Gigs held by popular artists regularly sell out in Japan, especially in the J-pop scene. This month however, there will be one concert where music fans won't have to worry about missing their favorite artists perform live, even after the tickets have all gone.
Starting tomorrow, entertainment powerhouse Hori Productions will be holding a two-day charity event called Song For You to raise money for the Japanese Red Cross Society. Popular TV performer Akiko Wada will take center stage, supported by an all-star Horipro cast. Among the star-studded lineup are AKB48 front-runner Tomomi Itano, flamboyant sopranista Tomotaka Okamoto and long-time media darling Ikue Sakakibara.
After initially selling out, a limited number of tickets were released for sale on July 7, and they have been going fast. The event will be held at The Galaxy Theatre in Tennozu Isle, and also streamed live, free of charge, to audiences around the world through the website Stickam.jp and its U.S. counterpart, Stickam.com. "The thing about live streaming," says Katsuya Kono of Horipro, "is that it's a one-time experience. It creates a connection between audiences who are in completely different places."