Requirements

So you wanna see ONE OK ROCK in Japan, huh? That plane ticket to Japan is the easy part because you will need the following in order to apply for tickets: an address in Japan, a Japanese phone number, and in some cases, a smartphone and/or Japanese credit card. If you live in Japan then these won’t be major hurdles (except maybe the credit card part), but if you are hoping to catch a concert while on vacation or something then you will need to rent a Japanese SIM card or have a friend living in Japan to help you out.

It is not recommended to use third-party websites to buy tickets! Not only will they probably cost more than the face value of the original ticket, but you also will likely run into some hurdles to get your ticket due to new ticketing procedures.

If you need a Japanese phone number to register for a ticket site, you can use services such as Mobal or Anyfone. (Don’t forget that your phone must be unlocked!) These services provide you with a Softbank phone number that can then be used to verify your ticket account. 050 VoIP numbers will not work for verification. You must have a phone number that starts with 070, 080, or 090. Usually for verification they will either send you a code via SMS that you need to enter on the site, or give you a phone number that you need to call from the phone number registered on the account. Once you call the designated number, it will automatically hang up and then your account will be verified.

Ticket Services

There are three major ticket services in Japan: Ticket Pia, Eplus, and Lawson Ticket. ONE OK ROCK may utilize any combination of these services depending on the tour.

It is not recommended to use third-party ticket websites, though you might be able to get away with it if you’re on Android. More about that later…

Ticket Lotteries

Unlike overseas concerts where tickets are put on sale and it’s a free for all, ONE OK ROCK (and most other artists) use ticket lotteries to sell their tickets. There are generally several rounds of lotteries on each of the different ticket services. You can put in entries at all the ticket services to increase your chances of getting tickets.

Each ticket service may have different dates for their lotteries, though sometimes they might be the same. You must put in an entry during the application period, and then the lottery results are announced at a later date, usually a few days or a week after the application period ends.

If you are a member of PRIMAL FOOTMARK, you will have access to member-exclusive ticket lotteries. These lotteries are people’s first shot at concert tickets because they occur before any non-member lotteries, and they are your best chance at tickets to ONE OK ROCK concerts. Find out more about PRIMAL FOOTMARK here.

Aside from PRIMAL FOOTMARK and general lotteries, there may also be lotteries through paid services such as Amuse Mobile, SOGO TOKYO (Kanto area only), and Yumebanchi (Osaka only). Each require monthly paid memberships, but you can just sign up only for the month(s) that the lottery is active. The actual lottery entry will go through one of the major ticket services.

Payment Methods

Once you have got your hands on tickets, it’s time to pay for them. There are generally three payment methods you can use for tickets: credit card, convenience store payment, and net banking.

Credit card is obviously the easiest since it doesn’t require any action on your part. Your card will be automatically charged when you win tickets, and in some rare cases, you can find out that you’ve won tickets before the lottery results officially come out based on the charge on your credit card statement. The hardest part about credit card payments is that the credit card must have been issued in Japan. Ticket services do not accept foreign issued credit cards and if you try with one, you will just get an error. Getting a credit card in Japan can be difficult for some. I recommend Epos Card since they don’t seem to decline anyone. You can apply for an Epos Card at Marui department stores in Japan. They will give you a card the same day.

Convenience store payments are just that, payments made at the convenience store. This is the best choice for people who don’t have a Japanese credit card. If you choose this method, you will be given a code that you need to use at the convenience store to pay for your tickets. There will also be a payment deadline date. Make sure to pay for your tickets by this date or else you will lose them! Once the payment deadline passes, there will be no chance for you to pay for the tickets or get back the tickets that you won. Keep in mind that the convenience store you need to make your payment at will depend on which ticket service you used. Tickets won from Pia can be paid for at 7-11 or Family Mart, Eplus tickets at any of the major convenience stores (7-11, Family Mart, Lawson, or Mini Stop), and tickets from Lawson Ticket can only be paid for at Lawson or Mini Stop.

Last is net banking (falls under “e-context” for Eplus). Using the Pay-easy module, you can pay for tickets either at an ATM or online through your bank’s website or mobile app. You will be given a couple codes that you need to enter which will bring up the info for your ticket payment.

