Magnificent 7: Bruno Mars’ historic Tokyo stand
Bruno Mars is set to make history in Japan with seven sold-out shows at the 55,000-capacity Tokyo Dome in early 2024.
The American singer-songwriter and producer returns to the venue between 11-21 January, a little over a year after he sold out five shows at the venue, which amounted to more than 200,000 tickets.
“These shows will be the biggest by any international act in Japan this century,” says Kaori Hayashi of Tokyo-based Hayashi International Promotion (HIP), which is promoting the run alongside Live Nation.
Speaking in the Global Promoters Report 2023, Hayashi suggests that Mars’s achievements in the region recall the heyday of Michael Jackson.
“Bruno has regularly toured Japan and actively promotes his shows here,” adds Hayashi. “I think his incredible success will encourage other artists to invest more time in Japan.”
The star has emerged in recent years as an example to western stars seeking success in the country’s live music landscape, which is dominated by domestic acts.
“I think his incredible success will encourage other artists to invest more time in Japan”
Anecdotally, homegrown talent makes up 90% of Japanese concert ticket sales, though that figure may finally be on course to rise again – and may, according to some reports, have already done so.
“Japan is getting closer to the overseas market as distribution grows and YouTube and TikTok become mainstream,” Naoki Shimizu, president of Creativeman, told IQ in August. “Our goal is to return to the 25% share of western music that existed 20 years ago. Now it is said to be 10%, but I believe that the share has risen to about 15%.”
Creativeman is the operator of the prominent Summer Sonic Festival and one of the leading Japanese promoters, which also includes HIP, Kyodo Tokyo, Fuji Rock promoter Smash, UDO Artists and, given half a chance, a familiar group of eager western newcomers.
Live Nation Japan operates under former UDO Artists executive Kei Ikuta and has made no secret of its ambition to grow its share of a live market ranked second in the world after the US. Likewise, CTS Eventim has identified Japan as a key Asian priority, with Jason Miller at the helm of its Eventim Live Asia operation. AEG Presents is there, too, in partnership with local indie giant Avex Entertainment.
With its massive domestic J-pop industry, Japan does not have a burning need for either international talent or promoters – though Bruno Mars serves as an example that artists who work hard enough can do very well.
Read more about the world’s leading promoters and touring territories in the Global Promoters Report (GPR) 2023, out now.
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Legendary Japanese promoter Seijiro Udo passes
Tributes have been paid to pioneering Japanese concert promoter Seijiro Udo, aka ‘Mr Udo’, who has died at the age of 92 following a long illness.
Udo, whose death was announced by current Udo Artists president Keisuke Endo, was born in Kumamoto, Japan and started out in the music business while in his early 20s.
Launching Udo Artists, Inc. in 1967, Udo staged in excess of 10,000 concerts in the country in a career spanning more than five decades. He brought hundreds of major international acts to Japan, including Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, KISS, Aerosmith, Santana, Jeff Beck, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, Billy Joel, Bon Jovi, George Harrison, The Who, Van Halen, TOTO and Bryan Adams, among others.
“He was affectionately called ‘Mister Udo’ and was beloved by everyone,” reads a statement by the company, which has retained a strong line in western legends, recently hosting shows by the likes of Deep Purple, Kiss, Jackson Browne and Cheap Trick.
Former Dire Straits manager Ed Bicknell, a longtime friend, tells IQ he has been inundated with memories of Udo from industry colleagues.
“He was always a true gentleman in every sense of the word – honest, honourable and devoted to every artist he promoted”
“Everyone says the same: ‘Honourable’, ‘gentleman’, ‘suits’, ‘mink coat’,” says Bicknell. “He was incredibly kind to me on a personal level and was definitely ‘The Man’ out there, though I never saw settlement sheet, ever got a percentage or even a sniff at show costs, but I wouldn’t have understood them anyway so settled for wagyu, sake and strange uniquely Japanese experiences. I have a great story involving Barry Manilow but that’s for my book.
“He was a great, great man – a total gentleman and class act, and was so kind to me on the two occasions I went there. I will always remember having the best meal I ever had anywhere with him – and he had the best suits!”
CAA UK co-ahead Mike Greek describes Udo as “always a gent to deal with”, while Wasserman Music agent Phil Banfield says he is “extremely saddened to hear the news of Mr Udo’s passing”.
“I first met him about 45 years ago, when he came to London, which was a rarity,” adds Banfield. “I had no idea who he was at the time, but I took to him straight away. We talked about Japan, the artists he was promoting and how I had got into the business. By the end of our meeting I felt honoured to be in his company.
“Since that first meeting, where we agreed to look at the possibility of Wishbone Ash going to Japan, I have worked with him on touring many artists including Ian Gillan, Jeff Beck, Sting, Deep Purple and many others. He was always a true gentleman in every sense of the word – honest, honourable and devoted to every artist he promoted. The word legend doesn’t do him justice as he was much more than that.”
