Buying Japanese concert tickets may get even harder with new gov't plan

This is more about the "My number" card and how it's going to be further used to limit people's privacy than anything about concert tickets!

Let them complain and be unhappy. Either they adapt or be left behind. If we have to reverse every decision, because they aren't comfortable with the new changes and too lazy to change with the time, then we will probably never get anything done.

Do you care at all about having any privacy at all?

Sounds like the government of Japan is adopting ideas from China's dictator.

RIDICULOUS! This is about control over your life. That's all.

The government is running out of ideas of how to force everybody to get the card, which is obviously why they are doing this.

Is the minister going to become responsible for ensuring the security of all the ticket vendors? or is this going to be another "I trust you will spend a lot of money in proper security" situation?

Japan! WHY, JUST WHY?

So you need to modernize but why, why why do you always have to go overboard and make things more complicated.

The My number card IC readers only work in PC with Japanese OS as the original start up (I know I do my taxes and cannot use my laptop that is have English as the base.)

The My number app will not work on non approved smartphones, meaning non Japanese OS by the majority big 3 providers and a few others but only certain models.

So Samsung from DoCoMo yes unlocked non Docomo or Softbank AU Modified OS Nope.

So basically my Daughter's Japanese OS Asus will not work because the Japanese App will not accept the foreign NFC thanks valid everywhere but Japan.

re: mynumber card.... was at my townhall the other day on another matter, and was making a general enquiry about 'the card' and how it would work, and when it would be compulsory if I wanted to get any medical treatment in the future.... was shown a form, with a place for an ansho-bango.... in other words, I would be required to choose a private security number, and write it on a piece of paper that any number of people would see. didn't seem very secure to me! which is exactly why the oyajis are coming up with more and more supidity to try and force people to adopt the card.... dear oh dear!

Taro Kano was tasked to make every citizen of Japan to have My Number card and that is what he is doing, but without thinking what consequences his ideas will have. And that is because just like the rest of politicians he is not an intelligent person. There are just too many things need to be done before such ideas can be implemented. Network security, there have to be readers available in ALL places, people trained in use of such systems, funding for new equipment and so on. If one looks at their bank book, you might notice that it has a magnetic strip. That strip is ancient technology and prone to constant failures, but banks are still have not attempted to replace them with either QR codes nor IC chips. Why? Cost!!! They will earn 17% for lending yo money, but pay you 0.01% as interest. And they still don't have the money to update all the machines and make new Bank Books.

Something similar is happening with the subway tickets I use every day: they're going to stop selling multiple-trip tickets (11 for the price of 10; 14 for the price of 10 on weekends and holidays) and replace it with some kind of points-based system that requires a chipped smartphone or plastic card... which will be registered in your name, so they can track who is going where and when.

I'm sure they're selling that information to who-knows-who. And the discounts have been nerfed to the point where it's not worth getting them. I can just imagine the government officials who will soon be pushing for the My Number card being required to ride the train.

Good idea Japan , make things harder than they already are.

According to a Yomiuri Shimbun report, Kano has directed the cabinet’s Digital Agency to begin concrete discussions with professional sports leagues and other event management organizations to encourage them to require eventgoers present their My Number Card, a government-issued ID card, both when purchasing tickets and attempting to enter the event venue.

This is some CCP-level surveillance move right here. Call me paranoid but I hate being tracked and monitored for everything that I do. Thankfully Japan's backwardness is its own handicap since senior citizens will probably resist the idea anyway. Just remember that they will always sugarcoat surveillance as a "technological innovation for increased convenience (for us to keep an eye on you)".

This is some scary dystopian stuff.

VrethToday  09:37 am JST

As others have said, this is about total surveillance. Just wait til you need to register your MyNumber with the robots working at conbini, supermarkets and restaurants. They'll be able to lock you out of buying food. Free choice of what you want to eat will be reserved for the elite. They'll control what you eat, the temperature of your skybox apartment and youll have to link your MyNumber up to your robot car so they can control where you go.

This sounds like the plotline of the Psycho Pass anime that is set in Tokyo in the early 2100's. What you said is essentially the plot. We're 80 years from that.

Sounds like a bad decision. Someone gifts me a ticket but would need their MyNumber to enter the concert. The MyNumber app works on my phone.

Phones don't have Japanese OS? All iPhones are Apple iOS. You set the language. I set it to English. I haven't tried it on my macs.

Phones don't have Japanese OS? All iPhones are Apple iOS. You set the language. I set it to English. I haven't tried it on my macs.

90% of smartphones in the world are Android, non Japanese android phones cannot use Google pay in Japan only relatively recent that non Japanese iPhones could use Apple pay in Japan while it worked everywhere else. Older iPhone still will not work

Most people have Windows not Apple laptops or PC

It's basically a 'Japanese Only' sign for all concerts and sports events. Then, expect mission creep as it expands to gate access to other areas.

wlcom to your new dystopian reality ! Now waiting for Central Bank Digital Currency, and the population contrl will be total. Same scenario accross all countries.

All the faith I had in Kano is quickly going out the door.

Japan is really heading in a Chinese direction lately... How much longer have we all got with a bit of freedom?

“So I’m gonna need to take my My Number Card with me to idol concerts? Don’t appreciate the government sticking its nose in my oshikatsu.”

Some idols concert's ticket already difficult to obtain by foreigners that not resides in Japan, since they require Japanese phone to register in ticket reservation website. Now it will becoming more difficult because people who go to concert need My Number Card? Which those foreign tourist who'll go to Japan for their favorite idol concert can not buy and go to concert because they don't have My Number Card.

I thought Taro Kono, tipped to be next PM, educated and worked for the American government was rumored to be an American spy. But his relentless push, including seemingly blackmail, makes MY Number something straight from NK (who are very good at hacking) or else he studied “1984” while working in US politics.

