Market Report: Japan
The live music outlook in Japan is good, with some much-needed venues scheduled to open over the next few years. However, “ticket prices have risen in Japan, and a decline in the working population could impact purchasing power,” admits Daisuke Yokoyama, executive officer of corporate strategy at e+.
Primary ticketing
Japan’s ticketing industry continues to be dominated by the “big three” — e+, Ticket PIA, and Lawson HMV Entertainment, with CN Playguide a credible 4th.
“Most major ticketing companies are investing in biometric facial recognition”
“Most major ticketing companies are investing in biometric facial recognition, mobile number authorisation, and deferred fulfilment to increase security,” says Yokoyama. The government’s failure to convince its citizens to adopt a controversial My Number ID card scheme has led to proposals to make the use of My Number mandatory when purchasing event tickets.
Japan’s primary ticketing companies are still yet to invest in APIs and are still unwilling to share data, so international promoters will likely experience frustrations.
While dynamic pricing has been adopted for some sports events, the practice has yet to be applied to live music. “Ticket prices are published when tours are announced, making it extremely difficult to go back and change prices on a whim,” explains Martin Davis, director of concert promoters Hayashi International Promotions.
“Ticket prices are published when tours are announced, making it extremely difficult to go back and change prices on a whim”
Distribution of sales
While digital ticketing is becoming more common, most tickets are still in paper format, collected in person and paid for at CVS stores (some of which are owned by Lawson) or for international buyers, tickets are collected at the venue.
Value of market
According to a Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry report published in July, the estimated figure is around $2.5bn.
Secondary ticketing
Prior to hosting the 2020 Summer Olympics, Japan introduced the Ticket Resale Prohibition Act. However, punishment or investigation for those breaking the law is rare.
“You can return your tickets at face value, you can sell your tickets at face value, but it’s illegal to sell them at a higher price”
“You can return your tickets at face value, you can sell your tickets at face value, but it’s illegal to sell them at a higher price,” says Davis.
International/domestic splits & genres
In terms of popularity by genre, according to a report published by All Japan Concert & Live Entertainment Promoters Conference, J-Pop, K-Pop, and J-Rock still rule the roost at large-scale venues and smaller ‘live houses.’ International artists make up just 6% of the market despite Japan’s status as a hub for touring artists.
Cultural analysis
Very few venues engage in exclusivity deals with ticketing companies as most are government owned. New venues are planned and some are undergoing renovations.
“One of the hardest things to do in Japan as a promoter is to book a venue”
“One of the hardest things to do in Japan as a promoter is to book a venue.” says Total Ticketing sales director Martin Haigh.
“Promoters also often want to rent venues on weekends and holidays, there is more demand than supply.” adds Yokoyama.
Promoters enjoy the luxury of being able to select a ticketing company of their own choice.
Taxes & charges
Ticket prices include a 10% consumption tax in Japan. Ticket company charges vary greatly between 0% and 12%.
Country Profile: Japan
While Japan retains its heady standing as the second-largest music market in the world at time of press, domestic talents still make up 90% of concert ticket sales. Furthermore, a weakened yen – trading at its lowest level in 34 years against the US dollar at the time of press – is proving to be quite the challenge for the industry at the moment.
Despite hosting and promoting tours by Sabrina Carpenter, Caroline Polachek, Arlo Parks, and Incubus over the last year, Eventim Live Asia’s touring director Mitsuyo McGroggan admits that “it’s been an uphill battle in terms of artist fees for international talent.” It’s a sentiment shared by Jason Mayall, director of Fuji Rock Festival promoter Smash. “Due to the exchange rate at the moment and the fact that international artists are paid in dollars, we have to be really careful with booking,” he says.
However, having already hosted Taylor Swift at the 55,000-capacity Tokyo Dome, as well as Kehlani, Arctic Monkeys, and Phoenix at various smaller Zepp venues around the country, the outlook is positive for Japan’s international market.
