How to get a gig in japan?

hi all,

i have seen post in this forum with similar requests but i was hoping someone may have had similar experiences or specific contacts.

i am a semi professional singer and have visited japan a couple of times in the last 2 years. i will go again for a month this december - my itinerary is very flexible.

ideally, i would like to find a promoter or agency or venue that may assist in organising a show(s). im sure even if the demand is low, there must be some places that offer western style performers (pop/rock).

i found it difficult to make any contact with agencies and venues prior to my last trip with all but one not replying. i have plenty of time to prepare this time and would very much appreciate and input.

thanks and regards :)

Do you have a working visa? If not, this may be why venues aren't replying to your messages.

hi jenn, no, i don't have a working visa but that's not why the venues aren't replying, as the fact that i don't have one was never discussed or asked. i'd like to be able to have someone in the industry at let me know what the process is without speculation. i.e whether a working visa was needed, could the venue sponsor me for one, is there a market for my music etc etc. thx for your reply.

From what I understand, from the immigration side of things you would need to have enough of a presence to justify getting an entertainer visa (the visa that allows you to tour, usually valid for 2 weeks-3 months), meaning be signed to a label or have some other proof of legitimacy and records showing you're making money with music, and a contract with a legitimate agency. Japan is pretty much exclusively pay-to-play on the venue side, meaning you will have to pay the cost of bookings, staff, and promotion up front out of pocket. Any agency will probably expect a fee as well as a percentage of any profits (since from what I've heard most small-artist tours end up in the red, promoters prefer to get their money up front).

The live music market here is fairly saturated both with local Japanese, local western, and big-name touring acts so I'm not surprised you're having trouble getting a reply from agencies. If you know any other similar acts who have toured Japan, it might be worth contacting them and getting a referral instead of cold-mailing.

thx very much vita for all your input - greatly appreciated :)