80_pan had to cancel London show after being denied entry

[Tokyograph News]

Fans who had hoped to see 80_pan in concert at the London Calling event last month (June 19-20) were disappointed when the group never showed up. No reason for their absence was given at the time, but the duo finally updated their blog on July 4 explaining that they had been denied entry to the country.

The two girls, Tomomi Ogasawara and Mako Okina, arrived at Heathrow Airport on the night of June 18. They were traveling with their cameraman and a visual staff member at the time. 80_pan was not being paid a guarantee for the London show, so when they were asked about the purpose of their visit, they had decided to say they were just a group of friends doing some sightseeing.

However, because of the age difference between the girls and the staff members, immigrations officers became suspicious and began interrogating them. In the end, they were detained overnight, and it was discovered that the group was actually in London for business purposes. Although both the Japan consulate and the English embassy were of the opinion that no business visa was needed, the officers in charge disagreed, especially since the group had repeatedly lied during the questioning.

80_pan and the staffers were ultimately denied entry, and they were forced to return to Japan without being able to participate in London Calling. This was the group's first trip to England.

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