Delinquent Graffiti Idol

[Mulboyne]

Chiaki Ito, a member of idol group AAA (Triple A) has stirred up a hornet's nest. On the 25th of July, she posted a picture on her blog showing how she had left her mark in a Baltimore park by scrawling some graffiti on a rock during a recent visit to the US. Initially, fans wrote complimentary comments but, a few days later, other netizens criticized her actions as shameful and called for her to be kicked out of the group. A full-blown flame war broke out on their BBS which led to the blog entry being removed. Avex, the group's agent, initially tried to downplay the incident by saying that the spray was on sale in the park and the area was covered in grafitti just like a promenade in Yokohama's Sakuragicho. However, an official from Yokohama complained that although there was grafitti in the area, it certainly wasn't encouraged by the city and didn't welcome suggestions that it was sanctioned.

Japanese news story here.

[Taro Toporific]

...the area was covered in grafitti just like a promenade in Yokohama's Sakuragicho. However, an official from Yokohama complained that although there was grafitti in the area, it certainly wasn't encouraged by the city and didn't welcome suggestion that it was sanctioned...

Graffiti in Yokohama's Sakuragicho is created plain view in front of two (2) police boxes at both ends of the "Sakuragicho Shindo" (concrete arcade). I used to drive past the "Shindo" twice a day and have watched cops direct traffic as artists unloaded their painting supplies.

[Kuang_Grade]

For those wondering why this was happened in Charm City USA, Baltimore MD, AAA was there for OTAKON, a large East Coast con for Anime, Manga, and other J pop culture topics.

Here's some of the spill over on the otakon boards...

http://board.otakon.com/viewtopic.php?p=158091&sid=55b3469b7cb118455b1958ae309d15bf

http://board.otakon.com/viewtopic.php?p=158091&sid=55b3469b7cb118455b1958ae309d15bf

http://board.otakon.com/viewtopic.php?t=12960&view=next&sid=55b3469b7cb118455b1958ae309d15bf

[Naniwan Kid]

Wow, those OTAKON are really more interested in their city getting defaced than condemning some 5th tier idol for doing it.

How could they possibly think doing this was OK?

The fact that she did it, then took a picture, then posted it on her blog shows how clueless she is.

[Ke11iente]

I remember reading that blog and wondering if it would be okay. The lead male singer also posted the pic on his blog as well. Obviously no one in the org thought there was anything wrong about what they were doing or they wouldn't have plastered it all over the internet. People who are calling for her to get kicked out of the group really need to find something better to do with their time. Bunch of damned Japanese Michael Crooks.

And yes, I do read AAAs blog on a regular basis. They're my one. You know? That one slightly shameful Japanese object of obsession that each and every one of us gaiko's has.

[Mike Oxlong]