AKB48's Yuka Katayama dresses as a cute country girl, enjoys Taipei’s classic banquet cuisine

Travel Center / Taipei Report

After the group’s general election, Japanese pop idol group AKB48’s first overseas work assignment was to film a travel show in Taipei, sending members Yuka Katayama, Ayaka Kikuchi, and Maria Abe. The three busy beauties managed to visit Dalongdong Baoan Temple, Longshan Temple, Ximending, Beitou, and Raohe Night Market within just two days, immersing themselves in the local culture — with Katayama even dressing up as an adorable country girl to fit right in.

▲(From left) AKB48’s Yuka Katayama dresses as a country girl, Ayaka Kikuchi wears a cheongsam to play a noblewoman, and Maria Abe dons a floral shirt to become a cute Taiwanese hipster. (Photo / Provided by Taipei City Government Tourism and Travel Bureau; same for image below)

AKB48 members Yuka Katayama, Ayaka Kikuchi, and Maria Abe came to Taiwan to film the show “AKB48’s Leisurely Tour of Taipei.” They arrived on July 1st and hit the ground running, with their schedule kicking into high gear again at 6 a.m. on July 2nd. Their first stops were Dalongdong Baoan Temple and Longshan Temple. Due to being designated as a planned school area during the Japanese colonial period and restricted from new construction, Dalongdong retained the original layout of its Qing Dynasty streets. The AKB48 members had a blast here, playing dress-up: Katayama dressed as a country girl, Kikuchi wore a cheongsam to play a noblewoman, and Abe got into the local vibe by trying on Taiwanese attire and acting out scenes from old movies, experiencing the unique culture that blends temple-front life and military dependents’ village heritage in Taipei.

▲Seeing locals praying devoutly, the trio couldn’t resist trying divination by shaking sticks to ask the gods for answers.

After wrapping up at Dalongdong, they headed to Longshan Temple. The members were deeply impressed by devotees praying earnestly and speaking to the deities they revered. They followed suit, lighting incense sticks to pray for blessings. After a full day of filming, the members were treated to a feast of classic Taipei banquet cuisine, specially arranged by their friends Xia Ruzhi and Du Shi Mei. Expecting ordinary dishes, the AKB48 members were pleasantly surprised to learn that this type of cuisine originated during the Japanese colonial era, when it was a favorite gathering spot for dignitaries, business elites, and socialites — giving rise to a distinctive banquet culture. Feeling both intrigued and nostalgic, Katayama even said she’d be sure to recommend it to her close friends back in Japan, insisting that anyone visiting Taipei must try the banquet cuisine.

▲(From left) Du Shi Mei and Xia Ruzhi serve up a table full of Beitou-style banquet dishes for the AKB48 members to enjoy together.

Of course, no trip to Beitou would be complete without some nostalgic nostalgia — and when Taipei’s most famous live music group, the legendary Taiwan Beitou Alang Nostalgia Band, appeared, the AKB48 members instantly became fans, humming along to the tunes, waving their hands, cheering, and even requesting songs. However, given the generational gap, many Japanese pop hits were beyond the band’s repertoire — but lucky for them, the band had prepared one: Kyu Sakamoto’s “Ue o Muite Arukō” (“Sukiyaki”). The AKB48 members sang it at the top of their lungs, turning the moment into a mini concert.