Day Trip to Lake Kawaguchi 🗻 ~Another Round of 'Sta☆Revi' Outdoor Live Concert🎵~

Following last Sunday, July 13th, I went to see another 'Stardust☆Revue' live concert last Saturday! 🎵

Click here for the previous article↓↓

The venue this time was the Kawaguchiko Stellar Theater in Lake Kawaguchi, Yamanashi Prefecture.

Actually, this is the very place where I have fond memories of seeing a 'Stardust☆Revue' live concert for the first time 10 years ago, when my husband took me. ✨

I look forward to the concert at this Stellar Theater every year, but for some reason, it didn't happen last year.
So, I was eagerly awaiting the Kawaguchiko Stellar Theater concert, which was being held for the first time in two years. 🥹


Recently, we usually stay overnight on Friday to do some sightseeing before the concert, but due to my husband's work schedule, we are doing a day trip this time, so it seems difficult to do much leisurely sightseeing. 😅

The concert time is early this time, with doors opening at 14:00 and the show starting at 15:00.


On the day, we left home just after 7:00 AM.
I didn't think much of it and assumed we would arrive in about two hours, but it seems the roads from Tokyo are congested, and the arrival time on the navigation system keeps getting later every time I check. 😂
It was initially 9:15, then changed to 9:45, and the next time I looked, it was 10:10. 💦

We got on the Chuo Expressway at Chofu, but we weren't moving at all. 😰
I felt like a lot of time had passed, but we still hadn't even left Fuchu City. 😱
The journey seems to be quite long. 😂


We had talked about extending our trip a bit to buy peaches in Fuefuki, but that seems a bit difficult now. 😱


We stopped for two bathroom breaks along the way, and in the end, it was well past 11:00 when we arrived at Lake Kawaguchi. 😱


That means it took twice as long as planned. 💦
Anyway, we decided to have some of the local specialty, Houtou, to fill our stomachs.

It seems to be a popular restaurant; we arrived around 11:30, and it was already crowded with many customers waiting to get in.
We were able to get in after about 30 minutes. 😌


The Houtou was quite voluminous, and although I was curious about other menu items, I gave up on them. 😂
After we finished and left the restaurant feeling completely full, the sky started to look a bit ominous.

Just as I noticed large raindrops starting to fall, it turned into a downpour in the blink of an eye. ⛈️
There was thunder, too. 😱

It was such a heavy downpour that we decided it was dangerous to keep driving, so we took shelter in the parking lot of the nearby Oishi Park. 🚙
The Stellar Theater has a retractable roof, but I'm a bit worried since it's this bad. 😰


After about 30 minutes, the rain stopped and the sun came out. 🌤️
Since we were there, we took a little walk and bought some peaches as souvenirs. 🍑
We couldn't go to Fuefuki, but we were able to get some peaches. 🎵

Looking at the clock, it's already 2 PM‼️
The doors are already open😂
If I don't hurry, the show will start💦
I borrowed the restroom at a supermarket near the venue to change into my T-shirt👕
I rushed to the parking lot🚙
It's 2:55 PM😂
I made it just in the nick of time!


The show started the moment I sat in my seat!


Apparently, today is the birthday of Soeda-san on keyboards and Terada-san on drums🎂🎉
Happy birthday to them✨


VOH Hayashi-san, who is currently on medical leave, is also performing today✨ I'm so happy🥹

The leader and vocalist, Kaname Nemoto-san, talked about Bo-san's situation.

He said that because he had his vocal cords removed, his life has changed completely from what it used to be.


I asked ChatGPT to explain what happens when you have your vocal cords removed.

1. You lose your voice

Because there are no vocal cords, air does not vibrate, and you cannot produce speech.

You may be able to produce sounds close to a "whisper" using the shape of your mouth and tongue movements.


2. What happens to breathing?

In surgeries where the vocal cords are removed (such as a total laryngectomy), the pathways for the trachea and esophagus are separated.

You breathe through a "tracheostoma" created in your neck.

You cannot breathe through your nose or mouth.


3. Impact on eating and drinking

Because there is a risk that food and water will easily enter the trachea, adjustments are made during surgery.

By the way, he also said that you can no longer blow on hot ramen to cool it down, nor can you slurp it.



And, there are apparently three ways to regain your voice:


1. Artificial larynx (electrolarynx)
→ Generating voice using a device held against the neck.

2. Esophageal speech
→ Practicing creating sound by sending air into the esophagus and using the vibrations.

3. Tracheoesophageal puncture
→ Using a valve installed via surgery to speak using air from the lungs.

It seems Bo-san uses an assistive vocal device called an artificial larynx.

What is an electrolarynx?

When you hold a small, rod-shaped device against your neck or cheek, the mechanical sound creates vibrations, which you then convert into words using mouth movements.

Famous products: Trutone, Electro-Voice

Pros: Easy to use, no surgery required

Cons: The voice sounds robotic


However, perhaps because there are few users, it hasn't evolved significantly; it still uses square batteries instead of being rechargeable, and because you have to hold it in your hand, one hand is always occupied, leaving it in a state that isn't very convenient for users...


So, Kaname-san said he wants many people to know about this current situation so that the technology can evolve into something more user-friendly for those who need it.


I also wanted to do my small part by writing this article, hoping that such devices will continue to evolve and help create a world where people with disabilities can live even a little more comfortably.


Perhaps it is only after losing it that we realize the health we currently have is not something to be taken for granted.


I felt that this concert gave me the opportunity to realize that the things we take for granted are actually miracles.


I am grateful to the members of Stardust☆Revue for reminding me of such important things along with their wonderful sound😌


I look forward to them continuing to deliver wonderful music to us all🤗


Since we started early this time, the end time was also early, and I was able to head home while it was still light out🎵

It was a day where I firmly vowed to continue supporting my beloved "Sta☆Revi"🎵

Thank you for reading until the end😌