Seeing Avantgardey, BNK48, Lil League, and more at Japan Expo Thailand 2026

By Mithun Divakaran
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Feb 22, 2026
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Bangkok, Thailand, Travel

Date: February 7, 2026

I landed in Bangkok on February 4… sick. I was sick when I landed in Phuket on January 29 and I could not enjoy that time with my friends — but I will blog about Phuket later. I didn’t go out much for the first two days in Bangkok. On February 8 (a Saturday), I was on my way to the Big C opposite CentralWorld when I noticed a concert happening at CentralWorld mall.

JapanExpo Thailand outdoor stage Centralworld — Curious, I walked over to check it out

Japan Expo Thailand lineup — Turns out, the 11th edition of JapanExpo Thailand was happening!

And I can’t believe I missed One or Eight! 🙁 I was listening to their latest single “Tokyo Drift” the last few days and I could have seen them perform it live — for free(!) — had I known about JapanExpo happening! Another act I ended up missing was Sho Kiryuin from Golden Bomber. I kept thinking to myself “where have I heard the name Golden Bomber before?“. Only after returning back to India did I remember their awesome track “Dance My Generation” (funny music video by the way).

It wasn’t the whole group that performed so I don’t know if missing Sho Kiryuin was a big deal or not.

Oh well, I made a note of who all were performing on February 8, the last day of Japan Expo Thailand 2026, and told myself I would try to see more acts. Then I went inside CentralWorld mall.

Say La performs Centralworld Bangkok — An idol girl group called Say La were performing on the indoor Taiyo stage

Say La Japanese idol girl group Bangkok — Say La are what in the K-pop world is referred to as a *nugu* group (meaning: not very popular… yet)

Say La Japanese idol girl group Thailand — But I’m going to do my part and promote them a little: http://www.say-la.jp/

In fact, Japan Expo Thailand featured so many artists — many small — and a few big names, both Thai and Japanese.

Joy Japanese idol girl group JapanExpo Thailand — Back out on the main stage, another girl group called JOY was performing

Nearly Equal Joy Japanese idol group Bangkok — Looking them up online, they’re also called Nearly Equal Joy (don’t ask me why)

Fanboys JOY JapanExpo Thailand concert — I wasn’t familiar with JOY’s music but I enjoyed watching the fanboys more!

Fancam tripods camera stage JapanExpo Thailand — They even had an elevated stage which was used by fans for their fancams. Gotta love their dedication!

Check out the compilation of video clips I took at JapanExpo Thailand 2026 at the bottom of this post.

Date: February 8, 2026

The next day (it was a Sunday), I made it back to CentralWorld after visit Dusit Central Park earlier (again, I will blog about all that later).

Cosplayers Centralworld JapanExpo Thailand — Cosplayers were out in full force and many were taking part in photoshoots

Cosplayers JapanExpo Thailand 2026 — I wish I could have spent more time taking photos of some of the cool cosplay I saw

Cosplayers JapanExpo Bangkok 2026 — But there were so many!

Japanese idol meet and greet Centralworld — There were lots of meet & greets happening with idols on the sidelines

Gulf Kanawut JapanExpo Thailand — This was a famous Thai celebrity named Gulf Kanawut

But I had to rush inside CentralWorld to catch a glimpse of the first act I wanted to see that day — Avantgardey. The viral Avantgardey is a 20-member all-female Japanese dance team led by choreographer Akane. They are known for their highly synchronized dances and their ‘uniform’ look. They got really popular after appearing on America’s Got Talent where they reached the semifinals.

Centralworld indoor stage JapanExpo Thailand — It got crowded at the stage level so for a better look, I went a floor above

Avantgardey Centralworld Bangkok — Avantgardey hit the stage and kicked off with a high energy performance

Avantgardey JapanExpo Thailand performance — As you can tell, this is not the full lineup

Avantgardey dance JapanExpo Thailand — The girls danced to a medley of songs, including the “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” from Neon Genesis Evangelion

Avantgardey greet fans Bangkok — They had a brief moment to talk to the audience where they announced Avantgardey would be back in March for a standalone show in Bangkok

Avantgardey leaves stage JapanExpo Bangkok — Avantgardey even danced to a Thai song before leaving the stage

Japanese idol girls Bangkok meet greet — Behind the Taiyo stage, there were more meet & greets with idol groups — but I was told by a staff member that I can’t really take photos of the girls. I guess guys have to pay for that privilege.

