Tokyo fans pay big bucks to meet Michael Jackson
Last Updated: Sunday, March 4, 2007 | 6:49 PM ET
CBC Arts
His popularity has waned considerably in the United States, but it seems Michael Jackson still has some currency in Japan.
Jackson arrived in Tokyo on Sunday, his second visit in recent years, to hold court at an exclusive party where admirers will fork over $3,500 US to spend as little as 30 seconds in his company.
Michael Jackson waves to fans on his arrival at Narita International Airport near Tokyo on Sunday. Jackson is hosting an exclusive party where fans get to spend 30 seconds with the pop icon for $3,500 US.
(Itsuo Inouye/Associated Press)
Sporting his usual dark sunglasses along with a black leather jacket, Jackson was greeted by hundreds of fans Sunday afternoon at Narita airport. On Thursday he will attend the party where guests get 30 seconds to one minute each of exclusive face time with the pop music star, 48.
It was unclear whether Jackson, who made his first official visit to Japan following his 2005 acquittal on child molestation charges in the U.S., would perform any songs.
"Tokyo is such a wonderful place, and I look forward to speaking to my friends and fans at both events. My fans have been so loving and supportive of me," Jackson said in an earlier statement postponing the Tokyo event to March from December.
Fan winners get brunch with MJ
While in Tokyo, Jackson will also host a fan art contest on Friday for those who cannot afford VIP tickets, organizer Broderick Morris said in an e-mail.
"Over the years, as Michael Jackson has performed in cities around the world, he has been pleased, honoured, and impressed by the large amount of fan art of him," Morris wrote. "He would like to meet fan artists, and more fully appreciate and enjoy their creative expressions."
Three winning artists chosen by Jackson will have brunch with the star and have their picture taken together.
One of the best selling recording artists of all time, Jackson has lived abroad since his 2005 acquittal, forsaking his Neverland Ranch in California for residences in Bahrain, France and a castle in Ireland.
He appeared on stage at the World Music Awards in London last November, singing a few lines from We Are The World, but skipping an expected rendition of his hit song Thriller.
With files from the Assoicated PressShare Tools
- Spider-Man trailer: fresh take or more of the same?by Arts Online Feb. 7, 2012 5:15 PM Spider-Man? Yes. Amazing? Maybe. The first full-length trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man -- the reboot of the comic-turned-movie trilogy -- has been released. But considering the previous movie franchise ended a mere five years ago and that we've been bombarded with stories about the troubled Broadway musical adaptation since then, this reboot does beg the question: Do we really need to revisit Spider-Man?
Top News Headlines
- Adele wins best album, best record Grammys
- Adele capped off a "life-changing" year by winning six Grammys Sunday night, including record of the year and album of the year for 21 more »
- Hit and run victim's family fears accused will walk
- The family of a young mother killed in a hit and run is outraged that the case against the alleged driver is among thousands in B.C. at risk of being thrown out because of a huge court backlog. more »
- CBC launches digital music service
- CBC is diving into the world of online music with the goal of providing listeners access to their favourite tunes and a way to discover new artists and connect with fellow music fans. more »
- Is it time to start investing in world markets yet?
- Investors have always been told that diversification is one of the best ways to reduce the risk associated with a portfolio, but they often aren't told the whole story. more »
Latest Arts & Entertainment News Headlines
- Britain's BAFTAs honours The Artist
- Silent movie The Artist dominated the British Academy Film awards, the U.K. equivalent of the Oscars, winning seven awards, including best picture. more »
- Whitney Houston autopsy results withheld
- Whitney Houston was found in a hotel bathtub but it'll take weeks to determine precisely how she died, a Los Angeles coroner's official says. more »
- Whitney Houston's death sparks chorus of grief
- Regular music fans and superstar performers joined together in a chorus of grief upon hearing that Whitney Houston had died at age 48 on the eve of the Grammy Awards. more »
- CBC launches digital music service
- CBC is diving into the world of online music with the goal of providing listeners access to their favourite tunes and a way to discover new artists and connect with fellow music fans. more »
Q Blog
Enter our Six-Word Modern Love Story Contest! Feb. 10, 2012 2:54 PM The goal is simple: tell a full and rich modern love tale in just six words. Funny. Sad. Sexy. Or futuristic sexy, the kind with spaceships. Winners announced on Q's February 14th Modern Love special.
CBC Books
The web celebrates 200 years of Charles Dickens Feb. 10, 2012 7:13 PM The revered English novelist turns two centuries-old this week! See the online tributes and leave your birthday message for a chance to win a copy of Charles Dickens: A Life.
- Adele wins best album, best record Grammys
- Houston autopsy results withheld by police
- Quebec town 'heartbroken' after killing of woman, sisters
- Pop queen Whitney Houston dies at 48
- Hit and run victim's family fears accused will walk
- Manitoba man dies after falling off moving SUV
- Doors blocked in fatal Manitoba trailer blaze
- Greece passes new austerity deal amid rioting
- Northern lights viewed from space