The accepted payment methods may be different with each lottery. Some only accept credit card so if you are living in Japan then I highly recommend applying for an Epos Card.

General Sales

After all the rounds of ticket lotteries, there may be a general sale where tickets are sold on a first come, first serve basis. You can try to get general sale tickets either online or at a convenience store (Family Mart for Pia, 7-11 for Eplus, Lawson or Mini Stop for Lawson Ticket). For tickets online, you will need to go to the ticket service’s website, and for tickets at a convenience store, you will need to use the ticket terminal at the store. Some general sales may be limited to online only.

With general sales, be prepared to get error messages all the time and lots of pages timing out. The server will be overloaded due to the increased traffic of people trying to get tickets. Even if it says tickets are sold out, you may still want to continue trying for at least an hour since sometimes tickets are re-added to the pool.

Receiving Your Tickets

Whoo hoo! You’ve paid for your tickets! But how the heck do you receive them?

Since the with Orchestra Japan Tour, ONE OK ROCK has primarily been using electronic tickets. This is where the smartphone requirement comes in because you can only download your tickets through a smartphone.

In the past, digital tickets have been downloaded through the Tixeebox service which was accessible even from overseas, but the Luxury Disease Japan Tour had tickets go through Ticket Pia’s Cloak service with tickets downloaded through the MOALA Pocket app. The Moala Pocket app is only available in the Japan region of the App Store and Play Store. If you have an Android device, you can easily install the MOALA Pocket app via an APK and bypass the store region. iOS users unfortunately cannot install the app unless they have an Apple ID that is registered within Japan (which requires a Japanese billing method).

If you purchased multiple tickets, each ticket will need to be transferred to the person using it. This means that each person attending will need to have the MOALA Pocket app installed and a ticket downloaded on their phone. The person who purchased the ticket will need to transfer each of the tickets to the people who will be going with them via a special link. If there is even just one person in the group who cannot download the ticket via MOALA Pocket, the ticket purchaser will not be able to enter the venue. Each ticket will have a unique link that must be accessed on each of the devices that will be used to enter the venue. Make sure the link is opened on the correct device since the link is only valid once. If you have MOALA Pocket installed, clicking the link will automatically open the app and the ticket will be downloaded to it. It’s very simple as long as you have the app installed. Don’t despair if you’re unable to download the ticket though because the venue will have a ticket troubleshoot booth available to help attendees who are unable to download the ticket for whatever reason.

If you are unable to download your ticket, you can contact Pia through their website (search for “Cloak” on their help page and click on the お問い合わせ link at the bottom of any page shown in the results) or visit the ticket troubleshoot booth at the venue on the day of the concert. You will need to explain to them your situation (eg. you have a foreign phone and can’t install MOALA Pocket) and then provide them with the phone number registered on the ticket account and show them your photo ID. The name on your ID and on the ticket account must match. If you had a friend or someone help you purchase the ticket, it is recommended that you have that person contact Pia after the tickets become available for download instead of waiting to resolve things at the venue on the day of since Pia will not deal with anyone except the person who purchased the tickets. They don’t check ID if you contact them through their website, but you will need provide the name, email address, phone number and user ID associated with the Pia account that made the purchase.

Once you have explained to Pia your situation, they will make it so that your tickets can be printed at a 7-11. You will need the code that is shown in your Cloak account. (It’s at the bottom of the page after you click on the concert from the list of your available tickets.) Visit a 7-11 and show the cashier the code to have your tickets printed. The time period to have the tickets printed is very limited so get it done ASAP.

The above information assumes that you have either purchased the tickets yourself directly, or had someone you have contact with such as a friend make the purchase. You won’t be able to receive any help from Pia if your tickets were purchased through a third-party website such as StubHub or from people you cannot contact. If you have an Android smartphone and can install the MOALA Pocket APK however, you should at least be able to download your tickets yourself as long as you have the ticket download link. Sites like StubHub will provide you with the required link to download your ticket(s), but in general it is not recommended to purchase your tickets through third-parties since they will likely be more expensive and because you won’t be able to contact the person who originally purchased the tickets. If you can’t get a Japanese phone number and must use a third-party site, make sure you have an Android phone. iOS users who cannot install MOALA Pocket will be SOL.