I had to step away from CentralWorld to hop over to BigC when I noticed JapanExpo was having a mascot parade.

Mascot parade JapanExpo Thailand — But who is that I see?

Chiitan mascot JapanExpo Thailand — Chiitan!! If you aren’t familiar with the antics of Chiitan, check out his Instagram

I had to head back to my hotel room for a bit as I had to pack my bags. When I stepped out again, it had rained hard for a bit.

Thai cosplayers JapanExpo Thailand — When I returned in the evening, the cosplayers were still seeing milling about

Kid Phenomenon Japanese boyband Bangkok — When I reached the main outdoor Kaze stage, a Japanese boyband called Kid Phenomenon was on stage

I looked up Kid Phenomenon and they’re one of the newer sub-groups under the long-running EXILE TRIBE supergroup. Check out their song “Snakebite” — it’s pretty good.

Lil League Exile Tribe Bangkok — Kid Phenomenon was followed by *another* EXILE TRIBE group called Lil League

Lil League JapanExpo Thailand — I thought they were pretty good! Especially their song “Lollipop“

Banzai Japan JapanExpo Thailand stage — Lil League was followed by a girl group called Banzai Japan

Banzai Japan Bangkok concert — As colourful as their stage was… honestly, I found their music ‘meh’

BNK48 JapanExpo Thailand — The final and closing act of JapanExpo Thailand 2026 was BNK48

Who are BNK48 you ask? Well, they are the Thai sister group of Japan’s most successful idol girl group, AKB48. The 48 signifies the number of members… which now, in AKB48’s case, has grown to have over 100 members! BNK48 is the third sister group after JKT48 (Indonesia). BNK48’s first generation debuted in 2017.

BNK48 BIII Bangkok concert — BNK48 also has sub-units and this unit was the first to perform

BNK48 NV JapanExpo Thailand — This was the second unit

BNK48 Bangkok performance — And then they both joined to perform an AKB48 song

BNK48 3rd generation concert — And these glamorous girls are the 3rd and current generation of BNK48

BNK48 3rd generation first performance — It was their first performance of their latest single “Celebration“

In fact, much of BNK48’s stage was devoted to promoting “Celebration”. The girls even sat on stage and watched the whole music video in front of the audience.

Towards the end, every member of BNK48 took to the stage and said their goodbyes.

BNK48 members on stage Bangkok — They didn’t perform because there was no way they could all dance in that limited space

More than the music, I enjoyed the fan chants, and watching the excitement of the fanboys around me was fun.

BNK48 fans Bangkok Thailand — Check out the video at the bottom for clips of all that

Crowds JapanExpo Thailand closing night — I had to leave as I was leaving Bangkok the following day

Mind you, JapanExpo Thailand was not just about the concerts.

JapanExpo Thailand 2026 pamphlet — There were stalls and booths for other activities and interests

JapanExpo Thailand 2026 program schedule — This was the full line-up of groups who all performed over three days. Click here for a larger version

As much as I enjoyed all the idol groups, I am bitter about not knowing about JapanExpo Thailand 2026 earlier. (I blame my fever). I missed seeing One or Eight, Golden Bomber’s Sho Kiryuin, seeing a few members of AKB48, and the many other smaller groups. Mind you, all of this entertainment was free for three days because JapanExpo Thailand has the backing of Japan’s government agencies and major corporate sponsors like ISUZU Corporation.

I now follow JapanExpo Thailand on Instagram and will keep an eye out for their future events. If you are a J-pop fan in India and wish to see such idol groups, I would highly recommend following JapanExpo and plan a trip to Bangkok around the time the next JapanExpo Thailand happens. I can only imagine it’s going to get bigger!

Bahrain: Returning to the country I grew up in… after 23 years

By Mithun Divakaran
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Jan 04, 2026
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Bahrain, Travel

Date: February 3, 2025

I left Bengaluru past midnight and after a layover in Abu Dhabi, I am now on an Etihad flight to Bahrain.

Flying to Bahrain window seat — Just an hour later, I could see the island of Bahrain in my sight

For those new to my blog — and me — I grew in the island of Bahrain. Me and brothers, we all finished our schooling, before leaving the island in the early 2000s. I hadn’t been back to Bahrain in 23 years. So why now?

My 1999 school batchmates created a WhatsApp group in 2024 and once the group got large enough, discussions began about organizing a reunion celebration to commemorate 25 years since we graduated. I was initially hesitant as after my Mumbai trip to see Coldplay, embarking on an international trip for a week, was going to cost me a lot. But my friend Jassim encouraged me and told me it would be fun, so I just said “fuck it” and swiped my credit card away.

