Japanese Fans Spend the Night With Michael’s Memorabilia

Ever since yesterday, Japanese fans of Michael have been competing to spend a night at the “Norlend Collection” located in Tokyo Tower. More than 300,000 people have rushed to the area since the opening of the only official exhibition of Michael memorabilia on May 1 in Tokyo, and officials have decided it would be good to let them spend the night with Michael’s keepsakes.

The Tokyo Tower manager says: “The idea may seem a bit strange in Western culture, but in Japan, spending the night with the belongings and memorabilia of someone who has passed away is a religious custom.”

Interested people are selected by lottery, and they can enter the Michael memorabilia hall at 10:00 p.m. on June 25 and stay there until 8:00 a.m. the next morning. They pay up to one thousand dollars to sleep on the ground next to Michael Jackson’s belongings.

One fan who stood in line on Sunday to test his luck says: “The chance to spend the night next to his clothes, household items, countless awards, and stage equipment on the night of Michael’s death anniversary is an unforgettable experience.”

The person in charge of setting up the exhibition says many visitors spend six hours or more at the Michael memorabilia exhibition: “Some Japanese fans, when they come face to face with items that are valuable to Michael and symbolic to people around the world, become so overwhelmed by emotion that they freeze in front of these items with tears in their eyes—and they still try to come to terms with losing Michael.”

Source: eMJey / Reuters