Just got back from my 3rd (or 5th, depending on how you look at it) trip to Japan in the last 2 years (Canadian, no sort of residency in Japan, only vacation travels as temporary visitor), where I attended a whole bunch of concerts by almost all my favourite artists (absolutely wild itineraries, but this was sort of a once-in-a-lifetime sort of plan) and wanted to share some knowledge I’ve picked up along the way about ticketing and shows – including a bunch of stuff I’ve had to figure out that I wish I had known beforehand. I know there are a ton of blogs/etc. out there already, but thought I’d give my specific and recent personal experiences anyway (loooooong 7k+ words but hopefully informative post ahead ... not sure how many hours I've spent on this already 😶).

Note: this is for shows going through the heavily barred domestic ticketing websites. If your show is on any of the international versions of websites or has overseas lottery sales, just use that and save yourself the hassle.

I also have some funds leftover and can act as a proxy to help some people with ticketing as well! I’ll add a comment for the details on this.

CONCERT LISTING

Here is a detailed list of all the shows I’ve attended – some are Korean artists, but show was in Japan:

This includes audiences of <100 to 55k, including venues of a lounge/bar(?), live houses, halls, theatres, arenas, stadiums, and domes.

As you can see, there are some artists that I saw multiple times ... although I feel like I rarely see most of these artists discussed in here, and I don’t recognize most of the artists that people share, so I honestly don’t even know what my music tastes are … (soft) rock with a sprinkle of metal and pop(?).

RESOURCES NEEDED

[CLICK LINKS FOR TABLE IMAGES – only one attachment allowed per Reddit post; full post here, * = notes to the images]

For making an account to purchase tickets online

Specific fan clubs (FC) that I have joined, and merch

Purchasing & receiving e-tickets

E-tickets cannot be screenshot images - they are all active within the respective apps/websites and require some sort of swipe/tap/QR confirmation/etc. to be valid.

To add on – some FC ticket sales that go through Lawson ticket don’t even need you to create a Lawson account. The ticketing link accessible through your FC login wil just ask for an email address and a phone number (no verification required, just for records), and you create a temporary 4-digit password to access your ticket application in the future. Honestly, Lawson ticket is my favourite and easiest to use for foreigners.

I've heard that there are also ticketing machines are conbinis that can be used – I've never gone that route, so no comments on that available.

FAQ (12) – MY EXPERIENCES

Below is solely based on the list of shows above that I’ve personally attended – I don’t know how different things are for other artists, if you’ve seen wildly different recounts from other people.

1. TICKETING

• How are tickets sold?

Ticketing generally happens in several rounds of lottery, starting with FC exclusive rounds, before going to general sale FCFS if there are tickets leftover. For very small artists, it will likely be only one release of general sale tickets under FCFS method.

Small shows that don’t sell out will often sell tickets at the door for a slightly higher price.

• When are tickets sold?

As soon as your artist announces their show essentially – I would say tours generally start selling several months ahead of the show, so if you were wanting to see a popular artist and try to get a decent seat, it’s not something that you can just sort of show up in Japan and then start trying for tickets, unless you’re going to buy scalped tickets.

I often book my trips after my concert tickets, because they determine that dates and cities I’ll want to be in.

• How will I receive my ticket?

When making the purchase, there will usually be the option to choose whether tickets are paper or electronic. Sometimes, certain ticketing rounds will be limited to certain ticket formats, and also limit the application method. For example, if a show is noted as “smart ticket” only on e+, then you can only apply via the app or mobile website, because they need you to prove you have a phone that can hold the ticket (you can also change your browser via developer mode to apply on a computer though).

• How much do tickets cost?

Very small venues/bands can have shows as low as 2k yen + 1 drink. Larger venues and and seated tickets are usually a bit more – live houses usually range from the 5-7k yen, and then arenas and upwards would be in the 8-12k yen. FC-seat tickets will usually cost more, but are for the area reserved closest to the stage and usually come with some kind of perks/merch from the artist.

The only thing that sucks is that if you don’t get any tickets until the very last round and end up in the far back corner somewhere, you know that your ticket and the closest general seat ticket was the same price … but that’s how ticket lotteries go.

The different ticketing websites may also have different fees involved, so sometimes you’ll see the total cost of a ticket vary by a few hundred yen depending on which is used.

• Can I select my seats when purchasing tickets?

