My Top 10 Precious Chekis

When you encounter something memorable, or had an overwhelmingly special experience, one would like to preserve that memory. One way is to preserve them as photos. Photos are physical, you can just insert them in an album and afterwards flick open, refer back and cherish those moments. Polaroids / Chekis are such precious mementos. Its even more meaningful if its signed as they would include dates, maybe your name and some special (or even nonsensical) messages. Polaroids are popular due to their small size. They're compact enough to put into your wallet and later pull it out for your daily dose of feels.


As such, this post is all about chekis! Here are my top 10 special chekis. I am expecting people not to correctly predict my current number 1 most precious. (hint, not ah lian)

10) Saki Kamiya (Gang Parade)

Event - idolidge 2016 (Jack Studio, Taiwan)
First precious cheki: Saki Kamiya! I've been wanting to meet her in person. Was glad that she just returned from her suspension and will be present in Taiwan. This was taken before her hairstyle grew even more outlandish LOL. Can't pass up the opportunity photo together with Saki Kamiya, especially after an amazing live performance that included their signature plastic2mercy.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

9) Ooba Haruka (7land)

Event - MY Idol Party Vol. 1 (KL Life Centre, Malaysia)
Sure, this event was cancelled but the group made it up by having an offkai. No other idol has done a cheki session at Dataran Merdeka. Applaud the cameraman, really its a well taken cheki. You have your favourite 7land member, a nice backdrop and she is in her casual clothes. Just by looking at this cheki gives me memories of that nice but painful walk with her and sipping Cha Tra Mue~

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

8) Takiguchi Hikari (drop)

Event - @Jam Expo 2017 (Yokohama Arena, Japan)
Takky is now wyenra. But this particular  cheki taken while she was in "drop" was much more special. This was my first "homework cheki" as I made a mistake opting for the most expensive option. This cheki was taken because the day before, she announced she will be graduating in November. WHAT?! So there I was, enduring the long snaking queue just for her cheki. I actually took a photo with her once during a CD Release event but she doesnt remember. It was nice to chat nonsense with her, so imagine my torture trying to get someone retrieve back this particular cheki at any event that drop would be attending.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7) Ami Himesaki (Linq/Amihime)

Event - idolidge 2017 (Jack Studio, Taiwan)
Trivia: Ami Himesaki actually went down to Singapore for some Fukuoka fashion show event years back. She's part of LinQ. Then, I was somehow dragged to her side for a group shot, all the while wearing a Morning Musume's Ishida Ayumi shirt! Thats very very embarassing. Kinda fond of her, naturally would be one of the members I would go during Idolidge. Told her I was from Singapore and was surprised that I remember her performance during that fashion event. Sadly this is the first and last cheki I had of her.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6) Ichigo Rinahamu (BPM15Q / now CY8ER)

Event - Moshi Moshi Nippon (@Scape, Singapore)
Personally given by Rinahamu as thanks for an impromptu pizza party. Yeap, this cheki is not a 2shot cheki. Its special because of the circumstances that resulted her in distributing these rare self-taken chekis. Story goes I only wanted rinahamu, thus try to rally people to spam CHEERZ on nicamoq (since both of them were in BPM15Q). No regrets on having them attend our first and only Moshi Moshi Nippon event. Afterall, we witnessed rinahamu perform "nerve" at the karaoke booth. Oh and Romantic Ukare Mode too.

*Yes, I do have a proper 2-shot cheki with her*

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5) Aoki Risa (Appare Harajuku)

Event - Parco 2.5D Event (PARCO Shibuya, Japan)
Before Appare Harajuku became the yakkai magnet they are, I manage to watch them proper in Parco 2.5D. Its was quite subdued, no moshing and lifting. I remembered that this event was Pikarin's birthday event, just forgotten the event's actual name. Parco 2.5D was a very very small venue. Surprised when we were told we can take photos of Appare Harajuku during performance. Saw this ultra cute member, I just have to get her cheki! I'm glad I did because a year later, Risarin graduated from the group due to health concerns. This is my one and only cheki of her, it'll be very cherished for sure!