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Japan: Inside the world’s second-largest music market
The western concert business tends to view itself as a global movement these days, professionalising and supercharging new markets one by one – and there is plenty of truth in that narrative.
A market like Japan, however, sits stubbornly outside that vision. Already the second-biggest live market in the world, Japan doesn’t require professionalising by American or European operators, and Covid pains aside, it hardly needs supercharging.
It remains a market ruled by large domestic operators, in which major western live powers are relative minnows, domestic artists are by far the biggest attractions, and big western touring stars often find themselves invited to swap stadiums and arenas for theatres or even clubs.
As it has been for 20 years or more, Japan remains strikingly self-contained. Anecdotally, domestic acts make up 90% of concert ticket sales; for incomers, the market can be riven with complexities and local peculiarities.
But for companies with global intent, Japan represents both a vital strategic beachhead for the wider Asian region and, of course, a glittering prize in its own right.
“Japan has always been a priority for US agents given the importance of the market,” says Kaori Hayashi of leading Japanese promoter Hayashi International Promotion. “The anchor dates for an Asian tour are the Japanese ones, and post-Covid this remains the same.”
Japan was hit hard by the pandemic, but its bounce-back is well underway. In 2021, the concert market in Japan amounted to roughly ¥154.7bn – a big fall from ¥423.7bn in 2019 [source: ACPC], but a partial recovery from the inevitable 2020 slump, which saw the market plummet to ¥58.9bn. In 2023, however, the market is surging once again and widely predicted to return to pre-Covid levels in 2024.
“After the Covid-19 pandemic, the concert and event industry has been recovering, including a surge in demand due to a backlash against the pandemic,” says Naoya Kurami, CEO of leading ticketing provider eplus.
“As a result, our core business, the ticketing industry, achieved its highest transaction volume from April 2022 to March 2023. Between April and September this year, we predict that the recovery trend will continue, and from October to next March, it will settle into a gradual uptrend.”
In the meantime, a wave of new venues is on the horizon, creating fresh possibilities for new content and potentially easing the booking difficulties that have frustrated many an international tour.
Incoming interests
The biggest international corporates have made no secret of their Japanese ambitions in recent years. Live Nation, CTS Eventim, and AEG all operate there – Live Nation since 2012, most recently under former UDO Artists executive Kei Ikuta; Eventim since 2021, with Asian veteran Jason Miller at the helm; AEG Presents in partnership with local indie giant Avex Entertainment, an arrangement enshrined in a joint venture in 2021.
These operators, alongside large local promoters with a stake in the international business – who include companies such as Creativeman, Hayashi International Promotion, Kyodo Tokyo, Smash, and UDO Artists – are highly engaged with the problem of increasing international music’s share of the market.
“Japan is getting closer to the overseas market as distribution grows and YouTube and TikTok become mainstream,” says Naoki Shimizu, president of Creativeman, operator of the prominent Summer Sonic Festival and one of the leading Japanese promoters. “Our goal is to return to the 25% share of western music that existed 20 years ago. Now it is said to be 10%, but I believe that the share has risen to about 15%.”
There are signs that the market is already moving in a positive direction for international artists. The domestic business returned with restrictions at the end of 2020, whereas the international business had to wait until 2022. That in turn led to an explosion of demand for international shows, particularly at the higher level.
“For the international artist market, we think that there will be continued growth in the arena and stadium show sector, as the supply of new star acts from not just the US and UK but other global markets increases,” says Ikuta, who reels off recent sell-outs for the Red Hot Chili Peppers at Tokyo Dome and Osaka Jo-Hall, Ariake Arena shows for Harry Styles in Tokyo and successful arena dates for the Backstreet Boys and Sting.
“Alongside that, we think there will be a continued expansion of a new generation of more globally minded young Japanese artists who are born into the social media era and have a great appetite to tour around the world.”
The international challenge
Japan is not an easy market for western acts, for a multitude of reasons, starting with a longstanding shortage of venues in most cities. Most stadiums and arenas in Japan are publicly owned and primarily designed for sports events, which inevitably take priority over music shows.
“The typical business model involves renting out the venue as an empty space and charging rental fees, while the responsibility for ticket sales, stage production, and event operations lies with the promoter,” says Ikuta. “As a result, there is less motivation [for venues] to actively attract concerts, which are often seen as lucrative in the western market.”
International artists also struggle to secure dates, given their limited flexibility and relatively short lead times. “The reason it is hard to hold venues in Japan is that domestic artists book weekends two years in advance – weekdays are not a problem,” says Shimizu.