Seat selection is not available, and you generally will not know your seat or ticket number until tickets are released, usually 3-5 days before the show. You can only know that the earlier the ticket was won, the better the seat will be. When repurchasing seats from other people, they will typically provide or be asked the ticketing round that they got the ticket.

• What types of tickets are there?

For live houses, it’s usually just all standing, or standing and limited 2F seated tickets. The seated tickets will usually cost more.

For large hall/arena/dome venues, there will be regular tickets and sometimes family tickets for people with kids, and then often some sales of tickets later on that are either “stage side” or “partially obstructed” views, or standing tickets for the back corner of the uppermost floor (the view of this rly sucks at Tokyo Dome City Hall hahaha … ) and this will be explained on the ticketing page when you select the ticket type. These seats will often be the same price as regular, or just slightly cheaper, but not much, and usually get released after general seats are sold out, although sometimes sold last minute after the venue has been set up and organizers decide that they can fit in more people.

If you have the choice between stage side vs partially obstructed (by equipment), I would choose the partially obstructed. I realized belated after getting my tickets for VS at Tokyo Dome that those tickets sold out first (likely because experienced people knew they were better) and those seats usually ended up facing the stage – you just have a speaker or equipment tower in the way at times, but I think it’s better than being way off on the side of the stage where the sound doesn’t come across quite as well.

• How do tickets work for all-standing shows/venues?

Your ticket will have a number on it, and the larger venues will likely have a letter + number. At the more organized shows, there will be signs along the walls/stairs outside venues for queueing – eg. A1~, A50~, etc. Everyone knows to line up in order, and you’ll see people asking others in line what number they are, so that they can slot themselves into the right place before staff start calling people in. For the less organized shows, or maybe those with more space outside, everyone just sort of stands in a crowd and waits for staff to call their number to enter, moving forward as you hear your number get closer.

PSA: learn your numbers in Japanese if you’re going to an all standing show and have a good number that you actually want to make use of.

• Do you have any suggestions when buying tickets?

If you’re buying tickets for a show that isn’t sold out yet, I would suggest looking on resale sites or Twitter first, as anyone reselling a ticket will have a better seat/number than the one you’re going to buy, and it likely won’t be a scalped ticket if the show itself isn’t sold out yet.

2. ID CHECK

• Will they check my ID to enter the show?

All tickets have the purchaser’s name attached, and there is technically always a risk of ID check if it is noted in the ticket purchase terms. However, of all the shows and venues that I’ve attended above (which I think is a fairly decent sample size within my genre of music), I have only ever been checked where it was explicitly stated that they will check every single person’s ID, which was for FC seats or FC-only shows. If the show doesn't explicitly say that ID will be checked and only says essentially "there will be a chance that ID could be checked, don't scalp your tickets", then I've always assumed that was a no and have been fine so far.

Generally, if you’re able to purchase more than 2 tickets at once, I’d say that’s a pretty good indicator that there won’t be ID check because tickets would normally be distributed to each individual, and it’d be a hassle to make sure that 4 people all show up at once for ID check.

One exception on general sale I noted was the recent Higedan tour – they were super strict with all applications for any tickets, and actually managed to mostly curb the scalpers. I only saw one ticket per show popping up on Ticket Jam being sold by the same guy for 60k yen, who claimed he had experience and could get you in the show regardless. Not sure how that went, but I assume it was fine because Ticket Jam doesn’t release funds to sellers until the buyer confirms that they got the ticket / were able to go in the show (depending on the sale format).

• Will they check my ID to pick up merch?

Ironically, all venue merchandise pick-up (online pre-order purchase) must have ID checked – but you don’t need to show the ticket for merch pickup. I’ve only had to show my ticket once before for merch but it wasn’t for pickup. Rather that they separated purchasing times for ticket holders vs non-ticket holders; there was no ID check for this.

• What kind of ID do I need?

For foreigners, your only ID option really is your passport.

• Can I use someone else’s ID that matches the ticket name to enter a show?

As noted above, foreigners need their passport. For locals, they usually have the option of one photo ID, or two non-photo IDs. I’ve seen resellers/scalpers online advertising that they will provide their ID along with the ticket for entry or note very specific attributes (eg. dark hair girl with bangs in early 20s), but I’ve never attempted to buy these tickets before, and I wouldn’t risk it unless you can also communicate like a local to fake your way through – in which case you probably wouldn’t need this info.

