When I introduced Alpha999 last year there was something that I noticed almost immediately.
The one who introduced me to TAKA’s music lives in Japan. They have the option to go to Alpha999’s live shows and get their hands on CDs or merchandise. But since I live overseas, I cannot do any of this without help. This is why I started to look into ways for overseas fans to support their favorite artists in these difficult times, without it actually breaking the bank on their end. While a shopping service is a wonderful option, I personally prefer it if I can place an order myself and get it shipped directly to my address overseas.
Digital platforms
During my search I figured out that the only first-hand option for overseas fans were the streaming services like Apple Music and Spotify, just to name the two most used ones in Europe. But that’s the only thing for overseas that you were able to directly support Alpha999’s work with.
If you wanted something else like a cheki or a towel you would have to find someone who could visit a live show to pick up the items and then send them over. Something that’s quite tricky to do, to say the least. And especially with a year like 2020, where shows have been canceled left and right for everyone’s safety due to the pandemic.
TAKA has however found a solution for this problem. Alpha999 has launched their official webshop in December 2020, and you know what the best part is? The shop provides overseas orders and shipping without the help of a third party!
You can find the official webshop through this link:
https://alpha999.base.shop/
But how do I place an order?
While it might be a little tricky since the form where you have to fill out your information is in Japanese and tailored to Japanese addresses, it is possible to trick the system and actually enter your own information from overseas. It might look a little strange on the shipping label, but that is a minor inconvenience now isn’t it?
As an overseas customer you can checkout with PayPal or Credit Card, and with either option you have to confirm your overseas address through the PayPal or Credit Card service you’re using, so it will still process as an overseas order.
Image gallery
At the moment of writing the online shop provides the following items (click the images below to enlarge them and view more information about each product), but when new items become available the shop will of course be updated accordingly. For now this section only serves to give you an idea of what items you can expect at the moment of writing this article.
Extra information
If you’re curious about Alpha999’s music there is a live archive that’s available until the end of 2020. The original X-MAS show was held on December 23rd without an audience as a 2-man live and streamed through TwitCasting. A ticket for this archive costs ¥3,500 and is available (in English) through this page: https://twitcasting.tv/alpha999_taka/shopcart/42773
(This stream archive is no longer available.)
During the show TAKA also announced a special live show for his birthday, this show will be held on February 24, 2021. As a second announcement he announced that Alpha999 will release a new album in the near future as well!
And finally, the special cheki package containing TAKA and Syu from the Lounge Room TwitCasting series is only available for a limited time. So if you’re interested in these special cheki, now’s your chance.
Follow Alpha999
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雪 (Yuki) is the owner and driving force behind Arlequin.
She originally started the project in 2009 as a photographer under the name of Arlequin Photography, but developed an interest in journalism and translation ever since. Because of these interests interviews and reviews were added to the project, until it eventually hit the limits as a "photographer" in 2021, and Arlequin Magazine was added to the mix.
雪 (Yuki) is a native Dutch speaker with a graphic design degree, which means she is also the main person behind Arlequin Creations.
After all these years she is still the main person who does interviews the interviews and live photos that you see on Arlequin, but also a large chunk of the reviews and behind-the-scenes work and communication goes through her.
She speaks Dutch and English on a native level, but also understands Japanese and German.