“Even though the fees have gone up and the yen has weakened somewhat, demand for live entertainment is definitely on an upward trend”
“Even though the fees have gone up and the yen has weakened somewhat, demand for live entertainment is definitely on an upward trend,” says Martin Davis of Hayashi International Promotions (HIP), which has overseen sold-out multi-date shows by Bruno Mars, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and K-pop sensation NewJeans.
Alongside HIP, Eventim Live Asia, and Smash, other leading promoters in the Japanese market include Live Nation, who brought over Brent Faiyaz, Rod Stewart, and Maroon 5 keyboardist PJ Morton to Tokyo, and Avex Entertainment, who have been setting up the world-renowned Ultra Music Festival in the country since 2015. Kyodo Tokyo, Beatink, and UDO Artists also feature prominently in the territory.
With more venues set to open up over the next couple of years due to a new ruling in Japan’s men’s basketball leagues, Davis believes this should eventually resolve the “conflict between domestic and international artists” when trying to book performers at suitable spaces. “Even though the baseball season restricts availability for venues such as the Tokyo Dome, the recent uptick in venue development should alleviate future concerns,” he adds.
While the aforementioned acts remain major headliners across the world, there is a concerted effort by promoters to pair them with local talent on prominent stages. “We hope to see this trend flourish in the coming years,” says McGroggan. “The collaborative efforts we are seeing between international and domestic talent has proven to be a great success, offering visibility to a new fanbase and demographic. In order to break through in the Japanese market, there’s now a need for international artists to fully cross over and find exposure with fans that predominantly listen to Japanese music.”
“The collaborative efforts we are seeing between international and domestic talent has proven to be a great success, offering visibility to a new fanbase and demographic.”
In a market dominated by “idol” artists and crossover successes such as BLACKPINK and Yoasobi, Davis believes there is major room for growth when it comes to popularising hip-hop in the country. “No big-name rapper has sold out the Tokyo Dome,” he says.
“They’d have to perform at smaller venues to build up a following first. Regardless of genre, an artist should perform in Japan earlier in their career, because if they’re commanding significant performance fees, it’ll be difficult for them to accept a price drop if they end up playing a smaller venue than they’re used to,” also referencing Dua Lipa’s ascent from playing at small-capacity shows in 2018 to a major tour stop at the 37,000-cap Saitama Super Arena later this year.
Given Fuji Rock’s proclivity for elevating grassroots artists and having them share various stages with renowned headliners, Mayall believes that the best recipe for successful artist-building is to nab a slot at a major festival. “Even though Japanese artists will always draw bigger crowds in festivals, we need international acts as headliners,” citing J-rapper Awich being slotted beneath The Killers in this year’s edition, which also featured Kraftwerk, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Kim Gordon, Floating Points, and Raye. “Fuji Rock is a great platform, which sets up international artists for future touring around Japan and the rest of Asia,” he adds.
Another major festival that enjoyed a successful 2024 was multi-genre spectacle Summer Sonic, operated by another leading promoter Creativeman. “Our signature festival attracted a total of 258,000 attendees: 130,000 in Tokyo, 90,000 in Osaka, 24,000 for Sonicmania, and 14,000 for Midnight Sonic,” says marketing manager Yoshinari Hirayama.
Arena Market: Japan
While Japan may be the world’s fourth-largest economy by GDP, its live music scene is dominated by domestic talent, meaning that anecdotally, just 10% of concert ticket sales are from outside the country.
Nonetheless, “Japan has always been a priority for US agents given the importance of the market,” Kaori Hayashi of leading Japanese promoter Hayashi International Promotion, told IQ last year. “The anchor dates for an Asian tour are the Japanese ones, and post-Covid, this remains the same.”
And there’s a surprising lack of venues at arena level in most cities. Although this is being addressed.
Among the most famous currently is Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan – the go-to venue for international acts. In 1966, The Beatles were the first overseas artists to take the stage there, and in the not-too-distant past, the 14,471-capacity venue has seen performances by Norah Jones, Megadeth, Eric Clapton, Janet Jackson, Nickelback, and Bryan Adams. However, recent years have seen the Budokan host a multitude of J-Rock, J-Idol, and K-Pop acts, with the likes of BABYMETAL, Lee Jun-ho, ReoNa, MINAMI, AKB48, and Tatsuya Kitani wowing crowds.