• Is there facial recognition for ticket entry?

My one experience was with JFES/Japan Jam, which was a 5-day festival – initial application required taking a picture of my face, and this was used for a Face ID scan, along with the ticket QR code, in order to enter the venue.

I’ve heard there are other ticketing sites that also require facial recognition, but I’ve never come across them before.

3. FAN CLUBS

• How will they check my ID if I applied through FC?

For FC seats in a general show, and FC-only shows, the check is a 3-way check between ticket purchaser name, your ID, and your FC page (usually the “My Page”/マイページ). 

However, for normal seats at a general show purchased through FC lottery, they do not check for ID.

• Can I attend a FC seat/show if I am a FC member but the ticket name is under someone else?

Depending on the show, sometimes they will only match the name of the main ticket to the person’s ID, and the accompaniment (同行者) only needs to have their ID match the FC page. However, some shows will require the main ticketer to register the accompaniment’s info/account when purchasing, in which case both will be checked. This should all be clearly outlined in the artist’s info/FC page for ticket sales.

As noted above, some people will resale tickets and say that they’ll provide their friend’s ID which the accompanying ticket is under – do at your own risk.

• Should I repurchase FC seats/shows from resellers?

This is a case-by-case scenario, but in general, I would not purchase a FC seat/show unless the person reselling is going to enter the venue together with you (同時入場) and you know for sure that accompanying tickets aren’t registered.

4. ADDITIONAL EXPENSES

• Are there any additional expenses other than the ticket itself?

If you attend a show at a live house (think any sort of smaller music club), there will be a drink fee that needs to be paid upon entry – this is generally 600 yen, although some places charge 700. Some venues will allow payment by IC card (Suica, ICOCA, etc.), but you should basically assume that you’ll need cash for this. A drink ticket will be given, which can be exchanged anytime before/during/after the show for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. This is charged by the venue and is expected at any live house, so basically any of the smaller venues, although the more well-known one would be the Zepp venues (Zepp provides a bottle holder with drinks). This is not optional and not a surprise either – you’ll see this indicated usually on the ticket purchase terms and often on the ticket itself as well, eg. “+1D” or “ドリンク代別途”. You won’t get charged this at theatres/arenas/domes/anything that isn’t a live house.

For paper tickets printed at convenience stores, there is often a 110 yen fee that is paid when printing – sometimes this is included when you make your ticket purchase online, but I’d say more often than not it’s a separate payment afterward. This can be paid at the conbini via credit card or cash (IC card not accepted, not sure why).

5. RESALE SITES

• What resale sites can be used? Are they reliable?

There are a few different resale sites out there, but I have mainly only used Ticket Jam. I’ve purchased quite a few tickets off the website and have never had a problem with reliability to date. I use the Japanese version of the app and pay via Apple Pay, but they do have an English version which makes it more accessible. Depending on the show, sometimes you’ll see tickets that the sellers have noted “Japanese only” in the description – this is likely due to language barriers when trying to distribute the tickets, which I think is understandable, because they don’t want to run into issues of not receiving their money if the purchaser doesn’t know how to receive/print the tickets. Just make sure if you buy any e-tickets off them, you know what website it’s coming from and you have the appropriate apps/accounts if needed.

After using and browsing the website so often, it’s quite easy to pick up common phrases based off how other people leave comments and how sellers communicate, so while I’m sure I don’t sound like a complete local, I try to keep messages short and direct (and quoted from other people’s real life usage), and it’s been fine so far.

On Ticket Jam, sellers don’t receive their funds until the buyer confirms and leaves a review – for paper tickets, confirmation is expected when the ticket is received in hand; for e-tickets and accompaniments, confirmation is expected when you make it into the show.

I have also purchased tickets through Viagogo before, back in 2022 – while I didn’t have issues with entering, there was a bit of a weird communication issue where the format that the seller sent the ticket wasn’t quite right, and I had to go through official communication with the app to sort it out. It worked out in the end, but given the short turnaround time between ticket issuance and the actual show, it wasn’t something I wanted to risk again. The website also has a lot less selection because I don’t think locals really use it, but it is definitely more foreigner friendly though.

• How much are scalped tickets usually?

This is very much artist dependent obviously, but I will say that tickets for the artists I have seen usually go for <$300. There are definitely some that go beyond $500, but that’s outside my budget so I don’t really bother to look at those …

• What other methods have you used for purchasing tickets?

