When I first moved to Japan there was a lot on my mind, since I didn’t know much Japanese. I came over knowing how to give an introduction, ask basic questions, and then simple phrases and greetings I’d need to know every day. My job didn’t require that I know Japanese, so I wasn’t in that big of a rush to learn it until after I started living here. I knew that I’d get the hang of it with enough immersion and practice as the days stretched out into months, working in public schools. After a year and a half, I’ve learned how to function normally and hold conversations with native speakers well enough.
The language was never the issue. The real struggle was the fact that I wasn’t living in Tokyo or Osaka, where 90% of all tourism and English services are provided. Instead, my job sent me all the way out to Sendai, up in Miyagi prefecture. Any western music artist wouldn’t be performing nearby, all the popular expos we heard about back home happened in Tokyo, and there was hardly any fun tourist attraction to speak of. Before arriving, literally every tourist website or journal only talked about three things when it came to Sendai: beef tongue, Cat Island, and Date Masamune’s grave.
However, being in a major city still meant that there had to be areas similar to Akihabara or Shinjuku, right? If not western artists then surely Japanese artists would perform in Sendai, right? If not a Tokyo Game Show then maybe something like a Sendai Anime Fest? So how was I to learn when they’d happen or if they’d happen at all? Since Japan is still a cash-based country then how would I buy a ticket without a credit card? What the absolute heck was a ticket lottery? How does one research all this when Google Translate is only so useful when it comes to browsing foreign language corners of the web? Even if I went to these events would I still be able to enjoy it when they’d surely have no (or very little) English support?
Well… after enough time and effort, I figured it all out. So whether you’re another somewhat lonely foreigner living far away from Tokyo, a student studying aboard, someone who’s about to move here, or just a tourist wondering how all this works — allow me to break it down. Although my biggest piece of advice would be “learn the language,” I’ll be doing this on the premise that you have little to no Japanese knowledge starting out.
Finding Events and Dates
When it comes to bands and concerts: check their websites. While most western music acts just post all tour information on social media, Japanese bands tend to do almost the exact opposite. Music artists are very active in keeping tour schedules and special events like public signings or TV appearances on their website and in newsletters. If they have the venue location posted then seek out the venue website and find their event calendar. If you can swing it, buy whatever band’s latest album or single, as it will come with early release tour information, and something else which I’ll talk about in just a moment that is rather important to attend.
In addition to music shops like Tower Records, believe it or not, several convenience stores (7 Eleven, FamilyMart) will advertise when music artists are coming to local areas, and not just chart-topping artists like LiSA or ONE OK ROCK.
Other options include Japan Concert Tickets. If you’re looking for something special, then Movies in Concert is a site that keeps track of special music events pertaining to films, games, and TV series music happening worldwide.
For public events like anime conventions — those are a tad more difficult. Odds are you’ll have to get lucky next time you’re at your city’s Animate shop and talking to a store clerk. Know how to ask about such events in Japanese. If you can’t speak Japanese at all and for whatever reason don’t want to learn, or don’t have a translator glued to your hand at all times, then you’ll have to resort to generic Google searches on the Japanese end of the web. A good place to start is always your city and prefecture’s official website. If there are tourist attractions or events of any kinds then odds are it will have some kind of English support. This can be a great way to find out about other events such as summer festivals, art exhibits, and local attractions that are commonly missed by travel sites, too.
If you’re going with generic Google searching then you’ll have to use Japanese. You won’t get far with something like “Iwate Anime Con,” or “anime conventions in Japan” unless you want to get the same industry level events that are all in Tokyo that you’re already familiar with. Know the kanji for the closest metropolitan city or the prefecture you’re staying in. It wouldn’t hurt to look into events in neighboring areas if the travel expense isn’t too extreme. Example words to include in your search with the city name are:
- Anime: アニメ
- Manga: 漫画
- Festival: 祭り (though, this usually only applies to cultural festivals in summer)
- Fest: フェス
- Event: 行事
- Expo / Exposition: 企画展
- Concert: 音楽会
- Live Show: ライブ
You’ll still have to do some digging and there is no promise that any annual event will actually occur, but with a bit of help from Google Chrome’s automatic translator you could get lucky. When all else fails, join social media groups. Seek other foreigners out and asks questions.
Getting Tickets
Getting tickets can be stressful. Unless it’s a popular annual event/local attraction that is known to bring in foreign audiences like Hatsune Miku: Magical Mirai, Tokyo Disneyland Resort, or the Kingdom Hearts Orchestra then odds are the ticketing website will not offer English support. So how does it all work? Let’s start with early ticket sales, meaning… the ticket lottery.
Ticket Lottery
Okay, so it’s not exactly like the Lotto. There is no actual loss in entering ticket lotteries and not winning.
So what is a ticket lottery? How do you enter? What happens if you win? Well, it’s actually not that complicated when you think about it. Ticket lotteries are used for events with an overly high demand for entry. To give everyone a fair chance, people register for the free ticket lottery and select what kind of ticket they want. Concerts usually offer a variety of ticket selection depending on seating levels. The price of tickets will be displayed in full so you aren’t hit with unexpected fees.
Once you’ve selected your top choices of a single ticket (usually top three) you’ll be given a lottery number. When the lottery is cast, numbers are drawn at random per selection. If your number is called and your first choice is available than your 2nd and 3rd choice is automatically canceled and you are given the consumer right to purchase your ticket of choice. If your number is called on and your first ticket choice is sold out then you’ll be given your 2nd choice. Again, if that choice is already sold out then you’ll be given your 3rd choice. Sadly, if you don’t win the lottery at all then you’ll have to wait and get lucky with public sales, if any tickets aren’t sold out.
