Double Dose of Taylor Swift - Part 2

Here's some more of my Q&A with Elena about her Taylor Swift concert experience.

What did Taylor say about her new album, "The Tortured Poets Department"?
She said she was really excited to release it because it's been a while since she released a new album.

Did she make a comment about any difference from her other albums or what's new?
No, she didn't really say anything. She just said it was she was excited.

Any comments about being in Japan? Was it her first time here?
No, it wasn't her first time and she said Japanese people are super fashionable and that it was fun for her to come over here because it's pretty unique.

What was the musical highlight of both concerts for you?
During the concerts she played multiple songs from past albums. And I think the musical highlights for me were the songs she played from the albums 1989 and Reputation because those are my two favorite albums. And the visuals were great.

Did Taylor mention anything about the differences of performing at the Tokyo Dome versus other cities?
She didn't really say much about challenges and I don't think she would have said anything boring or negative anyway. It's a concert, man! She just said that people are style-conscious and it's fun for her to perform here, and how so many people were here and she was like, so grateful and stuff like that.

What time did the concerts end?
I think both started around 6 pm. I think it ended around like 9 pm; both concerts probably ended around 9 or 9:30-ish. Pretty long, but a lot of fun.

Overall, how would you rate your experience at the Taylor Swift concert? Was it worth 50,000 yen for both concerts?
I think it was worth it because I had fun with my good friends. Also, I got to go two days--I got to experience it two times. I kind of grew up with Taylor Swift's music so I think it was something that was really worth it. Also, the concerts featured all the albums from her past, not only one album and a few hits. So I was happy to hear all the songs.

Photo credit: Reuters

Anything else you want to say about the concert experience?
I enjoyed myself and it was a great time with my friends. A little bit expensive but I think the whole experience was super good. And I got to dress up, buy T-shirts and make bracelets, and trade with people and stuff like that. It was a totally good time.

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Double Dose of Taylor Swift - Part 1

Taylor Swift's Eras Tour made a special stop in Asia in February, with the Tokyo Dome hosting four spectacular shows. The cavernous 55,000-seat stadium, usually home to the Yomiuri Giants baseball team, looked and sounded different thanks to the tour. Lady E., a devoted Swiftie, managed to snag tickets for two nights, attending both concerts with a different friend each night.

Here are Elena's recollections of her Eras Tour concert experience. Buckle up for a Q&A fiesta as she answers questions about the setlist, the crowd, and the overall vibe.

How did you get ready for the concert? Who did you go with?

I went with A. to the first concert and with F. on the following night. We didn't really do anything to get ready for the concerts except make friendship bracelets. It is kind of a tradition to trade bracelets with other Taylor Swift fans before the concert.

What was the atmosphere like outside the venue before the concert started?
The merch ("merchandise"—ed.) booths are outside the venue where you buy stuff like T-shirts and other merch. So there were a lot of people, very excited, lining up for that. And then there were a lot of people taking photos of the Tokyo Dome and the groups of other fans.

What did you wear to the concert?
I wore a Taylor T-shirt, a beige one, after I bought it at a merch booth. So I wore that and jeans. It wasn't that cold inside the stadium even though it was February. Once we were inside, we took off our jackets because we were screaming and stuff. So...energy...and that's why I was not really cold.

How did the crowd react to the opening act (if there was one)?
There wasn't any opening act in Tokyo.

How long were the concerts?
I think both were about three hours long.

Were there any parts of the two concerts you attended that were different? Was it the same show?
The Eras Tour has basically the same show everywhere. But there were two surprise songs in the set where Taylor sang different songs. They aren't on the setlist. So at every concert she just randomly picks two songs to add in. So, in Tokyo, two songs were different, but everything else was the same as the worldwide tour setlist.

Did you notice any difference in the sound quality of the music in the two different sections where you sat in Tokyo Dome? Where were your seats on the two days?

On the first day our seats were floor level, to the side, so I was close to the stage and I could see Taylor Swift really close in person. The second day, we were in the sixth row on the second tier, a bit farther away from the stage. I don't think there was any sound difference. The music is super loud and you can hear Taylor's voice everywhere. So I couldn't really hear or feel the difference.

Were there many fans from other countries attending the concert?

Yeah, there were a lot of Europeans and Americans--people who probably flew here. It seems they bought a lot of the good seats. And there were Asian people, clearly from other parts of Asia. Taylor only performed in Singapore and Japan on this leg of her tour. So I think a lot of people from like South Korea, China and other places flew here just to attend the concerts in Tokyo.

To be continued...

Wife, Partner, and Fire Patrol Leader

Meet Obi Wan Naomi

I doubt you have ever heard of the "Hi no Yojin" (Beware of Fire) tradition in Japan. It's a practice deeply rooted in community service. Last year, my wife Naomi assumed a role that embodies this communal spirit by becoming our local neighborhood association's fire patrol leader.

Back in the Edo Period -- from around 1600 to the late 1800s -- fire was the main way that Japanese folks stayed warm, fed and clean. Fire prevention efforts consisted of a group of neighbors walking around and beating two wooden sticks together to remind everyone to be careful and diligently tend to their fires. Local Hi no Yojin groups would walk around the area and clack wooden sticks together, an acoustic reminder for everyone to beware of fire.

A typical Hi no Yojin group in Fukui. 

Credit: Chunichi Shimbun

Even in modern Japan, many apartments and houses have no central heating and little insulation. People still tend to heat their homes, apartments and rooms with electric or gas space heaters. So, the tradition of a community fire watch lives on.

These days, the fire patrols are a responsibility shared by a neighborhood's residents, just like garbage sorting and disposal, or group clean-up days of drainage grates and parks. Our neighborhood is fortunate to have a good mix of people, but with an aging population and many empty nesters, our turn came to organize it and Naomi took on the task. According to her, the lengthy planning meetings were tiring, while the actual walkaround patrols were mostly short and symbolic. The patrols were once every couple of weeks during the winter months in the evening. Naomi's group, all sporting fluorescent safety vests, would take a brief walk around the neighborhood. They would clack the wooden sticks. This serves a dual purpose: reminding residents, especially the elderly, about fire safety. Additionally, the visible presence of the patrol acts as a deterrent to petty crime, an ersatz neighborhood watch, which they also do sporadically during the warmer months.

Naomi did her civic duty on behalf of our family by leading this activity for the local community. It does foster a sense of community spirit, which is probably why it persists to this day. And it's a great example for our daughters and me.