1.
handshake event; meet-and-greet (where fans line up to shake hands with celebrities, idols, or authors)
A fan event where performers — most famously idol group members, but also authors, voice actors, and athletes — line up to greet fans one by one with a brief handshake and a few words. Attendance is typically limited by ticket, often bundled with CD or book purchases. A well-established fixture of Japanese pop culture.
明日、握手会に行く。
I'm going to a handshake event tomorrow.
CDを買うと握手会の参加券がついてくる。
If you buy the CD, a handshake event ticket comes with it.
人気アイドルの握手会には全国から数千人のファンが集まった。
Thousands of fans gathered from across the country for the popular idol's handshake event.
Compound of 握手 (handshake) and 〜会 (gathering, event). The format rose to prominence with the AKB48 idol boom of the late 2000s and remains a signature Japanese fan-service event. Fans typically have only a few seconds of face-to-face contact, and events follow strict rules about photography, gifts, and behavior. The word is neutral in register and appears freely in casual conversation, marketing, and news.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 握手会に行く: to go to a handshake event
- 握手会に参加する: to attend a handshake event
- 握手会を開く: to hold a handshake event
- 握手会の参加券: handshake event ticket
- 握手会イベント: handshake event (pleonastic but common in advertising)
RELATED TERMS:
- サイン{会|さいんかい}: autograph signing event — a similar fan event for authors and artists
- ファンミーティング: fan meeting — broader event with a stage portion
- お{渡し会|おわたしかい}: "handover event" — where items are passed directly from performer to fan
- 撮影会: photo-op event — lining up for posed photos with a performer