155 replies to this topic

[AdehhRR]

Crap I really want to go. I can afford the trip, but not the ticket to Japan as well >< Selling stuff might have to happen....What should I do!?

What would you be doing in Japan?
I dont think they HawaiiFC tours look all that great IMO, and I have no interest in going there. If it were to see MM in Japan or Hawaii I would go Japan, but if it were Japan without seeing MM or Hawaii with seeing MM, I'd go Hawaii

[Momoki]

^ As far as I know, the tours leave from Japan, so you have to get to Japan first to get your flight to Hawai'i.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's what I've been led to believe from other people's experiences.

Already seen them in Japan, though, and I'd like to get the chance to see them up close and personal.

[chuxnon]

^ I think that's how it is also.
I wish I can some day attend Hawaii FC tour~

[watana8e]

Good job UFA, pumping out all these events before Ai-chan leaves.
We know how much they love to milk off Ai-chan.

Its a two birds with one stone type of thing. Its promoting, and making money while doing so. But Ai only really has TakaGaki FC and the Hawaii FC?
But I think things would be going the same way if Ai wasnt leaving. UFA said theyd be on the offensive this year.

On top of them ... I'm sensing another 5gen dinner show .... With or without asami and makoto.. Well...probably not asami with her being a newsreader now

[aisacchan]

Hawaii.. I'm sensing new PB

[rattrap316]

Already seen them in Japan, though, and I'd like to get the chance to see them up close and personal.

you, me and probably many others. i want a pic with the members like the ones i've seen on this site.

[SayumiHatsune]

OMG those tickets are like hell expensive! I want to go badly. but its a possibility that they won't be at the town I'm gonig 2 or perhaps anywhere. cas they usually stay near the beach. right?

[Manamin]

^ As far as I know, the tours leave from Japan, so you have to get to Japan first to get your flight to Hawai'i.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's what I've been led to believe from other people's experiences.

Already seen them in Japan, though, and I'd like to get the chance to see them up close and personal.

Um... just to be sure, you guys that 'want to go' so badly and need the ticket to Japan on top of the tour - you know you can only sign up for the tour if you're in the FanClub, right? It's a FanClub tour. No FanClub membership, no ticket.

I know some of y'all have FanClub memberships anyway, so it's certainly possible - but I just wanted to check.

[zeroyon]

I think I found what I'm spending my tax refund on, count me in for this!

But seriously... the C-ute one gets canceled, and MM gets to go next without C-ute's being rescheduled? Somehow... that seems unfair....
Maybe they will schedule C-ute's for the end of the school semester in summer? (end of Aug). I hope so!

Has anyone gone on the Hawaii FC tour without having to buy the plane tickets or hotel rooms before?

I assume the answer is "No". If it were possible, the FC members in Japan would be able to use flight mileage points or get cheaper fares through other means too.... No wonder JAL is a sponsor

I already live on Oahu, so I obviously don't need the plane tickets to and from Japan. It might be possible to attend without going to Japan and leaving from there, but it looks like you have to pay full price. You do have to be an FC member though, as Manamin pointed out.
Anyone need a free Japan↔Hawaii plane ticket for that weekend? You will have to forge your passport so it matches my name for the flight though, probably...

I wish that PDF were in selectable text so it would be easier to read, I need to brush up on my kanji

[InvisToumei]

I'm a little curious too because this time shift hasn't happened since the FC tours got more frequent again... from my past experience it's been March/August (and some times in November/December) for several years now rotating between MM/Berryz/Cute/Others(like GAM and Gatas). Made me think either they shifted it for the schedules (Since Aichan is getting into her stageshow/acting career even now, Reina/Sayu do TV stuff, and so forth and so on). But this is what I wanted, one last Hawaii FC Tour so I can try and see Aichan one more time knowing she's leaving...

In any case I really don't suggest you guys try to be like me... I waste several days doing nothing useful trying to find a needle in a haystack... and the only reason I do it is cause I have free time and I live in Hawaii.