Significantly, in the coming five years, the Japanese market will witness a large number of new arena builds, partly spurred by the revised rules of the national basketball leagues, which now demand that teams in the top B1 tier maintain an average of 4,000 attendees and build, at minimum, a 5,000-cap arena. Given that most teams have a maximum of 30 games a year, that leaves most such venues with a lot of downtime for other uses.
The basketball-based building boom is set to bequeath a host of new arenas – from Mitsui Fudosan’s 10,000-cap LaLa Arena Tokyo-Bay, due in spring 2024, and the 10,000-cap Tokyo A-Arena, due in autumn 2025, to tentative new arenas in Kobe, Osaka, and Nagoya from 2025 onwards.
“The number of venues with a capacity of 5,000 to 15,000 is expected to increase in the future,” says Keiji Sugimoto of promoter-operation Backstage/LIVE EXSAM. “These venues will primarily be used for basketball games, but additionally, they can be utilised as music venues for the rest of the time. By 2025, there will be a sufficient increase in venues of this size – although smaller halls with a capacity of around 2,000 people will continue to be in short supply.”
As the primary market, Tokyo claims the lion’s share of the larger venues, with more on the way – though many believe other cities would benefit from a greater share of the attention now.
“I’m involved in several arena projects,” says Masato Kitaguchi, advisor to Billboard Japan, which operates Billboard Live venues in Tokyo, Osaka, and Yokohama, “and I believe that with [Yokohama’s 10,000-cap] Pia Arena in 2020, and others such as the K-Arena in Yokohama, the LaLa Arena in Funabashi, and others in Odaiba and Kawasaki that will be built by 2029, we will have an oversupply of arenas in the Greater Tokyo area.”
The K-Arena, with a capacity of 20,000, opens in September and is expected to bring 3m additional guests annually to the second city of Yokohama, according to K-Arena president Tsuyoshi Tamura. While venues in Japan have traditionally been multipurpose facilities designed primarily for sports events, K-Arena will specialise in music.
“This is one of its distinguishing features,” says Tamura. “We are opening on September 29th, and our occupancy rate for the remainder of the year is expected to exceed 80%.” In October and November, K-Arena has Sam Smith, Mötley Crüe, and Def Leppard scheduled to perform, as well as a number of J-pop and K-pop artists.
“Japan has always been a priority for US agents given the importance of the market”
Tamura believes the new venue has the potential to make a dent in neighbouring Tokyo’s strong grip on the bigger shows. “In terms of cities, Tokyo is often mentioned, and when it comes to venues, Tokyo Dome is commonly recognised,” he says. “However, Yokohama City is located within a 30-minute radius of Tokyo and is approximately 40 minutes away from Haneda Airport. Yokohama has various venues, including K-Arena Yokohama, and it is striving to develop as a music city, attracting fans from both domestic and international locations.”
A necessary next step, Kitaguchi suggests, is to invest comparably in other cities – particularly third city Osaka – in order to create new touring networks. “I feel that Osaka lacks an adequate number of arenas of the appropriate size, and I would like to accelerate support for arena constructions there,” he says. Shimizu agrees. “There are more than 15 arenas in the Tokyo area with a capacity of over 7,000, and the number is still increasing,” he says. “In Osaka and Nagoya, on the other hand, there are only two or three arenas with more than 7,000 capacity.”
Others in the business identify a problem at the lower level. “The primary challenge in the Japanese live market is the lack of suitable venues, especially mid-sized halls that serve as the cultural foundation,” says Sugimoto. “While arenas are increasing in number, major metropolitan areas are severely lacking in mid-sized halls. As a result, the environment for nurturing new artists is not conducive, and they are unable to emerge.”
Venue availability isn’t the only difficulty in a market that has grappled with the fallout of the pandemic in distinctly familiar ways, from rising ticket prices to skilled staff shortages. But an increase in the number of arenas creates an opportunity for a bulked-up touring market, and that is the kind of invitation the international giants of live music don’t need to hear twice.
“The post-Covid landscape has made it financially and logistically challenging for all parties involved, but traffic is bigger than ever, and international content is at an all-time high,” says Eventim Live Asia director of touring Mitsuyo McGroggan.
International artists going east
While Japan once had a reputation for revering western pop, as many globetrotting stadium and arena stars have found, western superstar cachet no longer automatically translates.
“Japan, and Asia regionally, in many ways have their own identity in terms of the touring landscape,” says McGroggan. “But in particular, an act that may be classed as an arena-level act in the west doesn’t necessarily translate as such in Japan. Many a time, an arena-level show needs to be scaled down to a theatre-level, even a club-level show.”
Humility and hard work are therefore a necessity for established acts, though not everyone believes international artists are simply not trying hard enough.