I’ve purchased and sold tickets from people off Twitter before, and language barrier aside, at the end of the day it’s just about doing your due diligence to see if someone is a scammer or not. Generally if they have a long posting history and lots of posts about music preferences and attending shows, etc. they’re usually safe – I’ve only bought tickets from people who are selling an accompanying ticket though, and asked to pay in cash when meeting up.

I haven’t gotten scammed before, although I did get ghosted by a girl 2 hours before the show … ended up making me so desperate I bought a super expensive last minute ticket because I was already at the venue and had been super looking forward to the show.

6. PHONE NUMBERS AND MAKING ACCOUNTS

• How can I get a Japanese phone number?

I use mobal, which has the option of a physical SIM or an eSIM – either way, they will send the card or the activation code to your address overseas or you have to pick it up at the airport with an ID check. You cannot ship it to someone currently in Japan directly. There could be the possibility you could have someone download and set up an eSIM after you send the activation code, and then have them transfer that to you after entering Japan, but you’d likely need a local friend to be able to help you with that (in which case they could probably help you with the rest of this as well), as I don’t imagine any ticket proxy services would be willing to do that and then meet up.

In order to have a phone number, you need to choose an option that isn’t data only – I personally have a monthly plan, because I don’t want to lose my number and constantly have to go through the hassle of reactivating, and I’ve done enough ticketing that it’s been worth it.

• Can I create an account and apply on my own before entering Japan?

Not for ticketing websites that I’ve noted need a Japanese phone number because they do either a text or call verification when you sign up, which needs to be done in the country. However, once you get to Japan and have that set up, you can create accounts under all the websites.

• Will I need to re-verify my phone number at some point?

I’ve only ever had to do this for PIA, when they thought my overseas access was suspicious activity – this locked me out of my account until I went back again.

I’ve never had to for e+ despite accessing from different devices in and out of the country, and the process for changing phone numbers is quite easy as well – eg. if you won’t be back for awhile and don’t want to keep paying the phone plan to keep the same number during this time. I’ve also never had to reverify for Lawson so far, but you can’t login to your account without VPN – it just says system error.

7. DOMESTIC CREDIT CARDS

• How can I get a domestic credit card for payment?

This is a hard one – I’ve been using a Line prepaid Visa for the past two years, which I could easily create once I had a Japanese phone number and created a Line account under that number while in the country. There were some restrictions of course, since I couldn’t verify my ID or link a bank account, and top-up was cash only at the convenience store – but otherwise I had no issues using the card both in and out of the country, which is how I bought tickets for my next trips while I was back home. However, the card is being discontinued in January 2025, and I’m still looking for other alternatives that don’t require ID verification (ie. needing a Japanese ID, visa, or permanent residency card). You could technically still use it for the next 3 months though, once you have a phone number set up.

If anyone knows of alternatives / has suggestions, I’m happy to hear!

Otherwise, I’m quite lucky that I generally always have friends travelling to Japan (everyone is going to Japan these days), so even without the card, it’s not too difficult for me to apply for a show and then send them the conbini code afterward to help me make a payment (and they’ll get credit card points for it, so it’s a win-win).

I have also used No Country For Tall Men Exports for payment services when needed – I think there are some mixed reviews when it comes to speed of shipping/goods, but I haven’t had any issues when it’s come to payment/ticketing. As of writing this, his charge is a 20% fee + PayPal fee (approx. ~4.1%) – so rounded 25% service fee, which I believe is still cheaper than most ticketing proxy services in the general price range of the tickets I’ve purchased.

8. TRANSACTIONS VIA CONVENIENCE STORE

• Can I pay for my own tickets if I have a phone number but no domestic credit card?

If you are already in Japan, assuming that you’ve used your phone number to set up an account, then it is very easy to select conbini as your payment method and then pay for it using an international card/cash at the store, as a credit card is not required to set up an account. Payments generally need to be made within 2-3 days, and almost every show allows for this option. I think I’ve only seen max once or twice where they only allowed credit card payment, and it was usually for last minute tickets, because there wasn’t enough time to allow people to make the payment in store.

Some tickets allow for any conbini, whereas others will only allow for either 7/11 or Family Mart (and Lawson tickets must be Lawson or ministop), but they’re generally all super accessible unless you’re in some small town, so it shouldn’t be an issue (fun fact: Asahikawa in Hokkaido does not have any Family Marts). Only the brand/chain matters, the actual location of any store you go to doesn’t.

