Japan pop group enthrals Beijing
September 17th, 2011 - 6:06 am ICT by IANSBeijing, Sep 17 (IANS) Japanese all-male pop group SMAP Friday night staged their first overseas concert in Beijing.
As the five-member group appeared on the stage of the 70,000-seat Beijing Workers Stadium, the crowd yelled and screamed in joy, Xinhua reported.
Many fans had come a long distance to attend the concert.
“I am so thrilled by the performance. I have adored SMAP since 1993,” said Rebecca Chan, who travelled from Hong Kong.
She said she considered it her best chance to see the pop group. “It costs much more to fly to Japan, and SMAP had never performed in Hong Kong,” Chan said.
The Japanese group has been active for nearly 20 years. Their first music CD released in 1991.
Under the theme “Come on, Japan. Thank you, China. Asia is a united home,” the performance was a gratitude for China’s assistance after the magnitude-9 earthquake and tsunami in Japan in March, said band member Kimura Takuya.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited Japan in May and met the SMAP members in Tokyo. The tour was a part of a series of cultural exchanges between China and Japan to mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties next year, an organiser said.
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