So here I am, landing in Muharraq, where Bahrain International Airport is located.

Landing in Bahrain airport — My father worked on this airport’s expansion back in the 1990s (airport code: BAH)

Bahrain airport Muharraq — But even Bahrain airport has also got a brand new terminal

Batelco aerobridge Bahrain airport — I smiled when I saw the Batelco logo in the aerobridge 🙂 Batelco is Bahrain’s national telecom operator

My friend had gotten my Bahrain visa arranged beforehand, so I just had to walk straight to immigration.

Bahrain airport arrivals Playstation zone — Honestly, there wasn’t anything exciting to see inside the airport. BAH is nice, but nothing special.

Unfortunately, as I passed immigration and passed my bags through security, I ran into trouble for my DJI drone. As my luggage passed through the X-ray machine, the officer asked me if I had a drone, and pulled me into the security room. I was informed drones brought in from outside Bahrain aren’t allowed. So I was told I would have to collect my drone upon leaving.

The security officer wasn’t rude with me or anything. They gave me a form to hand the customs officer when leaving and collect my drone.

Form for seizure of drone Bahrain — This is what the form looks like. So be warned, don’t bring drones to Bahrain.

As for why Bahrain doesn’t allow drones… the official reason is “security”. The real reason is Iran, their proxies in the region, and some smuggling of drugs via drones. Other countries in the region have accused Iran of the same as per the linked articles.

I was really disappointed I couldn’t fly my drone in Bahrain as I had planned for some beach shots. Oh well, I had to scrap those plans. Anyway, I got picked up by my friend Jassim and we drove to Juffair first to pick up another friend. Please watch the video at the end of this vlog for footage from my journey.

Manama world trade center Bahrain — We drove to Manama, which is where I wanted to stay for the first 3 days. Manama is the capital of Bahrain, and where I stayed for most of my youth.

Unfortunately, my phone’s battery was draining fast from all the video recording. So all I could take were a few photos until I could enter my hotel room and charge my phone.

One of the first things me and my friends did was snack on samosas. Crispy with simple potato filling. Back in the 1990s, a bag of six samosas only cost 100 fils (around ₹10 back then). Now, six samosas cost 150 fils at this place. Not bad for inflation!

Samosa shop Manama Bahrain — For me, these were the gold standard for samosas growing up

Awal Hotel Manama Bahrain — Awal Hotel is where I was staying at for a few days

Bahrain International Hotel back entrance Manama — It’s right behind Bahrain International Hotel, a 4-star hotel

Awal Hotel bed Manama — Awal Hotel is pretty old… but I just needed some place to sleep near where I wanted to be

Awal Hotel toilet Manama — The one good thing about an old hotel — lots of space! The room was big, the toilet was huge, and the bed was huge.

I paid around ₹9,281 for 3 nights, which was okay considering better hotels in Manama all cost much more. Downside, no breakfast at this hotel. In fact, what was shocking to me was seeing few new hotel options come up in Manama even after two decades! Many of the hotels in Manama that were there during my time in Bahrain (until 2002) are still operational to this day.

I was going to be moving to Juffair after 3 days to stay with school friends. Juffair has much better accommodation options offering more modern interiors and better value.

After my friends headed back to Juffair and after charging my phone, I stepped out for a bit because I just couldn’t wait to walk through the area I grew up in.

Mohammadia building panorama — My family lived in this Al Mohammadia building for a year or two before moving to a company-provided accommodation… which I will visit tomorrow

Manama mobile shops Jindol Hotel — Below Al Mohammadia building were mostly mobile shops, from where I took an STC SIM. The price was the same at the airport, so makes no difference — just get a local SIM from the airport

Adhari Hotel Manama Bahrain — Adhari Hotel is another relic hotel in Manama

Delmon Center Manama Bahrain — Delmon Center is an apartment building with shops below

Old shop building Manama Bahrain — One change I noticed is the shops in Manama Souq are all have standardized name boards

Bahrain synagogue House of Ten Commandments Manama Bahrain — This is the Jewish synagogue a.k.a House of Ten Commandments — the oldest continuously operating synagogue in the GCC.

Manama souq Bahrain — Much of Manama Souq looks like this

When I was young, for the longest time, from the late 1980s up until the mid-90s, Manama Souq is where my family did most of our shopping. Be it clothes, shoes, bags, and anything else.

