This article originally appeared on Soundfly.
Japan is one of the best places to share your music. If you weren't already planning your tour there when this article popped up, you might as well start now!
I just got off the plane not three hours ago, and looking back it was the best tour of my life. Let me share with you some of the tips I picked up along the way. But first, how come this faraway land of manga and sushi is so kind to the touring musician?
Firstly, as expected, Japanese audiences are absolutely some of the best listeners in the world. They will give you every ounce of their quiet attention during your concert, they will shower you with earnest compliments and honest criticisms, and they will try as hard as they can to articulate their thoughts in English, just for you.
Secondly, tickets to concerts are quite expensive by US standards. An average small concert ticket is around $20 to $25 USD and club-sized shows pull in anywhere from $30 to $45 USD. Keep in mind also that CDs are sold at retail for around $18 to $23 USD and up, and vinyl is about $28 to $32 USD. So there's a great opportunity for you to make good money on each of your concerts if you play your cards right. Now here's a short breakdown of your typical DIY tour concerns and how they differ in Japan.
Well, your plane ticket is the elephant in the room; that's an obvious mega-cost to get over. If you can get your label or a festival promoter to help with airfare or apply for a touring grant, it makes all the difference. See if you can position your band into one of these amazing summer festivals.
If you're driving, the tolls will really hurt your wallet. For a four-hour drive, tolls cost upwards of $90 USD. Almost every time you get on a highway, you'll be paying a toll. Parking is the other untamable beast, since there's no street parking in metropolitan areas.
Driving in general is expensive, though extremely fun and convenient if you're lugging gear. All in all for an 11-date tour, our rental car cost $780 USD, parking was around $150 USD, and tolls came out between $300 to $400 USD.
Sorry to bum you out with those costs, but the good thing is that there are solutions to everything! If you don't want to rent a car, Japan's trains are among the most efficient, fast, and wide-spread in the world! Book yourself a Japan Rail Pass, and take almost any train throughout the country for no additional cost!
Try to stay with local musicians and promoters wherever possible. When that wasn't available, Airbnb and Couchsurfing helped my band save a lot of money. For a real cultural treat, try staying at a capsule hotel, where you'll essentially be sleeping in a morgue-like pod with WiFi, a personal TV, and access to an in-house spa. Pretty trippy.
Food is moderately priced, but for cheap and filling meals you can always count on bento boxes, curry houses, and ramen. Ramen is basically a religion in Japan.
Some bonuses for the culturally curious: in Tokyo, try to attend a Sumo wrestling match, definitely look into booking a ticket and bento box at The Robot Restaurant for one of the strangest and most enjoyable nights of your life, and if you're into sports, nothing beats a Japanese baseball game (go Yomiuri Giants!).
We had the extremely powerful privilege of visiting Japan during the sakura season, when the cherry blossoms emerge and take over the entire landscape. We were able to share bonding experiences with tons of people for hanami, evening drinking under the lanterns hanging from the cherry blossom trees. We highly recommend touring during the springtime.
Lastly, touring can get pretty gritty. After you wrap up your tour and are certified Japanese celebrities, cleanse your mind, body, and spirit in one of Japan’s thousands of onsen, or natural hot spring spas!
Have you ever toured in Japan or anywhere internationally? Share your favorite tips, sights, and venues in the comments!
Jeremy Young is a music business guru and loves giving advice to young, emerging bands on how to make their tours more effective. He also plays guitar, publishes audiobooks, runs a record label, and is an artist working in sound media. He has performed and released material throughout Europe, Asia, the US, UK, and Canada, mostly with his trio Sontag Shogun.