Girls’ Generation Japan Tour 2014 Questions

Hello everyone! I'm EthanKairos, but you can call me Patrick. Age 21, currently living in Manila, Philippines. I came here to ask some questions about Girls' Generation's Japan tour in 2014. I'm a huge fan of SNSD, and I really want to see them live. I will likely be in Tokyo from May 17-22 of this year, and it just so happens that they will be in Kobe on May 24, where they will perform in the Kobe World Memorial Hall.

Firstly, and probably the most basic question, is how exactly do I get tickets to the show? I've been told by some experienced fans that one must be a part of the Japanese fanclub to even get a shot at tickets through a lottery system, while some are saying that there's an allocation for the public which anyone can buy. The person who mentioned the latter linked me to this (http://portal.tickebo.jp/pc/1401-gg06/) saying that there is indeed a public sale. As I cannot read Japanese, I have no idea of discerning for myself if what he says is true or not until he replies in the fan forum, so I thought I'd ask for help here since there are those who can translate this page.

Secondly, I am actually going to Tokyo with my family, and I am considering overstaying in Kobe once they leave on the 22nd. I've done a small amount of research into hostels that don't cost a lot per night, and my research led me to thinking about staying at the R2 Hostel (http://r2kobe-e.cloud-line.com/). I'm thinking of staying for four days (May 22-25), so I have enough time after the concert to rest up.

Relating to the second question, what is the cheapest way to get to Kobe from Tokyo? I am aware that I have several options available to me, such as taking the bus, taking the Shinkansen, or flying there from Tokyo. I want to avoid taking the bus as much as possible, though, as that long of a trip is very exhausting. Also, how do I get back to Manila from Kobe? Are there direct flights from Kobe to Manila? If so, which airlines carry this route and for how much do economy class tickets go for?

Third question: as I will likely be going on my own (and I have never been to Japan before, for the record), will it be difficult to get around in Kobe? I speak very, very little Japanese--definitely not enough to have me survive on my own. I'm kind of afraid that I might not be able to move around a lot due to the language barrier as it would make it difficult for me to simply ask questions if I get lost.

Fourth question: assuming that I spend for the bare necessities while I'm there (hotel accommodation fees, food and drink, transportation fees), how much can I expect to set myself back? The hotel accommodation fee seems to be 3400 yen per night for a single private room, but I am unaware of how much food and transportation costs in Kobe.

And those are all the questions I can think of from the top of my head right now. If you need me to clarify anything, please don't hesitate to ask. Thank you to anyone that can help!

if you REALLY want to get tickets, you have to look for resell stores, they are in almost every big city in Japan, but expect to pay at least the double of the original price.

1. http://portal.tickebo.jp/pc/1401-gg06/ is for Hiroshima not Kobe. Ticketboard periodically opens up new public lotteries for tickets so you will have to keep checking back for updates. fanclub ticket lotteries have already closed and if you're really, really desperate for tickets specifically for Kobe, auctions might be the only way. alternatively you can beg on twitter, but most people will only sell only to people they know, or for big bucks. Warning: Kobe is the smallest venue on the tour and it's extremely hard to get tickets. I myself failed to get FC tickets through application and my friend already sold hers off for sky-high prices

2.cheapest way will always be by bus. as for manila -- kobe, you should just fly to osaka since it's half an hour away by train from kobe. all major airlines fly to osaka.

3.just look for information counters. or ask in english, most japanese do understand some form of basic english.

4.depends on what you want to eat and where you want to go, what you want to buy. it's always near impossible to estimate, so you should just set yourself a budget and spend within that limit.

@j1m1:

Yeah, I realized after a while that I made a mistake with the link. The user that helped me in the fan forums mentioned that the Hiroshima show opened a new lottery, but he didn't say anything about Kobe. Hoping for Kobe to open a lottery, though.

He also mentioned that if I win a ticket through the lottery, it would automatically be charged to my credit card. Is this true? If so, maybe joining the lottery wouldn't be very wise considering that my plans aren't 100% sure. I might end up being charged for a ticket I won't even use if something comes up and it turns out I can't go to Kobe.

Yes, you will need to provide cc information to apply for the lottery and will be charged immediately if you win a ticket. The plus point is, Kobe tickets are incredibly easy to sell if you end up not going - lots of people are still looking for them.