In the past, Japan’s secondary ticketing environment bore familiar traits seen globally: high-demand events feeding a grey economy of unregulated resale, fan frustration, and pricing opacity. Until recently, resale was largely conducted through unofficial channels, online marketplaces, bulletin boards, and informal brokers. Regulation was limited, enforcement light, and the market increasingly difficult for organisers and fans to navigate.
Much of this stemmed from how primary ticketing has traditionally operated in Japan. Seat selection is rarely offered at the time of purchase; fans typically select a ticket category and receive their seat assignment later, sometimes not until the day of the event. At many venues, seats are priced uniformly regardless of location. This has long incentivised fans, particularly those travelling from abroad or investing heavily in travelling, to seek resale tickets that confirm seat location upfront.
Even the most loyal fans face difficulties. Many artists limit the best seats to official fan clubs, but membership alone doesn’t guarantee access. Fans may spend years, pay repeated annual fees, and attend multiple concerts before securing premium placement. Faced with such uncertainty, many see secondary marketplaces as the only reliable route to a known experience, despite significant mark-ups.
Rather than eliminate resale entirely, Japan has taken a structured approach
Japan’s policy shift came ahead of two global sporting events: the 2019 Rugby World Cup and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The Act on Ensuring Proper Distribution of Show and Event Tickets, introduced in June 2019, made it illegal to resell certain tickets above face value without the organiser’s consent. Breaches of the law carry penalties of up to one year in prison or a fine of JPY 1 million (£4,900).
The impact was swift. Several major platforms, Ticket Camp and Ticket Street among them, closed in anticipation of enforcement. TickeTore, an official fan-to-fan resale platform operated by Ticket Pia and supported by music industry associations closed down early 2025.
Enforcement was not symbolic. In 2019, a nursery school teacher in Osaka was arrested and fined for reselling Arashi concert tickets for more than five times face value. Meanwhile, concierge-style services used by international buyers, such as Buy Japan Tickets, pivoted from purchasing tickets on behalf of fans to becoming affiliate-driven content hubs, redirecting traffic to resale platforms.
Japan’s “closed-loop” model allows the same company that sold the ticket to manage its resale
But rather than eliminate resale entirely, Japan has taken a structured approach. In place of the fragmented, unregulated market, primary ticketing operators began to roll out controlled resale platforms within their own ecosystems. Ticket Pia, Lawson Ticket, eplus, now offer resale functionality at face value, available only to verified users and sometimes linked to ID-based entry systems.
This “closed-loop” model allows the same company that sold the ticket to manage its resale. Resale is permitted but only through approved channels, with tickets remaining within a secure system that guarantees traceability. Sellers are verified, and listings are capped at original face value. Buyers must provide phone numbers or submit identification. The model aims to support genuine fans while neutralising speculative traders.
The strategy has found industry-wide traction. In 2025, Starto Entertainment, Japan’s largest entertainment agency, filed a lawsuit against unauthorised resellers after detecting over 10,000 inflated listings linked to its artists. The Tokyo District Court ruled in its favour, ordering platforms to disclose seller identities. Shortly afterwards, Starto launched RELIEF Ticket, a face-value resale system developed with Ticket Pia. Already used for fan club and arena tours, it exemplifies a shift from reactive enforcement to platform design.
In Japan, resale has been reframed as part of the promoter’s duty of care
This evolution is also underpinned by Japan’s cultural norms. Many tickets are issued with the buyer’s name printed on them, and entry often requires matching photo ID. While such rules would generate resistance in some markets, in Japan they are viewed as logical, even expected. There is limited public appetite for loopholes. Instead, there is a shared understanding that fairness and order should govern access to live events.
The model appears to be working. Unauthorised resale has not disappeared, but it has diminished. Platforms such as Viagogo and StubHub still operate in Japan, but with limited visibility compared to domestic offerings. Consumer groups and trade bodies like the All Japan Concert & Live Entertainment Promoters Conference (ACPC) have supported the reforms, arguing that they protect both fans and industry reputations.
Japan’s approach is not built on bans or rhetoric
Globally, the contrast is significant. In Europe and North America, resale is often handled by third-party platforms with limited oversight. Ticketing giants like Ticketmaster and CTS Eventim have built their own resale functionality, but smaller operators often lack the capital to do the same. In Japan, resale has been reframed as part of the promoter’s duty of care, an operational function thats needed, not a commercial opportunity.
Japan’s live entertainment industry is estimated to be worth around US$5.1bn annually. While resale data remains difficult to quantify, filings from Starto suggest that even a single tour can generate thousands of resale attempts. Increasingly, that volume is being absorbed by official channels.
Japan’s approach is not built on bans or rhetoric. It reflects a quiet shift in priorities, from fighting resale to managing it. And as markets around the world debate the ethics and economics of secondary ticketing, Japan’s move towards a closed-loop model offers a proven, practical alternative: controlled, secure, and designed with fans in mind.