Only once have I entered a ticket lottery (Hatsune Miku: Magical Mirai) where they actively tried to get you every ticket option you selected. It was a common mistake due to errors in their English support, causing not just myself, but several English speaking foreigners to have been forced into purchasing more than a single ticket. However, this was also the only event I’ve attended that was happening across several days. No one I spoke to who suffered this inconvenience was forced to purchase multiple tickets for the same day. To my understanding this a very uncommon practice and is usually not to be expected.
How can you increase your chances of getting a ticket via the lottery? Well, for bands and concerts there is a way. Join the fanclub if they have one. Fanclub members always get early pre-sale options. Don’t want to subscribe to a fanclub? Then go out and buy their latest album or single they released right before the tour announcement. Why?! Even the single they just released will come with an early access code for a separate ticket lottery exclusive for those who purchased whatever CD the code is in, all but 100% promising a concert ticket, especially for those wanting to attend live events outside of Tokyo or Osaka. If you want to be certain, double check the band’s website and ticketing information for the tour, as they will usually say if their latest release is bundled with early ticket opportunities, and usually on the CD packaging in stores.
完成した17th single「Torches」
一足先に手に入れちゃいました。リリースはついに明後日、14日!
新しい夜の始まりの1枚です。
あなたに届きますように。#VINLAND_SAGA pic.twitter.com/mGPB03BrGm— Aimer&staff (@Aimer_and_staff) August 12, 2019
Paying for the Ticket
So you won the ticket lottery, but don’t have a credit card to automatically pay for the service? Not to worry. Usually, before entering the lottery they will ask you about your desired payment method, and for those living in Japan you can usually select “Konbini Pay.” You’ll receive an email with instructions (all in Japanese) about how to go about paying. Details will include what ticket you won in the lottery, when the ticket will be ready to be picked up (usually a week or two after the drawing results), and how to print it. They will almost always tell you which konbini/convenience store to use.
At the konbini, you can give the information to the clerk. They will help you print the ticket, and allow you to pay with cash. In some cases, it will say in the email that your ticket will be mailed to your address, but usually they will specify the delivery method when you enter the ticket lottery in the first place. Easy! You’re well on your way to see that one music artist that you requested every year to be a guest at Sakura Con!
Public Sale
So you didn’t win the ticket lottery and now you have to try your hand at public sales. Go right back to the band’s website and they should have a link to all ticket options. You’ll probably be getting used to using Google Translate by now.
Also, just like how convenience stores love to advertise events, they also serve as ticket vendors. It will require the use of their ticket machine which normally doesn’t have the best English support, so you may have to ask for help, which will involve a lot of pointing at concert ads and the ticketing machine. When in doubt you may just want to use a translator to say you want to purchase a concert ticket.
Enjoying the Event
You finally did it! You got that ticket. You’re going to that Kenshi Yonezu concert. It’s Halloween and you’ve booked your bus and hotel to Disneyland or Universal Studios. The con weekend is approaching and now you’ve got questions. Can you enjoy it to the same level as you did in your home country if there is no English support? Will other foreigners be there? Will it be weird for a foreigner to cosplay if it’s that kind of event?
Take a deep breath and just know everything will be fine. Yes — you will have fun. Everyone is there for the same reason. They love what they’ve come to see and experience. Yes — other foreigners will be there. Shocking to think, but you actually aren’t the only non-Japanese person who likes anime and J-Rock. Yes — you will make friends. No — you can, in fact, cosplay and it won’t be weird of you. Between my experiences during Halloween at Disneyland and a few small conventions here in Sendai, locals love to see foreigners cosplaying and will be happy to take photos with you even if they can’t speak English.
One small note on cosplay is that several events that allow it will have an area set up with changing tents for guests to use, and space for everyone to store their luggage. The reason? It’s rare that people travel and book hotels for a whole weekend, even for cons. Very few people have a car, and so they just take public transport. Hardly anyone wants to do their 2-hour long commute to whatever event it is in full costume. Sometimes the storage space is free, and sometimes it’s a small additional charge, so be prepared.
Other Resources
If all effort proves fruitless and you’re willing to wing it at random events, you can check out Japan Attractions or Travel Japan. These sites keep track of a wide variety of events happening across the country.
Did you actually want to go to something that only happens in Tokyo? Travel to other prefectures? Need a highway bus ticket because the bullet train is too expensive? Try Willer Express.
Is a highway bus not possible for your destination? Is the bullet train looking like the best means of travel but you aren’t sure? Try finding a cheap domestic flight with Peach Aviation. You won’t need your passport when flying domestically (but you should definitely have it on you at all times), and all their airplanes are peach scented! They also offer international flights to Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, and Korea.
News and random happenings across the whole country, from politics to manga? Read up on the Asahi Shimbun.
Is your company’s HR not really helping when you need medical attention? Is the doctor they sent you to not listening to your concerns and dismissing symptoms without any testing? Were you sent way out into the countryside where for whatever reason they still treat Google Translate or voice translators like some unless trend instead of a convenient tool? Are you thinking it’s time to take the matter into your own hands to find an English speaking doctor (or dermatologist in my case)? ByoiNavi can help you with that.
All these sites offer English support except for ByoiNavi, but Google Translate does the job well enough on that particular site if you need it to.
Good luck!
