Japan Against Scalpers

The purpose of the ad is to draw attention to Japan’s huge online ticket resale market, which, according to the Japan Times, often offers up tickets at more than 10 times their face value. Consequently, dedicated music fans of certain acts either forego the concert experience or pay through the nose for tickets. Tenbai No consists of 116 Japanese acts, including some of the country’s biggest pop musicians, such as Babymetal, Glay and the Southern All Stars, as well as 24 music festivals and music-related associations.

In the ad, the president of the Federation of Music Producers Japan, Mistunori Kadoike, writes, “Artists and concert staff work hard every day to present great performances to as many music fans as possible. High-priced reselling of tickets is a problem that can destroy the positive relationship that exists between artists and music fans.”

Several groups have already taken steps on their own to prevent or at least curtail online resales and multiple purchases, including facial scanning of original ticket buyers. Tenbai No, however, is the first large-scale industry-wide effort to address the problem.