If you have been to a concert in Japan, the chances of having noticed the differences between how concerts are conducted in your country of origin versus those conducted in Japan might be a little different. In this case, we will be comparing concerts in the U.S. versus those in Japan. For more precision, we will be picking OneOkRock as an example.
There are quite a few bands and solo artists in Japan, but OneOkRock has been a band that’s been standing out in the international arena. One of the reasons that they have been growing is due to their “Ambitions” reaching into the English-speaking market (pun intended). So far, two full English albums have been released into the English-speaking market, consequently, they have been able to play at more North American venues, including the U.S.
First off, those who have previously seen any concerts in Japan will know that glow-sticks, for example, are practically guaranteed to appear. If someone were to compare the concerts that OneOkRock had in Yokohama or other concert halls, they will notice the many fans holding up glow-sticks all around the stadium. On the other hand, the concerts held in the U.S. this far have had more head bashing to their rock music.
In Japan, it’s almost guaranteed that there will be no photography or video recording of any type during the concerts. There will likely be signs and or warnings around the concert halls regarding the rules. For U.S. concerts, there have been some where they will not have these restrictions, but a few of their earlier concerts didn’t allow for recordings or photographs.
In some cases, there is only one way of getting that photo of or with them and that is by purchasing a VIP ticket. In the U.S. the VIP ticket is on a first come first serve basis, however most Japanese concerts look into their official fan clubs for distribution.