IF you are in the FC and have the money though...some say the experience is kinda different... and hey if you haven't been to hawaii before you might get a chance to see some Hawaii coolness... including our good eats. BUT honestly I doubt spending that much is worth it unless you are already in Japan and what not as well. Japan is probably the purest experience you can have in terms of Fan activities.

As we get closer and the onset hyperactivity about it happening comes closer, I'll probably be back to give more of my random feedback regarding the Hawaii FC tours, including some fun random stuff I know about just from being fanatical about it since.....well since the first time I knew when one was here and went to try to see people myself.

[kai_guy01]

^Weird ya? The schedule shifting...

In any case I really don't suggest you guys try to be like me... I waste several days doing nothing useful trying to find a needle in a haystack... and the only reason I do it is cause I have free time and I live in Hawaii.

Ya...and the chance of seeing Sayu and Gaki in bikinis isn't a real reason for you at all

Ai-chan's last time here as a member...man, this will be an ungodly amount of my money UFA is gonna get...

[kantutanTayo14]

Remember, H!P/UF Hawaii FC Tours are for Japanese H!P FC members who flew to Hawaii from Japan for it

H!P FC members who are Japanese citizens who paid for their membership from Japanese bank account & got the FC Tour ticket mailed to their Japanese mailing address
(I think the FC also wants a Japanese mobile contact number with a Japanese telco)

You WON'T see a Hawaiian native attending FC Tours

[~Cya~]

HAWAII! That means... Fukuchan wearing bikini http://www.hello-onl...tyle_emoticons/hello-online/nosebleed.gif .. eh, i mean... i Fukuchan

[sswishbone]

@kantutantayo: - some non-Japanese members of H!O have gone in the past, it is possible to attend it

[turbos86]

^ Like this one *points to self*

There are many factors to consider for us not living in Japan.
First, you have to already have a FC membership. If not, you can apply RIGHT NOW, and call the UFA office and tell the lady on the phone your situation.....no, they don't speak English. (FC membership applications takes a minimum of 1 month to clear.)
Then, you apply for the tour, but it's not guaranteed that you'll get in. This time, there are only 200 spots. If less than 200 fans applies, say, 196 fans, then everyone gets in. If more than 200 applies, a lottery will be used. Also, when you first apply, you get to pick which course you want (different dates, hotels, prices and departure cities). There's a first and second choice for each of these options, and the FC will try to give you the best option you have requested, but again, no guarantees. I was really lucky last time and they gave me my first choice of shortest days stay, cheapest hotel, and departure from Tokyo.
Once your application is approved, you will be mailed more documents and instruction on how to pay. Also, they want 2 photos of you for your badge to be used on the tour. Make sure to mail these back ASAP.
On the day of departure, in the airport of your departure city, go to the JAL guided tour booth to pick up your information package, which includes your tour ID badge. Check-in to your flight, fly to Hawaii and enjoy~

Regarding those who does not want the flight and hotel part the tour package, they do allow you to not purchase those with them, but you have to contact UFA and JAL's guided tour department directly and inquire (Japanese only). If I remember correctly, if you don't take the flight and hotel with them, they will knock 40,000yen off the price, but I do not recommend this, unless you live in Hawaii. The tour is scheduled assuming that everyone flies in together, and are staying at the few hotels they have booked. All the meet ups during the tour are at the hotels. Also, it's cheaper to just take the whole package, compared to you getting your own flights and hotel room.

The real question is, if you can barely come up with $3500 for 3 days in Hawaii for this FC tour, should you even consider it, after reading this post? There's a lot more than just saying "I want to go".
Save more money, and attend a FC bus tour in Japan instead. Bus tours are 1/4 the price and everything is the same. Difference is, it's held in Japan, not in Hawaii.

