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发表于 2006-5-27 20:04:05
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Michael Jackson makes rare public appearance in Japan
TOKYO (AFP) - Excited fans lined up in the rain for a glimpse of pop singer Michael Jackson, who was receiving an award here on a rare public appearance after his sensational sex trial.
The fallen pop icon, wearing orange-tinted sunglasses and a black jacket opened to expose a tight white T-shirt, arrived in a limousine to accept a "Legends Award" at MTV Japan's Video Music Awards on Saturday.
Jackson, 47, waved to hundreds of fans who jostling for spots along the red carpet to see the elusive superstar, who fled to Bahrain after his acquittal on child molestation charges in June last year.
"I believe that Michael is innocent and has done nothing wrong. I want him to be free from pressure so he can perform music once again," said Hideki Endo, 43, holding an umbrella outside the stadium in Tokyo's teeny-bopper district Harajuku.
His friend, Hideki Ani, 35, said he bought a ticket that cost 40,000 yen (350 dollars) over an Internet auction.
"Of course, we came to see Michael Jackson more than any of the other talent at this event," Ani said.
"I admire solely his musical excellence and his dancing ability. I have no interest at all in what the media say about his trial or his having had plastic surgery," he said.
Many of the fans came without tickets after the sudden announcement a day earlier that Jackson would come out of hiding.
One of them was Takako Kataoka, 35, who wore a jacket from Jackson's 1984 tour promoting "Thriller," the best-selling album of all time.
"There are lots of groups of Michael fans from young to old here today who came to know about one another through the Internet," she said.
"Although he might be getting too old for a world tour I hope he will perform again, as he could do so for charity," she said.
After being acquitted in June 2005, Jackson left the United States and his 1,000-hectare (2,500-acre) Neverland ranch for the relative anonymity of Bahrain.
His promoters said he will travel Asia sightseeing, meeting business leaders and visiting orphanages.
"I look forward to seeing old friends and saying hello to my huge fan base in Japan, who, like my other fans around the world, have for so many years consistently shown their love and support to me and my family," Jackson said in a statement. |
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