother said at her daughter’s side.
“AKB fans think about the group’s members, too. They’re very kind,” the daughter added.