“I don’t believe there is much lacking among overseas artists,” says Naoki Wada, CEO and creative director of label and promoter Land Inc. “The bigger issue lies in domestic media and labels adopting short-sighted strategies and not featuring foreign music as much. As a result, people are becoming more disconnected from western music.”
A further disadvantage for those with Japanese aspirations lies in the fact that the promotional tools that work in other markets don’t always have the same traction in Japan.
“Japan operates very differently to the rest of the world,” says McGroggan. “Here, 90% of the live sector is comprised of domestic talent, streaming stats aren’t as relevant as in the west, and ticketing systems are still very much unique in their own ways.”
“But time and time again, I am in awe and am reminded of the loyal nature of the Japanese fanbase. Their listenership and respect to the artistry is true class, and from my experience, the artists and managers that put Japan and Asia at the forefront of the global touring circuit – and not as an afterthought – have proved that the investment in the early years of their career has been repaid ten-fold with long-standing careers in the region.”
Noted Japanophile Bruno Mars illustrates the size of the opportunity for hard-working international stars. Mars sold out five shows at the Tokyo Dome in late 2022, amounting to more than 200,000 tickets – a feat he now looks set to exceed in January 2024.
“Bruno has sold out five Tokyo Dome shows, and we are adding two more,” says promoter Kaori Hayashi. “These shows will be the biggest by any international act in Japan this century,” she adds, noting that Michael Jackson was the last to accomplish anything comparable.
The Hawaiian star has worked hard to ingratiate himself to his Japanese audience, throwing himself into promotion and weaving Japanese music and patter into his stage show.
“It has never been true that success in the west correlates to success in Japan,” Hayashi says. “[But] Bruno has regularly toured Japan and actively promotes his shows here. I think his incredible success will encourage other artists to invest more time in Japan.”
In a similar vein, Coldplay’s two Tokyo Dome shows in November will feature Sony duo Yoasobi, one of the most influential groups in the current J-pop scene.
“Collaborations like these are highly beneficial for expanding the artist’s fanbase, especially among younger audiences, and we expect this significance to grow further in the future,” says Ikuta. “It also presents a unique opportunity for local artists to step onto the international stage,” he adds, noting that the ‘matching’ process between local and international artists is an important skill for international promoters.
Lady Gaga likewise has invested time and energy into building her Japanese fanbase, coming for promotional trips throughout her career. She is one of very few non-Japanese acts to appear on the New Year’s Eve TV special Kōhaku Uta Gassen and was famously interviewed on Japanese icon Tetsuko Kuroyanagi’s daytime talk show Tetsuko’s Room, giving her huge mainstream exposure.
“Our two stadium shows with her were one of the first major shows post-Covid reopening and were an instant sell out, which is a testament to her profile here and her special relationship with fans,” says Ikuta.
An essential foothold for global corporates
Broadly speaking, the companies that populate the mainstream Japanese market are diverse and numerous. For domestic repertoire, there are busy promoters in each of Japan’s eight regions. Major broadcasters also have concert divisions, while powerful management stables create their own talent from scratch, controlling all aspects of their careers.
And while this all adds up to a mature market with no automatic need for international content, a foothold in Japan is clearly an essential requirement for international firms with broader regional ambitions.
“Japan is a mature market in Asia, but entering it as a competitor can still be beneficial for several reasons,” says McGroggan. “Japan’s status as an anchor market means that success there can serve as a foundation for expanding and leveraging your brand in other cities within the region.
“Also, the knowledge and experience gained from operating in Japan can provide valuable insights into consumer preferences and market dynamics, helping you to adapt your strategies effectively in other markets in which you do shows. Essentially, Japan acts as a launchpad for your expansion efforts in the broader Asian market.”
Live Nation certainly agrees. “Japan is an important growth market for Live Nation given its scale and appetite for live music, so we are always looking for opportunities to build our business both organically and through acquisition,” says Ikuta.
Among Live Nation Japan’s local initiatives is a stake in the consortium behind Tokyo’s 11,000-cap Ariake Arena, built for the 2022 Tokyo Olympics.
“While the building is owned by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, it is operated by a private entity, making it a unique endeavour in Japan,” says Ikuta. Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, Sting, and the Backstreet Boys have already been through in recent months, while Charlie Puth, Post Malone, and others are lined up for later this year.
Eventim Live Asia, based in Singapore, also has a clear roadmap for Japan and the wider region. “As a global promoter and ticketing company now operating in Japan, our goal over the next five years is to achieve consistent growth in show count across all levels of artists and genres,” says McGroggan.
“We aim to expand our business and presence in the market by eventually introducing Eventim ticketing services. Additionally, we plan to capitalise on opportunities in the festival landscape to further grow and diversify our offerings. By leveraging these strategies, we hope to establish a strong foothold in the Japanese entertainment industry and position ourselves as the leading player in the market.”
