FUKUOKA, Japan -- Superstar Michael Jackson bowled the crowd over saying 'I love you,' in Japanese Friday night in a concert weaving high-tech wizardry with his biggest hits, delighting screaming teenagers waving banners enscribed, 'We believe you.'
Unphased by allegations of child sex abuse, 30,000 fans from toddlers to grandmothers packed the Fukuoka Dome in the western port city for the first of two concerts in Japan on the Asian leg of Jackson's 'Dangerous' world tour.
Arriving on stage in an explosion of fireworks, light and sound, Jackson sang and danced through a set that included hits from his last album, 'Dangerous,', 'Thriller,' the biggest selling album in pop history, and 'Bad.'
He even included some nostalgic 'Jackson 5' numbers, recalling his start with the family group.
'Wow. How are you doing,' shouting a black and gold-clad Jackson.
'Wow,' responded the throbbing crowd.
The decibels rose when he shouted, 'I love you.'
But the dome roof nearly lifted off when Jackson breathed 'konnichiwa' into the microphone, showing the crowd he knows how to say 'hello' in Japanese.
'Aishitemasu (I love you,)' he crooned into his micrcophone, driving the crowd into a frenzy with his extended Japanese vocabulary.
His first number was 'Jam,' followed by 'Start Something,'. For his final number, 'Heal the World', children from different nations emerged from a balloon replica of the globe. Jackson held a little girl as he sang.
Lasers, giant video screens, and the megastar's electric performance enchanted the crowd. Some even forked over a hefty 100,000 yen ($961) to purchase a ticket from scalpers that originally sold for 9,000 yen ($96).
'Can I come down?,' shouted Jackson to the crowd below the stage. They responded with a crescendo of screams.
The reclusive Jackson had spent the day out of sight in his suite in the local Hyatt Regency Hotel.
He arrived here Tuesday from Taipei and spent the bulk of his time holed up at amusement parks before the show and showed no symptoms on stage of the dehydration and migraines that forced him to postpone concerts twice in Bangkok and once in Singapore.
During the concert a young woman made it onto the stage and joined the megastar in an embrace lasting more than two minutes.
'Oh I'm so envious,' shouted one girl.
After a stagehand escorted her down, the young woman slumped into a swoon.
Trendy youths sported Jackson T-shirts and fashion accessories to the performance that left no one disappointed except the media, informed beforehand they would be banned from the Saturday night concert.
Organizers said the staggering number of print and television reporters necessitated the restriction.
A spokeswoman said Jackson requested the media ban Saturday night 'to prevent confusion.'
'He doesn't really like the press,' she added.
Fans from all over the country praised and defended their hero, the target of allegations by a 13-year-old boy in Los Angeles who said the 35-year-old singer had sexually abused him.
No charges have been filed, and Jackson has said an investigation underway by Los Angeles police will clear him of any wrongdoing.
'I don't believe any of that,' said a 35-year-old housewife. 'Michael loves children. He would break his own arm before hurting a child.'
Invigorated by the concert, 71-year-old Ume Ono, a grandmother, also defended Jackson. 'I believe in him,' Ono said. 'I even brought my grandchildren.'
Some fans risked their jobs to get to Fukuoka on time. 'I came from Tokyo, 820 kms northeast (513 miles), to see Michael's concert,' said Toshiko Yamamoto, a 20-year-old office worker. 'I took three days off, but may be fired when I go back because everybody knows I came to hear Michael.'
The concert left the normally tranquil city on the southern island of Kyushu ignited in 'Michael Fever,' with hotels packed solid and traffic at a standstill.
Enroute to Fukuoka, Jackson spent two days at a theme park recreating a 17th century Dutch village, made a quick whirl around the Space World amusement park and delighted children at the Sasebo Naval Base with a visit.
The youngsters gamely watched as Jackson was presented with a plaque and a hat from the commander of the sprawling U.S. base.NEWLN: pk/ry