• How do I make payments at the conbini?

Every ticket purchase that needs a ticket payment or print out at the conbini will have a code, which can be entered into the machine at FM/Lawson or provided to the staff at 7/11. However, the much easier way is to use the barcode, which is emailed or accessible within your ticket application. 7/11 uses a barcode image which you can save/screenshot, FM uses a barcode link which needs to be scanned within 10 minutes of activating (I usually press it while waiting in line or approaching the cashier), or Lawson uses a QR code which can be scanned on the Loppi machine. I won’t go into too much detail on the actual usage of the Loppi machine, as I know there are many guides available, but it’s quite easy and has English as well.

• How can I pick up my tickets at the conbini?

Ticket printing is basically the same as with making payments. Occasionally they’ll ask you to sign your name on the receipt (Lawson the most often I’ve noted) and I realized very belatedly that they ask for your name to be written out in katakana. I’d always just signed with my actual signature many times in the past when I didn’t know better, and was never corrected … probably the foreign name.

9. LANGUAGE

• I don’t speak/read/understand any Japanese – can I still do this?

I believe it is doable using translation apps, and I generally prefer to use Papago over Google translate or Apple translator. However, I can’t give you an accurate answer on that because I do hold a certain level of proficiency with the language (see personal anecdotes below). I do think it will be difficult though, without any knowledge. If possible, try to use Lawson ticket, as that is generally the most easy to use and automatically translates for you on the website.

The language barrier is a very real thing, but I mean, these are Japanese artists performing in Japan for a predominantly Japanese audience who largely only speak Japanese, and anyone you will need to communicate with related to shows and tickets will also be speaking Japanese. I’m not sure there’s much I can tell you except to start spending some time to study the basics of the language (learn your numbers!!!), because it’ll take you a long way if you want to have these experiences.

10. CONCERT ETIQUETTE

• Can I take pictures/film video/record/etc.?

It is generally understood that recording shows in any way is not allowed unless specifically told you are, and you’ll usually see signs around the venue as well as staff announcements at the beginning of the show. Of course, for very large venues such as dome shows, it’s probably difficult for staff to catch everyone and I’m sure that there are a ton of people who secretly film. However, videos that are actually posted online will generally only be footage where the artists have said during the show that they’re allowing filming of a specific song (happens occasionally, might be artist dependent), and people will caption their videos to clearly state that filming was allowed for that song. You’ll know when you can because you’ll see everyone pull out their phones. Otherwise the expectation should be no phones out during the show, which I really like because you actually get to experience the show rather than trying to get a good video and dodging other people’s phones above their heads – it did take a bit to get used to though, because I always filmed shows in the past, so I felt sad not having that record.

I’ve seen people on twitter discussing that they’ve seen other people filming and (not staff) would call them out and make them delete the footage – I’ve never seen this personally and seems a bit out of character of stereotypical Japanese behaviour, but apparently it happens?

People will usually take pictures of the stage before and after the show though, as long as the artist isn’t on stage – I thought this was always the norm and made a mistake at the BN/Yuuri show, where apparently you weren’t supposed to take pictures inside at all. Staff came over to ask me to put down my phone and that was it.

• Can I bring light sticks/signs/etc.?

As far as I’m aware, light sticks/pen lights are only used at anything that’s deemed an “idol” show. At some shows, they’ve specifically noted that light sticks are not allowed in the pre-show announcements.I personally have not attended any Japanese idol show so I can’t comment, and the kpop shows I’ve attended follow kpop etiquette, which is different. However, of all the shows on my list, the only shows that I’ve seen people with light sticks were the kpop ones.

I’ve also never seen anyone carry signs – I think it’d just be way too inconvenient tbh, and you definitely should not be holding anything above your head that could block people’s views anyway.

• Are there bag checks? Can I bring a big bag?

I’ve only had a bag check before when going into the festival, and tbh I’m not quite sure what they were checking for … otherwise no bag checks.

Almost every venue will have coin lockers, but I’d recommend if you need a locker, put it away somewhere earlier along in your journey at a train station. You’ll probably have slightly better picks and the price might be better. Otherwise make sure to prepare some 100 yen coins (or use the change from the drink fee) to use a locker. Venue lockers are generally quite small though in my memory, so if you have a big bag, you’ll have to think ahead of time.

