^The trains run late on the 31st, because hundreds of thousands of Japanese are going to shrines to say their new year's prayers (called Hatsumode). I left the arena at 1am, was stuck in the crowds for at least 90 minutes, possibly 120 minutes, then caught the Yamanote line back to Ikebukuro. I didn't get to my hotel until nearly 4am. I've tried to block that part of the night out because it was pretty awful.

So my advice is, if you go to the 31st show, leave when the final song starts, or even before, so you're not stuck in sardine like conditions for 2 hours. Seriously, you'll be so squished against random people, its uncomfortable and embarrassing. :dead2

I've been to 3 CDLs on the 31st and it took me an hour to get home to the hotel from there, and I lived near Akihabara! The crowds are big for sure but you are always moving....

^There was about 20 mins where I didn't move at all, and was squished against two random males. They only had the single front gate open, and it honestly took me about two hours to get out of Harajuku. About 90 mins inside the arena gates, then another half an hour lining up to get on the train to get to Ikebu. That was my crappy experience. :shrug

Wish I could go!!!
Loved the concert I went to during the summer!

I want to go! I have too much going on next month to plan any sort of trip. Maybe next year's CDL... who wants to go with me!

Oh man. Would it be better to go on the 29th or 30th then? Do the trains run late on those days?

^They don't, but the concert finishes around 10 or 10:30pm, and the trains usually stop around 1am I think, so you'd have plenty of time. :yes On the 29th of CDL12-13 she sang Ivy, so if you go on the 29th you might get to hear something different to the final set list.

The 29th always seems to have one or two extra songs that get scrapped.

off topic, but another South Carolinian Ayu fan!
i never thought i'd see the day.

Thanks! :D Is it the same scenario during arena tours too? I'm recently thinking of joining TA for the sake of securing tickets with no hassle but now i'm worried. I've always been asking my friend to get tickets for me but next time i wanna do it myself. :(

Does it mean that joininh TA won't give u 100% possibility of securing tickets?

I remember that I went to karaoke after CDL's NY show. and stayed there until 6 am. at 6 am trains were absolutely free, so I didn't have any troubles. the thing is that my friends went to karaoke at 11 pm while I was at the concert so I just joined them.

Nope it doesn´t secure you tickets. It´s a lottery-system.

Agree. But so far i got all the tickets i balloted for :D *grins

Yep, that's one reason why I always go on the 29th or 30th. The 31st is too crazy. Even on a normal night, getting out of Yoyogi is a pain and can take a while. Where its situated is not ideal for crowds. And then considering one of the most famous temples in Japan is right across the street? Forget about it on New Years.

Here's a tip btw, if you walk the opposite direction, you will hit Shibuya station in about 10 minutes. ;) That station is crowded too, but not as bad as Harajuku after a concert.

Has anybody posted a guide to entering the lottery...? I don't want to press the wrong buttons. :dead2 Sorry I'm kind of an idiot...

I think, u have to choose which concert is your first priority, second and third. Then u choose for how many ticket (2 maximum). Then it will take you to billing page, and u must have japan credit card in order to proceed

Really? Like everytime? :D it made me feel better. Haha I was convinced that being a TA member makes everything easier when it comes in getting tickets. By how much percentage can the possibility of winning in the lottery be?

When I balloted last year I went for two tickets on every date and I only got one set of tickets, which were on the 29th. It's really just down to luck.

what do you guys think ayu will perform?
main tracks from LOVE again or other songs from that poll we voted?

^ I don't know what to expect.
Three days like last year..
Uhm.. Maybe instead of singing a different song during encore this time she'll change parts of the setlist during the three shows? :mischief
Who knows.. It'd be cool, but.. knowing that, if that happens, we will never have the chance to see all the different performances, I feel bad. :tipsy