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
Resale without rip-off: Japan’s closed-loop approach
Total Ticketing's Martin Haigh tells IQ what Western markets can learn from Japan's structured approach to secondary ticketing
08 Aug 2025
In the past, Japan’s secondary ticketing environment bore familiar traits seen globally: high-demand events feeding a grey economy of unregulated resale, fan frustration, and pricing opacity. Until recently, resale was largely conducted through unofficial channels, online marketplaces, bulletin boards, and informal brokers. Regulation was limited, enforcement light, and the market increasingly difficult for organisers and fans to navigate.
Much of this stemmed from how primary ticketing has traditionally operated in Japan. Seat selection is rarely offered at the time of purchase; fans typically select a ticket category and receive their seat assignment later, sometimes not until the day of the event. At many venues, seats are priced uniformly regardless of location. This has long incentivised fans, particularly those travelling from abroad or investing heavily in travelling, to seek resale tickets that confirm seat location upfront.
Even the most loyal fans face difficulties. Many artists limit the best seats to official fan clubs, but membership alone doesn’t guarantee access. Fans may spend years, pay repeated annual fees, and attend multiple concerts before securing premium placement. Faced with such uncertainty, many see secondary marketplaces as the only reliable route to a known experience, despite significant mark-ups.
Japan’s policy shift came ahead of two global sporting events: the 2019 Rugby World Cup and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The Act on Ensuring Proper Distribution of Show and Event Tickets, introduced in June 2019, made it illegal to resell certain tickets above face value without the organiser’s consent. Breaches of the law carry penalties of up to one year in prison or a fine of JPY 1 million (£4,900).
The impact was swift. Several major platforms, Ticket Camp and Ticket Street among them, closed in anticipation of enforcement. TickeTore, an official fan-to-fan resale platform operated by Ticket Pia and supported by music industry associations closed down early 2025.
Enforcement was not symbolic. In 2019, a nursery school teacher in Osaka was arrested and fined for reselling Arashi concert tickets for more than five times face value. Meanwhile, concierge-style services used by international buyers, such as Buy Japan Tickets, pivoted from purchasing tickets on behalf of fans to becoming affiliate-driven content hubs, redirecting traffic to resale platforms.
But rather than eliminate resale entirely, Japan has taken a structured approach. In place of the fragmented, unregulated market, primary ticketing operators began to roll out controlled resale platforms within their own ecosystems. Ticket Pia, Lawson Ticket, eplus, now offer resale functionality at face value, available only to verified users and sometimes linked to ID-based entry systems.
This “closed-loop” model allows the same company that sold the ticket to manage its resale. Resale is permitted but only through approved channels, with tickets remaining within a secure system that guarantees traceability. Sellers are verified, and listings are capped at original face value. Buyers must provide phone numbers or submit identification. The model aims to support genuine fans while neutralising speculative traders.
The strategy has found industry-wide traction. In 2025, Starto Entertainment, Japan’s largest entertainment agency, filed a lawsuit against unauthorised resellers after detecting over 10,000 inflated listings linked to its artists. The Tokyo District Court ruled in its favour, ordering platforms to disclose seller identities. Shortly afterwards, Starto launched RELIEF Ticket, a face-value resale system developed with Ticket Pia. Already used for fan club and arena tours, it exemplifies a shift from reactive enforcement to platform design.
This evolution is also underpinned by Japan’s cultural norms. Many tickets are issued with the buyer’s name printed on them, and entry often requires matching photo ID. While such rules would generate resistance in some markets, in Japan they are viewed as logical, even expected. There is limited public appetite for loopholes. Instead, there is a shared understanding that fairness and order should govern access to live events.
The model appears to be working. Unauthorised resale has not disappeared, but it has diminished. Platforms such as Viagogo and StubHub still operate in Japan, but with limited visibility compared to domestic offerings. Consumer groups and trade bodies like the All Japan Concert & Live Entertainment Promoters Conference (ACPC) have supported the reforms, arguing that they protect both fans and industry reputations.
Globally, the contrast is significant. In Europe and North America, resale is often handled by third-party platforms with limited oversight. Ticketing giants like Ticketmaster and CTS Eventim have built their own resale functionality, but smaller operators often lack the capital to do the same. In Japan, resale has been reframed as part of the promoter’s duty of care, an operational function thats needed, not a commercial opportunity.
Japan’s live entertainment industry is estimated to be worth around US$5.1bn annually. While resale data remains difficult to quantify, filings from Starto suggest that even a single tour can generate thousands of resale attempts. Increasingly, that volume is being absorbed by official channels.
Japan’s approach is not built on bans or rhetoric. It reflects a quiet shift in priorities, from fighting resale to managing it. And as markets around the world debate the ethics and economics of secondary ticketing, Japan’s move towards a closed-loop model offers a proven, practical alternative: controlled, secure, and designed with fans in mind.
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
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