Unitag house World Travel Service Manama — I walked to Government Avenue — the main road that passes through Manama

Manama Post office NBB tower Bahrain — To the left is Manama Post Office and the tall building in the back is NBB Tower — once the tallest building in Bahrain

Bab Al Bahrain used to be an old customs building because back in the old days, Bahrain’s sea shore was all the way up to road you see above.

KFC Bab Al Bahrain Manama — And right at Bab Al Bahrain is this KFC, a branch that’s been at this same location for decades!

KFC 2 piece meal Bahrain — Although I walked past this KFC hundreds of times, I rarely ever sat inside and ate there. So I did now.

The above KFC meal cost me BD 2.2 (2 pc Original Recipe, regular fries, 7-Up, toum) — that’s more than ₹500. KFC truly has become quite expensive!

Whenever I go abroad, I eat at KFC and McDonalds. KFC, because we don’t get Original Recipe anymore in India. McDonalds, because in India they don’t sell beef burgers.

After lunch, I walked back to my hotel.

Ambassador Stores Manama Bahrain — Ambassador Stores — another long-standing business in Manama. Famous for being a dealer for major music and watch brands.

Merchant House Hotel Manama Bahrain — Left: The Merchant House, a 5-star luxury boutique hotel
Right: The longstanding Standard Chartered building.

Citypoint hotel Manama Bahrain — Citypoint Hotel is a 4-star hotel

Bahrain dinar currency notes design — Back in my hotel room, I sent a photo of Bahrain’s currency — the Dinar — to my parents, so they could see what the current design looks like

The Bahrain Dinar (BHD) is one of the most valuable currencies in the world. 1 BHD is $2.65/€2.25/₹239. After I took bath, I felt sleepy, and took a nap since I barely slept in my flight. By the time I woke up, it was past 8pm.

Turkish Osmen Bey restaurant Manama — There was a Turkish restaurant right beside Awal Hotel

Turkish shawarma french fries Bahrain — I had a chicken Turkish shawarma, french fries, and tea (cost BD 2.4)

For all the claims Turkey makes about their shawarmas (or doner), I honestly didn’t like it that much. The Lebanese do it better.

Manama souq at night Bahrain — After dinner, I walked around Manama Souq again

Souq Bab al Bahrain Manama — This is Souq Bab al Bahrain

Back in the 1980s and 1990s, this stretch was filled with electronic stores, selling mostly ‘Made in Japan’ brands.

Yaquby stores Manama souq Bahrain — Yaquby Stores was one of those flagship businesses here — but they have moved out

Souq Bab al Bahrain night lights — Makes me wonder what the future of this area is going to be like

Bab al Bahrain at night Manama — I wonder all the changing shops Bab Al Bahrain has witnessed

Al Khalifa Avenue at night Manama — I popped into a supermarket beside Bab Al Bahrain

Kitkat Twix White McVities Nibbles — I made a list of all the Kit Kats I intended to buy and for dessert, I tried Twix White chocolate and McVities Nibbles for the first time

Bab al Bahrain Police station post office museum — To the left is Bab al Bahrain Police station, and right is the first post office in Manama — now a museum

I went to the museum but all that in upcoming blog posts.

Here’s the vlog:

Previous post in this series:

Bahrain: Seeing BLR Terminal 2 and new Abu Dhabi airport for the first time

Bahrain: Seeing BLR Terminal 2 and new Abu Dhabi airport for the first time

By Mithun Divakaran
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Dec 08, 2025
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Bahrain

Date: February 3, 2025

Less than two weeks after I finished my Mumbai trip, I embarked on yet another journey. This one… it’s a very special and quite significant trip. I was going to the island of Bahrain in the Middle East… after 23 years! Bahrain is where me and my brothers grew up, and finished our schooling. My father worked there until 2006 and then again briefly in 2016.

On the night of Feb 2, my older brother dropped me off at Bengaluru airport’s new Terminal 2 — a visual stunner!

BLR airport terminal 2 entrance — BLR terminal 2 is easily the most beautiful airport I have ever seen!

Lift to bus station BLR terminal 2 — To get to the bus bay and the counters for Uber and Ola, take this lift downstairs

Inside BLR T2 panorama — The interiors are absolutely STUNNING!

I arrived early simply to spend some time admiring the beauty of BLR Terminal 2. Designed by renowned architecture giant Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill (SOM), Bengaluru’s new airport terminal is now used primarily for international flights — but do note — Air India uses T2 for both its domestic and international flights.