“I am in awe… of the loyal nature of the Japanese fanbase. Their listenership and respect to the artistry is true class”
Japanese acts going west
Buoyed by the global success of Korean and Latin music, the J-pop and J-rock business is beginning to sense its time may be nigh – though it has a way to go before it can challenge the output of South Korea.
“Unfortunately, the current situation is such that K-pop, rather than J-pop, dominates the global market, particularly in Asia. J-pop would make a significant difference if even one artist could achieve international success,” says Kitaguchi, who recommends chart-topping, Nissan Stadium-filling, Tokyo four-piece End of the World, known in Japan as Sekai no Owari.
“Japan is a cultural and artistic nation, but we have lacked the know-how to industrialise it, so culture and the arts have not become a key industry like in South Korea,” says Takeo Nakanishi, chairman of promoters organisation ACPC and president at Tokyo-based promoter Disk Garage Holding. “The economic impact BTS has created in South Korea is far greater than the market we have. At the same time as I am amazed by the success, I also believe that we have potential.”
Shimizu, too, sees plenty of opportunity. “Baby Metal, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, and Perfume have been active in the past, but new artists such as Yoasobi, Ado, New School Leaders, Fujii Kaze, and Vaundy are starting to make their mark overseas,” says Shimizu. “J-pop has a variety of genres, and more and more young people are interested in its diversity. Some may be a little bored with K-pop.”
Live Nation has recently organised US tours for the Japanese all-female hard rock band Band-Maid, who will play Lollapalooza in Chicago this year, and for the Japanese rock band Man With A Mission.
“In recent years, J-pop and J-rock acts have been taking success overseas more seriously, and we have seen a significant increase in the number of domestic act managers reaching out to us to discuss touring abroad,” says Ikuta.
“We’ve established a system to assess the potential of each artist in each market around the world and have strengthened our collaboration with the Live Nation Global Touring team and individual promoter teams in the US and APAC regions, enabling us to provide optimal proposals to the artists.”
Festivals
Festivals have traditionally been an important melting pot for international, domestic, and regional artists. Internationally, festivals such as Smash’s Fuji Rock and Creativeman’s Summer Sonic are the best-known of the country’s big events.
“At Summer Sonic, which is now in its 22nd year, we have had the earliest sell-outs [this year] in both Tokyo and Osaka. Ticket prices have gone up, but 200,000 people are expected to attend,” says Shimizu. “This is a better number than for any other festival for artists in Japan, and we have high expectations for the future.”
Hayashi International Promotion pioneered the mainstream rock market in Japan with headliner-branded festivals such as Ozzfest in 2013 and 2015 and Slipknot’s Knotfest, which first landed in Japan in 2014 and continues to thrive, selling out a two-day event in April.
Japan hosts numerous other large music festivals annually, most of which are composed entirely of domestic acts. Rock In Japan, the largest domestic summer festival, boasts a line-up of entirely Japanese artists and attracts over 300,000 attendees each year. Naturally, global players watch this area with interest.
“Live Nation Japan is actively exploring opportunities to bring and/or create large-scale international festivals in Japan,” says Ikuta. “We see there are great opportunities to introduce new and exciting large-scale events to the market, with location and venues being crucial factors.”
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Japan to trial use of ID cards for concerts
Japan is ploughing ahead with a plan to use controversial government-issued ID cards in the entertainment sector.
The government’s Digital Agency will launch a trial later this month to examine whether the use of the My Number cards will help improve the efficiency of identity checks at event venues.
The test will take place with the help of major ticketing agency Pia Corp, consulting firm Dream Incubator and other private businesses on the scheme.
The Digital Agency also plans to conduct a test by the end of the current fiscal year to prevent unfair resale of tickets by requiring identity verification with My Number cards on official secondary distribution sites.
There have been numerous reports of health insurance cards, disability records and bank accounts being erroneously tied to someone else’s My Number ID
However, critics of the proposal say it would make it impossible to purchase tickets for the 40% of residents who are yet to apply for a card and would also rule out those without smartphones.
Introduced in 2015, the card – which bears a 12-digital number – is typically used as a form of identification for pension, tax, and other government functions.
Over the past few months, there have been numerous reports of health insurance cards, disability records and bank accounts being erroneously tied to someone else’s My Number ID. Under pressure to sort out the mess, the national government announced an investigation into the Digital Agency, which is handling the rollout, in July 2023.
While the use of My Number cards is not mandatory, citizens will be forced to use their My Number to access health insurance from next year, as part of a renewed bid to increase the use of the cards.
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IQ 121 out now: New Bosses, Depeche Mode, Japan
IQ 121, the latest issue of the international live music industry’s favourite magazine, is available to read online now.
Our August edition reveals the New Bosses 2023, as we profile 20 of the most promising 30-and-unders in the international business.