I haven’t personally seen anyone turned away for a backpack and I’ve seen in some of the smaller venues people with backpacks that they put on the floor against the wall or in the corner, but nothing like a huge bulging backpacker type of thing – I think it would be common sense not to bring that to a show, and no one would want to anyway, since it’s so in the way. I would recommend having a side sling/pouch/fanny pack sort of thing, and then just hang your drink via a keychain/clip to the outside. Bonus points if your strap has a clasp and you end up at a barrier, because you cah just hang your bag on the barrier and not hold onto anything at all (my favourite way to go). Most people will bring bags of that size, and sometimes just put drink bottles into the giant pockets of their pants. 

• What is it like during the show?

Of course, every show and audience is different, but the main things I’ve noticed is that:

- There are specific patterns for clapping and waving your arms in the air and head banging and whatever else – I always find it so much fun to join in, and once you’ve attended more than one show for the same artist, you’ll pick it up and be able to join right away. But regardless it’s usually very easy to just follow the crowd if you want to take part, or just do your own thing as long as you aren’t disruptive to other people.

- If there is a quiet part to a song, or at the end of the song it’s quiet and the artist hasn’t said “thank you” yet, the audience will keep quiet. Very unlike western shows where there’s always someone yelling out during quiet parts to try and get attention to themselves. I very much appreciate this. However, once the song has ended and the clapping is done, if there’s a transition period to the next song, the audience will often call out the artist(s)’ name and cheer, etc.

- There are often parts of songs that are meant for audience to sing, and everyone sings along very nicely (rather than just ugly screaming at the top of their lungs). I’m not sure if many people sing along during parts where they’re not prompted to sing, but I will say that I’ve never heard anyone sing in a way that is bothersome to other people around them or overpowers the artist – very nice that way, because you will always be able to enjoy the music.

- I like to bounce around a lot and jump, and I do notice that I tend to move a bit more than the majority around me – however, it’s completely fine to dance and jump around during shows, and you’ll usually see a few other super enthusiastic people within the crowd too.

One of the most memorable crowd moments for me was seeing the thousands of people on the field at Japan Jam all head banging to some metal artist (I didn’t know them) and I wish I had joined in. I also recall for Hey-Smith, everyone knew some very specific jumping/running dance that I saw a bunch of people taking part in.

• Can you dive/mosh/crowd surf?

A lot of the live houses I’ve been to have signs now that say no diving, but all the MFS shows I’ve been to, people are going about it anyway (although one show stirred up a bit of controversy because Zepp venue staff actually kicked people out). As long as the artist/music is in the right genre, I’ve seen it quite often at any show that has a pit essentially. Depending on the artist as well, the pit can be very polite, or you can get smushed … I got smushed at Six Lounge (surprisingly) and have largely avoided the middle front of any pit if I don’t know how the crowd will be like beforehand.

11. FORMAT/LINEUP OF SHOWS

• One-man live? Two-man live? Guest artists?

One-man live is as expected, a solo show. Most shows are usually 1.5-2 hours, with a few exceptions.

Anything other than a one-man live is essentially a split of the performance, rather than what I would traditionally expect of a “guest artist” (to me, a 30 minute opener before the main act). If there is more than one act, they will pretty much perform for an equal amount of time throughout the show, but just that the main act will come on last. Eg. a two-man live is an hour of the guest band, intermission to change instrument sets, and then an hour of the main act.

If there is more than one act at a show, you will often be asked which artist you are there to see, either when getting your ticket checked or buying a drink. Not sure if this is just for tracking purposes or to actually split revenues …

12. MERCH

• What kind of merchandise are normally at shows?

(Face) towels!! (Sometimes bath towels too). This was something new to me when I attended my first show – no light sticks, but everyone has a towel that they drape over their shoulders or their heads, and sometimes they’re waved around in the air during certain songs. Also to actually wipe their faces, because so many people are absolutely sweating after a rock concert.