BLR airport terminal 2 check-in desks — My flight was Etihad — an airline I had never flown before

Inside Bengaluru airport Terminal 2 — I highly recommend arriving early just to appreciate the design of BLR T2

One thing that hasn’t changed was the slow process of security checks. Having to take out all my electronics and re-pack… so irritating! Come on CISF, technology has fixed this problem already!

BLR T2 airport duty free — Once I cleared immigration, I walked through the Duty Free

See the video below for more footage from the Duty Free but nothing special — it’s big on liquor, and I just made a note of prices.

BLR T2 duty free Galaxy Minis — Many of the chocolates were cheaper to buy from supermarkets in Bahrain.

Starbucks BLR airport terminal 2 — You have Starbucks and a bunch of branded stores past the Duty Free

Interiors Bangalore terminal-2 airport design — When you enter the concourse, the impressive interiors continue

080 lounge BLR T2 queue — Look at the lines outside the Zero Eight Zero Lounge! I had Priority Pass but I didn’t wish to waste time waiting in line.

Wolfgang Puck kitchen bar BLR T2 airport — Apart from lounges, you have even more food options here

Cross-laid engineered bamboo BLR T2 airport — Cross-laid engineered bamboo is a distinctive material used across Terminal 2

Bengaluru airport T2 gates — I walked to my gates

Bangalore departure gates Terminal 2 — Quite a lot of gates!

Departure gates art sculptures BLR terminal 2 — I sat near my gate, in front of the art installations, of which there are many across T2

Escalator down to aerobridge BLR T2 — Although the Etihad flight was delayed, I was still very excited

Etihad window seat A321 BLR — I got an aisle seat right at the very front.. and fortunately, had nobody next to me. So I switched to the window seat as I had the entire row to myself.

A new trend among airlines? I noticed there were no in-flight entertainment screens behind every seat. Turns out Etihad had them removed on Airbus A320 and 321 planes to “save weight”. Truth is, it’s cost-cutting measure, plain and simple. Just one less feature to spend on and maintain. And I thought Etihad was on par with Emirates and Qatar Airways.

Etihad QR code e-Box in-flight entertainment — For in-flight entertainment, passengers have to scan this QR code to get a website to load and watch content on our phone or tablet — but it did not work for me

Etihad breakfast in-flight meal BLR to AUH — Give the timing of my flight, meal service was breakfast and it was just average. Chicken sausage, plain omelette in a tomato sauce, fruits, yogurt, and a bread roll.

I tried to sleep but couldn’t because it wasn’t too long before the sun came up.

Abu Dhabi desert aerial view — 3.5 hours later, I could see the desert sands of Abu Dhabi — the largest emirate in the UAE.

I get nostalgic whenever I fly to the Gulf — any GCC country — because they all have more or less the same vibe.

Residential area Abu Dhabi from sky — No shortage of space in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi highway from airplane — We were about to land

New Zayed international airport Abu Dhabi — One of the main reasons for flying Etihad was to see the new Zayed International Airport

New Zayed International airport AUH — The new airport’s inauguration was delayed due to COVID-19

The last time I visited Abu Dhabi was in 2010, when my father worked here. The old airport had given away to a multi-billion dollar new airport designed by the same architecture firm behind BLR T2.

Arriving at Zayed airport Abu Dhabi — I had some time between my connecting flight to Bahrain

Zayed international airport travelator Abu Dhabi — Not just the exteriors but even the interiors are futuristic in design

Inside Zayed Airport Abu Dhabi — Even though the architects were SOM, the design gives off Zaha Hadid’s signature design cues

New Zayed airport interior design — I exchanged some AED my younger brother had since COVID-19, and then just walked around the shops

Zayed international airport arches Abu Dhabi — Check out the video at the end of this blog post for footage I recorded at both airports

Walking to gates Zayed airport Abu Dhabi — After I had seen enough, I went to my gate

Zayed airport waiting gates Abu Dhabi — My Bahrain flight was delayed slightly so I used the time to finish some work

Yas Marina circuit from airplane Abu Dhabi — An aerial view of the Yas Marina race circuit

Etihad sandwich Kitkat nuts in-flight meal — Given the flight was only an hour long, the in-flight meal was just a small cheese sandwich, some nuts, and a KitKat

I bid adieu to Abu Dhabi and the UAE. My arrival at Bahrain International Airport will be the next post because I took even more photos on just day 1. If you want a preview though… just watch the vlog below.