Although Japan has the second largest music market in the world, it is a big challenge to get concert tickets. Demand is often so high that tickets are given away by lottery so that fans can see their favorite band or idol live. There is now even a shrine in Tokyo dedicated to success at such fan events.
While many fans are already complaining about the difficulty of getting tickets for a concert, it is mainly fans in Hiroshima Prefecture who are venting their anger online, as there are particularly few music acts performing in southwest Japan. The bands and artists who play nationwide tours skip Hiroshima after playing a concert in the greater Osaka area. Most of them then travel straight on to Fukuoka or Kyushu. The phenomenon is now spreading through social networks under the name of Hiroshima skipping.
Fans in Hiroshima think they are being shortchanged
Die All Japan Concert & Live Entertainment Promoters Conference (ACPC), which consists of 76 members, released data which clearly show that Hiroshima hosts fewer concerts or live performances than major metropolitan areas such as Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya or Sapporo, Sendai and Fukuoka (which are considered hubs for their region). In 2023, Hiroshima hosted 721 performances, less than half the number in Fukuoka Prefecture (1,575) and only 60 percent compared to Miyagi Prefecture (1,243).
Beyond the hard numbers, some people in other prefectures feel the same way. Many also feel that their regions are also being neglected when it comes to hosting concerts and events. Many fans travel long distances to see their idols live. Hiroshima residents have been the first to voice their displeasure publicly. In April, a Hiroshima-based newspaper conducted a survey of people, asking, among other things, what made the region “uncool.” 36.7 percent answered that it was the lack of concerts or live events that they didn’t like. Many have to spend extra money to travel to other regions.
The administration seems to be part of the problem
The prefecture does have the Hiroshima Green Arena, one of the two large arenas in the region, which offers music fans more than 10,000 seats. Despite this, only 31 events by 18 artists took place there last year. Many organizers criticize the fact that the arena is very difficult to book because it is managed by the Hiroshima prefecture itself. This limits the number of paid event days there to 10 percent of the days per year. At 20 events, the artists came from a total of 36 days, plus the time for set-up and dismantling, which actually amounted to 74 days of use per year.
Event agencies say that it was also almost impossible to get the arena on weekends. As a result, organizers have had to cancel shows by well-known bands such as Yoasobi and Mrs. GREEN APPLE, who would have liked to play there. Even requests from well-known K-pop groups have had to be turned down. The arena was originally designed as a venue for sporting events and has already hosted a number of internationally known events. The prefecture wants to stick to this approach in the future.