Rubber wrist bands are also super popular, keychains (which they call “key holders”), and sticker sets – I have a good collection of my own now…

COMMON TERMS

• 抽選: lottery application sale
• 先着: first come first served sale
• 受付前: prior to ticketing
• 受付中: currently ticketing
• 受付終了: ticketing round ended
• 予定枚数終了: sold out
• 同行者: accompanying ticket/person
• 同時入場: entering the venue at the same time
• ドリンク代: drink fee

PERSONAL ANECDOTES

• MY FIRST STORY – easily my favourite band ever after having experienced them live. I tried to attend their 2022 tour but couldn’t fit it into my schedule, so my first show was their 2023 tour finale in Okinawa. I showed up right before the show started and was in the very back, but it was still one of the best things I’d ever done for myself. Was just a casual fan before that, but since the first time, I’ve attended every single show of theirs that I could get to if I was in the country at the time. I hope one day they manage to tour overseas too, but I do sort of appreciate that they can still perform in live houses, so it’s more intimate and immersive than an arena or dome show where they’re super far away.
• Yuuri – you’ll also notice that I’ve attended a bunch of his shows. One of my favourite artists with some of my favourite songs, and I’m also a fan of his keyboardist as well. His performances are live, and while there are times where I feel like he isn’t in his best condition or has probably strained his voice a bit, he doesn’t shy away from going all out and doing all the adlibs and such anyway.

My top two most-attended artists, and comparing the two, obviously their music is quite different to begin with, but I’d say MFS is more of a full experience, whereas Yuuri is more just to listen to the music? Not sure if that makes sense.

I also didn’t find out until much later on that Hiro was the one who discovered Yuuri while busking and first promoted him, and that they’re friends – that was a pleasant surprise.

• Language – I am definitely nowhere near fluent in Japanese. After all the time spent there, I’ve managed to pick up some basic phrases and can get by day-to-day services and such, but casual conversation and building vocabulary is difficult. However, I can read Chinese and therefore can read most kanji when navigating signs and websites, I can read hiragana and katakana and have studied the basics of the language, and also understand the general grammar, because I know Korean and it’s quite similar. So these have all helped me navigate the entire system.

I heavily use Papago between English/Korean and Japanese to navigate my way through communication, and then just the regular phone translator when faced with walls of text to get through it quickly before trying to pick my way through specific sentences if I think there’s some terms that I should pay attention to. 

As a final summary question – “I’ve never attended a concert in Japan before and I have a trip coming up that coincides with a show I want to attend … what should I do?”

1. Check the terms of the show for whether or not there’s explicit mention of ID check or not – to determine if you can use a proxy/purchase resale.
2. Are tickets sold out? If no, you can sort this out after you get to Japan if you think it won’t sell out, or reach out to a proxy if you’d like the ticket right away. If yes, or you’d like to purchase a resale ticket from an earlier lottery round, start looking at resale websites to see your options needed below – even if you don’t have an account set up yet to receive the ticket (for e-tickets), you can still purchase a ticket from a reseller, because they won’t have the ticket to distribute to you until a few days before the show anyway, and you should have until the show to actually download it.
3. What is the ticket format? If paper, you’re probably fine without a phone number if purchasing from a reseller, because they’ll just provide you with the printing code. If e-ticket other than Moala/Cloak, or you want to purchase yourself on e+/PIA, next step.
4. Purchase a sim card with a phone number that can do both texts & calls that can be delivered to you before you leave, or picked up at the airport – once you arrive, set up your new SIM, and create accounts under all ticketing services possible and perform all required verifications. Creating accounts are free, you don’t need to register a credit card, and you want to cover all your bases as probably don’t know which system any sellers are using before purchasing the ticket. I’d suggest doing this regardless if you’re wanting to attend more than one show / shop around.
5. Purchasing the ticket yourself? Go into your account and make the purchase, selecting payment method by conbini – pay for that ticket before the deadline. Purchased a resale? Wait for the seller to release tickets to you, either to be accepted through your apps or printed in paper.
6. Plan your arrival time depending on your ticket number/type, prepare whatever money/bags are needed and enjoy the show!

I think that’s it! Not even sure if this will reach many people, but I’ve had such a great time that I want to share the experience, and this information would’ve been helpful to me when I first started trying to attend shows, rather than trying to google bits and pieces across various different websites and posts. If this helps even one person see an artist they love, I'll be happy 😊

If there are questions, I’ll try to get to them as soon as possible, and if there are several repeat ones, I’ll add them to the FAQ above.

Retro boy

Recently, I’ve been into Japanese music and I came across this really good band called Unchain. I’d say they’re pretty underrated.

Search: ジャズバー 校歌