A Primer: Tokyo Idol Festival

For the first time in my life, I had the pleasure of attending Tokyo Idol Festival this year. While I had a couple of vague tips from friends, I mostly went in blind. Rather than forcing you all to do the same as me, I’m here to give you guys an idea of what to expect and to tell you what the experience is like.

First of all, what is Tokyo Idol Festival? If you’ve ever been to an outdoor music festival, you already have an idea of what to expect. Tokyo Idol Festival (or TIF) is an outdoor festival where a ton of different idols perform over a weekend for the satisfaction of us, the fans. They set up stages around a designated area (usually Diver City in Tokyo) where various idols will go up to perform throughout the day. Being set up in Diver City means that there is a nice shopping mall with good food, free water, air conditioning and lots of shops to help relax in.

2016 Map

About half of the stages can be accessed without paid entry, but to get the best experience you’re going to want to purchase admission. They sell tickets just for foreigners online and even have a special booth at the festival to pick up your wristband (make sure you have your passport and a printout of your receipt). There is also a goods area where there are booths setup for all the idols selling their goods. Oftentimes handshakes and cheki events are held here at a greeting area with some more potential events.

It’s important that you take a good look at the schedule before you go, and come up with a game plan of what you want to see. I was warned that often things don’t run on time, but everything was on schedule when I went. When creating your own plan for every day that you’ll be there, you want to make sure you account for the distance between stages. Walking from one end to the other can take upwards of 10 minutes or even more. Some of the stages (Hot Stage and Sky Stage) will usually have a long line for entry. Speaking of Sky Stage, a beautiful location on the roof of one of the buildings, even without a line, going up the elevator and walking the few flights of stairs can take some time. So be wary of locations and logistics if there are any performances you want to see back to back at different stages.

If there is an idol you are particularly a fan of, it’s a good idea to arrive at the stage early so that as other performances are finished and people leave, you can slowly push yourself to the front. Even with all this planning, be prepared for the inevitable truth that you won’t be able to see everything you want. You may get tired, you may get lost or you may just get sidetracked by another event you didn’t know was happening like a handshake or even get caught up buying goods. Speaking of which, be sure to come with plenty of cash, because you will spend money. You will spend lots of money.

Don’t forget that this is in early August usually, when summer is at its worst. Be smart. Dress appropriately, carry plenty of water and drink plenty of water. Wear sunscreen and don’t be afraid to go inside the mall to relax and cool off. It’s better you miss a performance or two rather than go to the hospital because of heat stroke or fail to enjoy yourself due to being uncomfortable.

Despite all of these things there are three very integral points that should be followed no matter what: be respectful of others, follow the rules and have fun! TIF is an idol fan’s dream come true, and it is every bit as amazing as it sounds. Despite being exhausted (I stayed there from 9am-11pm one day, even with a 1.5 hour commute to my hotel) all the time, sweaty, hot and oftentimes lost, I can confidently say that it was one of the best idol experiences I had ever had. Experiment, hang around for idols you don’t know and discover something new!

Every fan of idols should make it a point to try and attend TIF at least once. I felt like a little kid who was going to Disneyland for the first time. Trust me, you won’t regret it, though your wallet may.
 
- Teepu

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Official Site: http://www.idolfes.com/

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