Although "Beginner" was released back in October,�AKB48 held a special handshake event for it at Osaka's�Kyocera Dome on December 18th. As a special treat, fans got to see member�Itano Tomomi throw an opening pitch at the beginning of the event, while another member,�Maeda Atsuko,�stood at the batter's box.�The pitch ended up being a grounder,�but 20,000 fans gave Itano big cheers nonetheless.

Itano tasted another moment of limelight when her PV from her upcoming solo single, "Dear J", was introduced to fans for the very first time.

Meanwhile, AKB48's newest sister unit, NMB48 (Osaka's Namba being abbreviated as 'NMB'), appeared as surprise guests for the event, and performed their original song, "NMB48" in front of a roaring crowd.

Check out the photos from the event below, or watch the video here!

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Source: Sanspo + Nikkan Sports

Photo: Sanspo