With the countdown on to the 2023 International Festival Forum. we reveal the three-day programme of events set for the 26-28 September gathering in South London.
Elsewhere, Gordon Masson talks to the architects and road warriors who are helping take Depeche Mode’s Memento Mori tour to millions of fans, and Neil Cooper gauges the impact that The Hydro in Glasgow has had on the UK’s tour circuit as the venue marks its first decade in operation.
Also in the issue, we celebrate the 75th birthday of industry pioneer Thomas Johansson by looking back at the Swedish promoter’s incredible 60 years in music, as well as a nod to the future and succession plans at Live Nation’s Nordic stronghold.
Plus, in our latest market report, Adam Woods discovers that the appetite for international acts is once again growing in the massive Japanese sector.
For this edition’s columns and comments, Ticketmaster’s VP of music and festivals Sarah Slater outlines the constant evolution that ticketing providers need to address to cater for festival fans, while Metropolis Music’s Alexandra Ampofo argues that opening doors to include differently abled people in the industry workforce will accelerate support for disability rights and inclusivity.
As always, the majority of the magazine’s content will appear online in some form in the next four weeks.
However, if you can’t wait for your fix of essential live music industry features, opinion and analysis, click here to subscribe to IQ from just £8 a month – or check out what you’re missing out on with the limited preview below:
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Japan’s Summer Sonic increases domestic focus
Creativeman president Naoki Shimizu says Japan’s Summer Sonic is reducing its reliance on international talent amid a rise in domestic festival-goers.
The sold-out event will be held concurrently at Zozomarine Stadium and Makuhari Messe, Tokyo and Maishma Sonic Park, Osaka this weekend (19-20 August), headlined by Kendrick Lamar, Blur, The Strokes, Lizzo and Foo Fighters.
Other non-domestic acts on the bill include Fall Out Boy, Blur, Niall Horan, Thundercat, Two Door Cinema Club, Wet Leg, Honne, Pale Waves, Liam Gallagher and Evanescence, but Shimizu says the growing number of Asian visitors to the festival and the country itself is influencing a shift in direction.
“Summer Sonic is often said to be a festival centred on Western music, but the number of Asian acts is increasing year after year,” he tells the Japan Times.
After the event attracted a record 300,000 people across the two sites for its 20th anniversary edition in 2019, the pandemic ensured Summer Sonic did not take place again until 2022, when international acts accounted for just 40% of its offering due to stringent pandemic travel restrictions.
“The promoters have also become stronger, and we are ready for any other challenges ahead of us”
In addition, the festivals were reduced in capacity (Tokyo to 55,000 and Osaka to 30,000) and fans were subject to a number of restrictions. However, Shimizu reveals the planning for this year’s event was far more straightforward.
“Preparations have been pretty easy this year, compared to last year,” he says. “That’s what happens when you don’t have to install disinfectant stands or partitions. “Festival sponsors have also come back strong this year, after many avoided last year’s edition due to worries over criticism.”
The Japanese government only announced a relaxation of its longstanding ban on cheering at concerts and sporting events at the start of 2023, along with a reclassification of Covid-19’s disease status, but Shimizu says the market is now back to full strength.
“It’s recovered,” he says. “I think people have rediscovered the splendour of live music after being restricted from it over the past few years. But it’s back, and the numbers back that up. The promoters have also become stronger, and we are ready for any other challenges ahead of us.”
The Japanese government recently dialled back visa requirements, making it easier for foreign artists of varying success to visit the country. The changes were prompted by a recent boom in live music performances, according to Japan’s Immigration Services Agency (ISA).
The forthcoming issue of IQ, due out next week, will feature an in-depth look at the Japanese live music market.
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Japan relaxes visa rules for foreign acts
The Japanese government has dialled back visa requirements, making it easier for foreign artists of varying success to visit the country.
Previously, overseas acts applying for an entertainment visa had to earn over 500,000 yen ($3,500) during a maximum stay of 15 days or perform in venues with a seating capacity of 100 upwards, that do not sell food or drink.
But on 1 August, the country doubled the maximum period of stay to 30 days and changed the wording of the other stipulation. Now any venue capable of holding 100 people, seated or standing, will suffice.
In the past, foreigners who did not meet the above requirements were alternatively required to meet other conditions, such as “two or more years of overseas activity experience” and “performing on a stage of at least 13 sq. meters”. These no longer need to be met if the promoter has three years of experience organising concerts with foreign artists.
“There have been many requests [for changes] from inviting institutions involved in such events in Japan”
The changes were prompted by a recent boom in live music performances, according to Japan’s Immigration Services Agency (ISA). An ISA official told Japan Times that many players in Japan’s music industry had called for the visa requirements to be eased so more foreign artists could perform in Japan.