*As of now, she is a member of Nekopla. Whatttttt*

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4) Suyama Emiri (Niji No Conquistadors)

Tokyo Idol Festival 2016 (Odaiba, Japan)
Tbh, I consider the UR (ULTRA RARE) of chekis. Knowing Emiri dislike the heat very much, imagine my surprise that Emiri was in attendance during TIF! What makes it sweet was this cheki worth 2K as opposed to 4-5K. It was some special gaijin privilege, show your passport and you'll get a discount for the cheki. Sure there is no sign but to do a cheki with Emiri is very rare, even the local wotas lament about her not showing up at times. What makes it sweeter was that Emiri would graduate soon, thus this was the one and only cheki I had with her. Similar to Risarin and Amihime.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3) Nemoto Nagi (Niji No Conquistadors)
*I disregard Dempa*

HMV Magazine Event (2017) and Sofmap CD Release (2015) tied
This is a Nemo cheki which I had a hard time deciding which is no 3. Alright, put them both in tied at number 3! Anyways both are kinda interconnected. In 2015 at Sofmap Akihabara, was when I met Nemo for the very first time. She instead went "Kap Khun Kap" to me thinking I was Thai even when I mentioned I was from Singapore. A very bubbly interesting person, next day went for her "kakigori" event in TIF.

The other cheki was when she participate the Sakidol event and had a solo performance plus sign session in HMV Shibuya Modi. Bought that book and she was genuinely elated to see me again. In fact, due to a somewhat Gaijin privilege, manage a lengthy talk time with her with Japanese wotas having surprised looks on their faces. I was truly impressed by her commitment and professionalism, as she was standing throughout the event doing signs for almost 3 hours!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2) Yue Miyatani (Akishibu Project)

Event - Japan Expo Thailand (Centralworld, Thailand)
No surprises here, just a matter of when Yuechi would appear as my precious cheki. Regular readers of my blog would know how high I regarded Yuechi and how much I cherish her presence. Now its a matter of which cheki is the most precious. It's got to be my 1st cheki with her. That fateful day when I managed to get hold of Yuechi's towel and was also lifted during her performance. It had such an effect, that she be calling me by name whenever I'm around.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And now for the most precious cheki.

*drum rolls*

1) Rizu Matsui (Vienolossi)

Event - Tokyo Idol Festival 2015 (Odaiba, Japan)
This is the most precious cheki ever! Vienolossi is a Toyama-based local idol group. Its a group that you are unlikely to meet in major cities like Tokyo. Usually one have to travel to their prefecture and attend their local festival events just to see them. I was totally surprised and went hyper mode when they were invited for TIF! Rizu Matsui is a mixed blood, filipino + japanese, mistook her as Malay when I saw her video. Why this cheki is placed higher than my favourite members, was down mainly to youtube. I stumbled onto Vienolossi by accident and by following their videos uploaded by a local videographer, found this group to have promise. So much so, memorized their furicopy and trying to make sense of their mixes. My interaction with Rizu was memorable too. She remembered and even waved at me in the crowd. Whoaaa. Sadly she graduated that same year and somehow my support for the group support gradually dwindled down. They undergone too many member changes and had no new songs to entice me.

**Special mentions**:

These 2 are special because I cant find a place to list them in my top 10. Nevertheless, they are my precious memento too.

Fujikawa Chiai

I have mixed feelings about this cheki. To be honest the way she wrote my name because of her absent-mindedness kinda spoils it but then this is the only cheki I had with her. Hard for me to list as an absolute "precious" but hey its Chiai! The voice extraordinaire of Maneki Kecha, deserves a special mention somehow. She is one in my wishlist to have a cheki with, and managed to attain it when they were invited to Japan Expo Thailand. Glad I took this cheki because she has since graduated.

Arakawa Yuuna

Yuunarin, Funaki Saori and Ishikawa Natsumi announced graduation from Akishibu Project. And among the 3, I only have a physical cheki of Yuunarin. Unfortunately, only Yuunarin attended Idolidge, the only event I am ever to see her one final time. Contemplate to put it as my precious chekis, but kinda disappointed I didnt opt for a sign. Sure I had Yuunarin's cheki prior, but this is would be the last cheki with her in Akishibu Project ever. She's a nice pretty lady though. "Chio siol~"

Its not a cheki, but its still regarded one of the most precious. A mobile 2-shot with Kohime! The shortest member of Afilia Saga! Short and adorable, her voice very "smacc".

Also not forgetting this group photo taken with the "1 in a 1000 years" idol Kanna Hashimoto and her group Rev.from DVL! Quite impossible to have photo with her since she is now a famous actress. Upon a reminder from a fellow wota comrade Henry, include this after I uploaded this post ;) In fact this is quite memorable as its my first photo taken with idols during my very first TIF!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As you can see, the recurring theme to place one as my top 10 most precious, is down to the sad fact that its the cheki that would be the last time taken together before they graduate. Though there are others posted for special reasons (example is rinahamu).

For now this is the current ranking of my top 10 cheki. However knowing Yuechi will be graduating this May, if I manage to attend her final event, perhaps that cheki would replace Rizu as my most precious? For now, Rizu claims top spot.