“Japan has always been a priority for US agents given the importance of the market”
The 13,291-capacity Yoyogi National Gymnasium is renowned for its awe-inspiring curved roof. Located in the heart of Tokyo’s neon-hued Shibuya district, the Yoyogi is normally reserved for sporting events but does showcase a smattering of J-Pop gigs, too, with Utada Hikaru – dubbed the “most influential Japanese artist of the 2000s” in The Japan Times – booked for two shows in August.
Tokyo’s newest venue is the $350m Ariake Arena, which opened in February 2020. A major hub during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, the 15,000-capacity venue can count international performers the calibre of the Backstreet Boys, Harry Styles, Post Malone, Måneskin, and Rod Stewart among its alumni over the past year.
Known as Japan’s second-biggest city, Yokohama is where the world-famous Saitama Super Arena is located. The 24-year-old venue, which at 36,500-capacity makes it one of the largest indoor arenas in the world, is so far the only arena in the country that is specially designed for American football. While it has hosted a number of sporting and wrestling events throughout the year, it has also seen a large number of musicians take centre stage including the Black Eyed Peas, U2, BABYMETAL, and The Chainsmokers. Later this year, the Saitama will also be the only Japanese pitstop for Dua Lipa’s Radical Optimism tour.
While the Saitama is scheduled to close from January 2026 for renovations, the strong demand for live entertainment ensures that arena operators will be kept busy until then. “With the increase in inbound audience for live entertainment, there’s a significant economic impact on accommodations and restaurants, which is favourable for the Japanese economy,” says Yutaka Minagawa, the venue’s booking manager, who also confirmed that renovation plans include refurbishment of food and beverage shops, introduction of activation spaces, establishment of hospitality lounges, and expanding the digital signage software. “The live entertainment market, especially music concerts, has been recovering since Covid, and further market growth is expected. The number of e-sports events is also increasing, including international tournaments, as well as the number of J-Pop and K-Pop artists performing here as well.”
“The live entertainment market, especially music concerts, has been recovering since Covid, and further market growth is expected. The number of e-sports events is also increasing, including international tournaments, as well as the number of J-Pop and K-Pop artists performing here as well.”
In a partnership with Mitsubishi Corporation Urban Development and Kanden Realty & Development, AEG is scheduled to open the Osaka Arena in autumn 2027. Located within the city’s Expo Memorial Park, the new venue will have a maximum capacity of 18,000 – which will make it the country’s second-biggest indoor arena after the Saitama – and will be part of a complex that includes a hotel and several retail blocks.
The Osaka Arena will be one of several new venues that will open its doors in the next few years due to a rule change in the country’s men’s basketball leagues. As B1 teams must attract an average attendance of 4,000 per game, several new venues will be built in time for 2027. The first was Yokohama’s K-Arena, where Sam Smith became the first overseas act to play at the 20,333-capacity venue, with Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, TLC, and Janet Jackson succeeding the multi-genre English singer-songwriter over the following months. This year will also see the Nagasaki Stadium City open, which is made up of a 20,000-seat stadium and a 6,000-capacity arena and will uniquely offer visitors the opportunity to zip-line across the venue.
Another arena making its debut in 2024 is the LaLa Arena in Tokyo Bay, which is slated to be the new home for the Chiba Jets Funabashi basketball team. Japanese acts such as boyband Mr. Children, dance troupe The Rampage from Exile Tribe, and singer-songwriter Aimyon are set to appear from July onwards as the first musicians to take the stage at the newly built 10,000-capacity venue.
At the time of writing, 2025 will see at least three new venues open: the Tokyo A-Arena (10,000), the Kobe Arena (10,000), and the IG Arena in Nagoya (17,000) – replacing the current Aichi Arena inside Nagoya Castle.