“There have been many requests [for changes] from inviting institutions involved in such events in Japan,” said the official. “And the change allows for activities in smaller venues, making it possible for artists who can’t arrange for big venues to perform in smaller ones. Another aspect is that it reduces the burden on applicants, and by relaxing the screening requirements, the immigration authorities can process applications more efficiently.”
Vice president of the International Promoters Alliance Japan, Masato Kitaguchi, has welcomed the relaxation of rules: “This step will give momentum to the revival of the music industry in Japan, which was hit hard by Covid-19-related restrictions.”
Kitaguchi said that by gaining more certainty in the visa application process, promoters will be better able to go about attracting more overseas spectators to their Japan events. He said it used to take many document submissions and that the screening period could be excruciatingly long.
The forthcoming issue of IQ, due out next week, will feature an in-depth look at the Japanese live music market.
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LGBTIQ+ List 2023: Ippei Kimura, Creativeman
The LGBTIQ+ List 2023 – IQ Magazine’s third annual celebration of queer professionals who make an immense impact in the international live music business – has been revealed.
The ever-popular list is the centrepiece of IQ’s third Pride edition, sponsored by Ticketmaster, which is now available to read online and in print for subscribers.
To get to know this year’s queer pioneers a little better, we interviewed each of them on the development of the industry, the challenges that are keeping them up at night and more.
Throughout the next month, IQ will publish a new interview each day. Check out yesterday’s profile with Kane Kete, client development manager for major events, promoters & music venues at Ticketmaster in Melbourne, Australia.
The series continues with Ippei Kimura (he/him/his), booking/marketing/tour manager at Creativeman Productions in Tokyo, Japan.
Born and raised in the big city of Tokyo, Ippei’s younger days were spent working in restaurants, with most nights spent at clubs, where he made a lot of connections. He started working in the live music industry at Creativeman in 2010, where he has booked the tours of many international pop acts in Japan, as well as tours for Japanese acts overseas.
Tell us about the professional feat you’re most PROUD of in 2023 so far.
I have a few… starting with the successful tour of Rina Sawayama in January, which was something I am very proud of. I was touched to see not only her music but also her message make a huge impact on younger generations of all genders.
I also toured a few cities in the US, Europe, and the UK with Japanese popstar Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and was happy to see people enjoying her kawaii (cute in Japanese) pink pop world. I am very thankful that lots of the queer crowd showed up to give unconditional support to her. And I just booked the tour of my new favourite act for next year! Can’t tell you who yet!
Name one queer act you’re itching to see live this year.
Just one?! Okay… I am excited that Sam Smith is coming to Japan this October. I’m very curious how Japanese people will react to their new openly queer proud looks in the show.
What advice could you give to young queer professionals?
Respect others if you want to have them respect you. Working in the music live industry is all about teamwork! You cannot do it all by yourself. I was very lucky to have people respect who I am, so I want to do the same. I guess this goes for all genders in all types of work. And work hard and play hard! Don’t ever forget to have fun! You might find new work ideas.
“Manpower shortage is a serious issue in the live music industry in Japan these days”
What’s the best mistake you’ve ever made?
I am making mistakes every day… Very hard to track what I have done but I try not to make the same mistakes no more than three times!
In terms of challenges in the industry, what’s currently keeping you up at night?
Manpower shortage is a serious issue in the live music industry in Japan these days, especially in the production department. We have to be very careful not to book the big tours in the same time period. So young queer friends in Japan… you have a lot of chances here to work in this exciting world!
How do you see the live music business developing in the next few years?
Japan is a very undeveloped country for gender matters generally. Especially for LGBTIQ rights. The live music industry here is still very much a man’s world. But these days, I am happy and excited to see many young ladies working very hard in many sections/departments.
Unfortunately, I’m still rarely meeting out queer people in the industry. I am hoping the industry will become an environment where people can feel comfortable being true to who they are at work, so we can have more young queer folks who enjoy working together. You know, us queer people sometimes bring some good ideas along that turn the whole world upside down. I feel our industry might have the chance to lead the way with gender balance in the country!
“Members of the audience told me that it was their first time seeing real-live drag queens”
Name one thing the industry could do to be a more equitable place.
Giving equitable chances to any gender acts at festivals is very important. The majority of rock festival lineups are still male performers. Every summer, we run one of the biggest music festivals in Japan called Summer Sonic. We are very proud that we have female headliners in our history, such as Beyoncé back in 2009 and Rihanna in 2012, and I am very much looking forward to seeing more names in the near future.
At Summer Sonic, we also have a very unique stage event called SummerSoNichome. We bring the fun and excitement of a queer club atmosphere to the rock/pop festival with wonderful Japanese drag queens, go-go boys, dancers, and DJs. We have been doing this for more than ten years now, and it has become very popular at the festival.
