![Image](http://www.cathalchu.com/pics/photos/Others/07-08-12_1500.jpg)
Although tickets were sold internationally first the first time, no concessions or allowances being made for non-Japanese visitors. As requested in my confirmation email, I turned up at the box office window at Gate 5 and showed my passport and credit card and I got my ticket. However it’s all in Japanese and the ticket booth staff spoke no English. My Nihongo was limited to put it mildly, so it was a bit of a struggle to establish where I was supposed to go. Luckily, I’m fluent in the international language of pointing and miming, and the other ground staff points me in the direction of Gate 11 as my point of entry. But first, a visit to the souvenir stalls is a must.
![Image](http://www.cathalchu.com/pics/photos/Others/07-08-12_1503.jpg)
The queues for DWL 2007 goods was long but moved at a swift pace. I snapped up a program, t-shirt and sweatband. If you are going to one of the Wonderlands, you might like to know that the souvenir towel scarves were all sold out on Saturday (due to the ridiculously hot weather, it never went below 30°C during the 10 days I was in Japan, hitting 40.8°C at one point) and glow sticks are a must-buy.
So I find Gate 11, make my way in and find my way to section 11, seat 69, 24 rows behind the where home plate would have been had the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks baseball team been playing today. It’s an impressive set-up.
![Image](http://www.cathalchu.com/pics/photos/Others/07-08-12_1532.jpg)
The main stage is very wide, taking up most of the outfield, with a mini stage set about 30m in the middle of the audience (like Wonderland 2003) And a further stage at the back (like in the Diamond 15 tour) about 30 feet away from me. Above the stage hangs about a dozen globes arranged in a random fashion, a jumbotron screen and behind that, a giant projection wall. Shortly before 4pm, an announcement is made to turn off all cell phones and cameras and anyone using one will be ejected. Damn...
At 4:10pm, the lights dim and the familiar ‘Theme from Wonderland’ blasts out. A black curtain covers the central mini stage. From here, the musicians and performers emerge one by one, walking along the runway to the main stage. And as the gong strikes at the end of the Wonderland theme, the black curtain drops and Miwa rises into the sky (like during ‘Suki’ in Wonderland 95), she sings the slow intro to ‘Ureshii! Tanoshii! Daisuki!’ (again like Wonderland 95), make the traditional “Dreams Come True in Wonderland” announcement, the band strike up and we are away. The excitement is palpable, I can’t believe that after waiting so long to go to a DCT Wonderland show, I’m finally here.
The next three hours fly by in a joyous blur. You will have seen the set list elsewhere on this forum, so I’ll just run through my personal memories. The most obvious of which is Miwa in positively fine form, any thoughts that she no longer have the sheer infectious energy and enthusiasm of previous Wonderlands is quickly dispelled.
I counted 8 costume changes during the show, including one mid-song during ‘Jet!!!’, the most notable being the yellow Bruce Lee/Uma Thurman Kill Bill tracksuit at the start of ‘Ola! Vitoria!’.
‘Osaka Lover’ becomes ‘Fukuoka Lover’ for the occasion. With revised lyrics on the jumbotron screen and images of Fukuoka on the projection wall. The locals obviously love it.
Miwa’s party trick for this Wonderland, following the roller skating and flamenco dancing of previous years, is the military tattoo drum break in the middle of ‘Proud Of You’. Playing not just her own drums but also those on her left and right her as well. It’s massively impressive, goodness knows how long it took to practice.
On the basis that everyday is somebody’s birthday, an acappella version of ‘Happy Happy Birthday’ is rousing performed in the middle stage. The audience manages to keep up with the handclaps.
For the interval, Masa evidently does five minutes of stand up, followed by MC Mercellous D Nealy and backing singers Love and Gatz, lead the crowd in a run through of the audience participation part of the ‘Love Love Love/Nando Demo’ medley. Miwa and Masa reappear on the stage at the back of the arena close to me to perform it. The singing from the audience is surprisingly muted. This from a nation of karaoke singers...
Miwa and Masa return to the main stage via blow-up runways that circle the edge of the arena (which they test out by gamely jumping up and down on). The stage at the back is used twice more, including for the ‘Kessen wa Kinyoubi’ final encore.
I also vaguely recall ‘Asa Ga Mata Kuru’ is performed acoustically?
As Miwa and Masa emerge for the start of the encores, they thank everyone for coming along, then turn their backs to reveal something written of the back of their jackets which causes the audience to roar with laughter.
The farewells are indeed tearful, I think I heard a promise of a Wonderland 2011, and at 7:20pm it’s all over. It was a truly fantastic experience and definitely worth the wait, money and effort to get here.
Other than the absence of a few of my favourites like ‘Ahaha’, ‘Romance’ and ‘Suki’, the only gripe I had - and I have to say it’s a major one - was that many of the numbers performed were shortened by one verse. I estimate that less than half a dozen of the 31 songs were played in full. I do appreciate they wanted to fit as many songs into the three hours as possible, but even so. Still, I throughly enjoyed it nonetheless. Would I be up for it again in 2011? Absolutely.