65% of smartphones in Japan are iPhones. 35% are Android.

https://applemagazine.com/how-apple-dominates-in-japan/52725

There is no such item as Japanese iPhones. There are only iPhones the world over. Depending on which app country you use not all apps from other countries are available. I use the American app store so certain Japanese apps can not be installed unless I log in to my Japanese app store.

I don't understand why people think there are smartphones with Japanese OS. There are just smartphones. Locked phones tie you to a provider.

Windows use to have different language versions meaning having to buy different ones. Apple never did that.

80% of computers here are Windows. 70% of tablets are iPads.

Tourists' smartphones can use Apple Pay and Google Pay.

https://tokyocheapo.com/living/cashless-payment-apps-japan/

Its actually shocking how poorly run this government is from top to bottom. The worst run G7 country and its not close.

If I want to buy tickets for family or friends, would that even be possible ?

It seems not.

Not going at all in the right direction for both functioning matter and confidentiality.

Time for the generally politically passive Japanese to rise up and vote out any government seeking to impose such surveillance on us.

… but this isn’t surprising; everything needs to be hard/difficult/complicated in Japan; a) don’t complain; b) get used to it.

smh

There is no such item as Japanese iPhones. There are only iPhones the world over. 

Totally untrue. There are several regional models of iphone worldwide, with different restrictions.

Several features locked into Japanese iPhone and some features "keys" not available to the entire world.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251630306

wallace:

Not talking about the Operating system, but the restrictions coded into iOS depending on the region sold. This controls what you can and can't do in Japan on a US model, or UAE model, of HK model, Korean model, or Chinese model in Japan. Also, some physical, Transmision, frequency, permissions and storage differences by region. Also, some differences are unpublished.

Did you not read the Apple link I posted to confirm? There is also a ton of info and videos online about this.

Furthermore, I know by first-hand experience, as I own Japanese, US and Chinese versions of several iPhones. They each have restrictions and quirks that work only in a certain region. That is what the people above are talking about. Not the Language displayed, or language that the operating system was written in.

This is supposed to cut down on scalping?

Normally I hate scalpers.

But since Japan LOVES their ticket lottery systems, which is already a crap shoot. And if you lose, you're plain out of luck. TS for you.

I once went to Osaka as a last minute thing. There was a big international event, that I knew of, but didn't bother looking for a ticket because I knew I wasn't going to be in Osaka at the time.

Well, one thing led to another, and coincidently I did end up in Osaka on the night of the event. But I had no tickets. The only reason I went to the Arena that night was because I knew there would be some kind of scalpers out there. And guess what, I ended up with a tickets, and it was an awesome show.

I was even more lucky because said scalper couldn't sell all of his tickets by game time. And he actually found me again, and exchange tickets with me. I ended up with ground level seats. He upgraded me for free! Good stuff.

And that's where people NEED scalpers. Not because of not being able to get tickets, but because of the stupid chance system and in some cases just not being able to be in one place at the time.

But you throw in this "mynumber" BS, and eliminate scalping, not to mention the "still ongoing Corona fears," it will become virtually impossible to even get one ticket.........unless you're in Tokyo or something.

No problem, I have my first row stage passes on YouTube & Co. And the missing live atmosphere is well compensated by being for free, having mostly a nearer view and even the right camera angles. I guess, all summed up this is better for me and for the idols too.

Japangroup

Antiquesaving was which is why I posted my comments.

The My number app will not work on non approved smartphones, meaning non Japanese OS by the majority big 3 providers and a few others but only certain models.

The region on my Japanese iPhones and iPads is set to America so I can use the features from there. My iTunes and app store are American registered.

Not a good article to help thinking citizens. No argument for the pro side is provided at all. Why so one-sided?

The proposed system would also make it impossible for those without smartphones to purchase tickets, since the device is required to authenticate the buyer’s identity via the My Number Card IC chip. 

That would not be correct, if the person is buying tickets with a smartphone then it would need to validate the IC chip using the app in that phone, but those that buy them using a computer can simply buy one of

Somehow this doesn't surprise me at all. I remember going to Japan for hols a few year back and trying to get tickets for the Studio Ghibli museum on their official website only to find that said website didn't sell tickets. You had to go to some machine at Lawson's to get tickets and they were only released at certain times. What a head-scratcher that was. I ended up having to go through some online agency that would send one of their staff down to Lawson to try to get the tickets and then they would mail it to my hotel. Talk about a convoluted, unfriendly process to distribute tickets. Do they not want people to visit the museum? As for the concert tickets, do they not want people to go to said concerts and events? Must everything require a song, a dance, and three steps to the left before anything gets done? Ridiculous.

Hmmm... if only we had some kind of anonymous trustless identification technology and a way to make event tickets Non Fungible.

Resale of tickets will continue and nobody at the venue will check for id or mynumber.

As for foreigners, if living here, they will end by having the card, so it will not stop foreigners to go to concerts, etc

Japangroup

All iPhones have Apple iOS and non have a Japanese OS. No phones have Japanese OS even those manufactured in Japan. They have iOS or Android.

... buy one of the less than 1000 yen card readers easily available.

After the Taylor Swift fiasco in the US, and other events here in Japan having all the tickets purchased by bots, I think different entities are trying to come up with some way to keep it fair for the average Joe or Taro to be able to attend live events. Is this the best way, maybe no, but at least they are trying.

Also, perhaps travel agencies or other groups dealing with foreign tourists will be able to purchase tickets for resale to them. There cannot be that many tourists who just trvel to Japan for concerts are there?

Let them complain and be unhappy. Either they adapt or be left behind. If we have to reverse every decision, because they aren't comfortable with the new changes and too lazy to change with the time, then we will probably never get anything done.