When entering the venue, you will need to show the staff your ticket. For electronic tickets, they will need to confirm the ticket on your phone by pressing a button so you will need an active internet connection. A screenshot will not work.

Seating

Unlike overseas concerts where seating can be chosen beforehand or are first-come-first-serve, ONE OK ROCK concert seating is all random. You might be given a choice to choose between the arena and the stands, but you won’t be able to choose exactly where your seat will be.

Recent tours have been all designated seating, even in the arena. For arena seating, the ticket will have a block number (usually a letter and a number) and another number. The arena is separated into different blocks, starting with A1 on the left. B block is behind the A block, C behind B, etc. The other number is your seat number within the block.

Seating in the stands is pretty straight forward. Your ticket will have a row number and seat number. Certain venues, especially very large ones, may also include a door number which will tell you the closest entrance to your seat. Stand seating is good for short people like myself since the seats are built on an incline where each row is higher than the previous one.

Tour Merch

Of course you want some tour merch to show the boys your support! Tour merchandise can be purchased at the concert venue before, during, and after the concert, but the easiest way to get your hands on them is by ordering through their official store. In some cases this may not be an option depending on when tour merch is announced and such, but if you have the opportunity to order the merch online and receive it before the concert, take it. It’s not fun lining up at the venue and that should really only be a last resort. Popular items often end up selling out quickly.

Both cash and credit cards are accepted at the merch booths at the venue. Foreign credit cards should work too.

Concert Etiquette in Japan

Tickets, check. Seating, check. Tour merch, check check check! Now how do you blend in and enjoy yourself at the concert? First off…

PHOTOGRAPHY AND RECORDING IS PROHIBITED AT CONCERTS IN JAPAN.

This is the biggest difference between ONE OK ROCK concerts in Japan and overseas. They do not allow you to take photos or record video or audio at concerts in Japan. That’s why you don’t see anyone with their phones out in Japanese concert footage. Please be respectful and follow this simple rule. If you’re lucky, Taka might allow some recording near the end of the concert.

It’s not uncommon overseas for everyone to sing along with Taka throughout the entire song, but in Japan, the audience generally only sings during certain parts. This isn’t so much a rule, but in the interest of not annoying all the people around you, you should really only sing when everyone else is singing. If you’ve seen video of their previous concerts in Japan then you probably already have a good idea of when the crowd sings along. That said, when it’s time, go ahead and sing your heart out!

You should always respect the space of those around you. That is, try to be aware of how high you’re raising your arms or how widely you’re swinging them. You don’t want to block the view of those behind or beside you. If you are in the stands, in general, you shouldn’t raise your arms too high over your head. It’s better to stretch your arm out forward instead of upwards, and only raise it slightly above your head. If you are in the arena, you shouldn’t bring any bulky items in with you unless it’s all seated and your belongings can fit under the chair. You will want to keep large items in a coin locker or in the cloak area, both so you don’t bump into people with it or have people tripping over it, and so you can move around more easily. These aren’t really rules either, but it’s nice to be considerate of those around you. If you are in the stands then there will be some room for things such as a small backpack under your seat.

Please dress appropriately, especially if you are in the arena. Ladies, you don’t want to wear heels which can be painful both for you and for anyone you might accidentally step on. You’ll be jumping and moving around a lot while you enjoy yourself (I hope) so comfortable clothing and shoes are a must. Wearing deodorant is also appreciated.

If you have any trash, be sure to take it with you when you leave. OORers have unfortunately been given a bad reputation, especially after Nagisaen, due to all the trash they leave behind. There should be plenty of trash cans around the venue and at the train station where you can throw away anything you no longer need.

If you ever start feeling unwell during a concert, don’t hesitate to get someone’s attention, whether it be a venue staff or a stranger next to you. Fans take care of each other. That said, help out people around you too if you see someone in need. Things can get pretty crazy especially in the arena.