Members of the audience told me that it was their first time seeing real-live drag queens and that they loved dancing with the queens. A few weeks later, I bumped into them at gay clubs! How exciting is that! It was unique and rare to have something like this on the Japanese festival scene, and I am very proud to be the pioneer of this.
Shout out your biggest ally in the live music industry.
Everybody at our office! Without their help, I am not here right now for sure!
Shout out any LGBTIQ+ cause(s) you support.
In Japan, we still have a very long way to go to get equality rights. I am very thankful to everybody who keeps fighting for it. Thank you!
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Bring Me The Horizon announce festival in Japan
British rock band Bring Me The Horizon have announced their own one-day festival in Japan later this year.
The event, titled Nex_Fest, is touted as “a one-of-a-kind festival directed by the band, from the line-up to the artwork”.
Bring Me The Horizon will headline the festival, with support from Japanese bands Maximum The Hormone, Yoasobi, Paledusk, CVLTE, HANABIE., VMO aka Violent Magic Orchestra and Kruelty.
Produced by the country’s leading international promoter Creativeman Productions, Nex_Fest is slated for 3 November at Tokyo convention centre Makuhari Messeon.
Nex_Fest is touted as “a one-of-a-kind festival directed by the band, from the line-up to the artwork”
The festival will conclude the band’s run of shows in Japan, which includes stops in Osaka and Nagoya with support from Babymetal, Yungblud and I Prevail.
The outing is in support of the band’s forthcoming album POST HUMAN: NeX GEn, due on 15 September.
It’s the second time the band has curated a festival, after curating a four-day event in Malta with the now-collapsed UK-based music, travel and experiences start-up Pollen.
Nex_Fest is the latest addition to an increasing trend of artist-curated festivals, which includes Jawbreaker’s 1234FEST, J.Cole’s Dreamville, Tyler the Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival, Smashing Pumpkins’ The World Is A Vampire, Travis Scott’s Astroworld, Pharrell Williams’ Something In The Water and Meltdown festival.
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https://t.co/gSS8sej9oE
# pic.twitter.com/ZBf7jmZUBu— Bring Me The Horizon (@bmthofficial) July 14, 2023
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LGBTIQ+ List 2023: Meet this year’s queer pioneers
IQ Magazine has revealed the LGBTIQ+ List 2023 – the third annual celebration of queer professionals who make an immense impact in the international live music business.
The ever-popular list is the centrepiece of IQ’s third Pride edition, sponsored by Ticketmaster, which is now available to read online and in print for subscribers.
The 20 individuals comprising the LGBTIQ+ List 2023 – as nominated by our readers and verified by our esteemed steering committee – are individuals that have gone above and beyond to wave the flag for an industry that we can all be proud of.
The third instalment comprises agents, promoters, tour managers, marketing executives, consultants, founders and more – all of whom identify as LGBTIQ+ and, in the face of adversity, have made enormous contributions to their respective sectors.
In alphabetical order, the LGBTIQ+ List 2023 is:
Christina Austin, music agent, United Talent Agency (UK)
Hila Aviran, director of entertainment & tours, PixMob (US)
Johanna Beckman, senior creative curator and promoter, FKP Scorpio Sweden (SE)
Amy Greig, booking agent, Runway Artists (UK)
Adem Holness, head of contemporary music, Southbank Centre (UK)
Kane Kete, client development manager, Ticketmaster (AU)
Ippei Kimura, booking/marketing/tour manager, Creativeman Productions (JP)
Katherine Koranteng, marketing & campaigns manager, Festival Republic (UK)
Stefan Lehmkuhl, freelance curator & live entertainment consultant, BMG/Ruined My Rainbow (DE)
Lucy Mackenzie McNae, tour manager (Josef, Twin Atlantic), Two and a Half TMs (UK)
Saskhia Menendez, innovator at Keychange, board of directors at F-List Music (UK)
Dev Mistry, global internal comms manager, DICE (UK)
Frederik Diness Ove, founder, Queer Music Agency (DK)
Boyan Pinter (Boiadjiev), founder/director, SPIKE Bulgarian Music Showcase (BG)
Scott Robson, event manager, ASM Global (UK)
Roman Samotný, director, Queer Slovakia (SK)
Marie-Christine Scheffold, senior booking agent manager, Selective Artists (DE)
Karim Siddiqui, senior booking manager, Live Nation (US)
Areti Tziorta, marketing manager, TEG Europe (UK)
João Pedro Viana, music agent, WME (UK)
Throughout the next month, IQ will be publishing full-length interviews with each person on the LGBTIQ+ List 2023.
Subscribers can read the full Pride edition now. Click here to subscribe to IQ from less than £8 a month – or see what you’re missing out on with the limited preview below.
Check out 2022’s cohort of queer pioneers here, and 2021’s cohort here.