[zeroyon]

^
I agree that the Bus tours in Japan are much more worth the price, but I only have a certain timeframe to take days off from work this year, and the Hawaii FC tour happens to be in it. I have very few days to take off this year as well, and doing a FC tour here probably uses the least amount of vacation days.
Also, since us living in Hawaii don't have to pay for the round-trip flight portion of the FC tour, and it normally costs over $1000 for a round-trip flight to Japan if I were to go there for a bus tour... the total price difference is still big but not THAT massive. I agree it would be a big difference between the two if you had to go to Hawaii.

Anyways... I'm all signed up and put down my 30000yen deposit money last week I also spent the 7000yen for FC membership. Hopefully the dollar comes out of the crapper and up to 85yen/$ or maybe even 90yen/$ before I have to pay the rest, but I'm not holding my breath. Unfortunately I still do need to pay for the hotel, but oh well. I doubt I will be able to get my first choice of "economy class hotel" too since probably everyone picks economy as their first choice....
I apparently do not need to be an FC member before signing up, per discussion with a UFA FC employee by a friend of mine in Japan who signed me up. Maybe the requirements have been changed since the last MM Hawaii FC tour in regards to prior FC membership?

I should find out around mid-June if I was accepted or not out of the 200 available spots, and what I drew for the trip course/hotel class lotteries. I requested to be in a group with 7 other people I know (and they all requested me too), so hopefully that should improve my chances versus someone going alone?


Nothing to do now but wait and hope!

[Manamin]

Remember, H!P/UF Hawaii FC Tours are for Japanese H!P FC members who flew to Hawaii from Japan for it

H!P FC members who are Japanese citizens who paid for their membership from Japanese bank account & got the FC Tour ticket mailed to their Japanese mailing address
(I think the FC also wants a Japanese mobile contact number with a Japanese telco)

You WON'T see a Hawaiian native attending FC Tours

Closer, but as a few people have pointed out - not correct. You don't have to be Japanese to be in the fan club. You have to have a Japanese address. I've been living in Japan for 3 years now, I'm a fanclub member. I'm also American. You don't pay membership from your bank account. You send a money order through the post office - which you can do without a post office account. You just have to be able to wade through the Japanese. No one is going to hold your hand to do it in English.

Paid my deposit last week, and totally crossing my fingers.

[MorningKawaii]

I really look forward to this FC Hawaii tour, not that I have time to go, or money but I just looooooove these FC events they are so funny and cute to watch, and you can hear all of the girls voices just because of all the solo songs they get. I really hope they will give all the girls solo songs so that we can hear all the kuukies sing I would like to hear Gaki sing a happy song or powerful and Mizuki maybe a ballad would be nice, so we can hear her truly talent, a song like Koi ING or Ai to Taiyou ni Tsutsumarete

[Manamin]

My packet arrived today - I got in.

But I didn't get the course I wanted. I wanted A-course, one of the long ones - because I wanted the free day. I wanted to make sure my vacation FELT like a vacation, in other words.

I got B-course instead.

I'm really on the fence as to whether or not I really want to go, at this rate. I mean, I would LOVE to go on one of these tours. I've been dying to go since I came to Japan and joined the FC. I would LOVE to have a 10shot with the whole group, and I've never been to Hawaii.

On the other hand, B-course is the short course. It seems like, to me, that every moment is pre-planned for you. The day you arrive, it seems like there's a city tour and they toss you on a bus. Check-in is at 3pm, and I don't know if you're free to do whatever after that, or if you're still on the bus or something.

The next two days have events, and then the following day you're back on a bus going to the airport to go back to Japan.

I guess if someone has been on the tour themselves (or knows someone who has), could they please let me know if being an event day means you're attached to the event all day, or how check in day might go? It's an amazing chance, but I'm not too sure I want to go if it means a vacation that doesn't feel like one. I have other stuff I could spend 250,000 yen on - like moving to a new apartment I have my eye on. (Plus, I also applied for the Taka/Gaki bus tour, and at least that'd get me a 3-shot with them...)

[chuxnon]

^ of course I haven't been to a tour or anything - but I would really, really go.
you might not get the same chance ever again, I mean going to a Hawaii tour.
for me, they're kinda special.
but that's just me