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Delays and long waits as Japan residents rush to buy Tokyo Olympic tickets

23 Comments
By Stephen Wade

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23 Comments
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I was really surprised the Basketball final was so expensive, it's not such a popular sport here or in most countries, and it's almost guaranteed that the Americans will win and it will not be a very competitive game.

-6 ( +3 / -9 )

No thank you very much. I don't even want to be in the Tokyo area when the Olympics hit.

10 ( +14 / -4 )

Was in the queue for 2 hours yesterday. Managed to get trough but I was a bit surprised by the prices. I got basic tickets for the few sports events I wanted to go to which were only about 2000 yen but I wanted a bit nicer seats for the opening and closing ceremonies which set me back more than I would have liked but if it's your thing I think it's worth it. Really we just want to bring our daughter so she can have a nice memory, otherwise I don't think I would even try lol

6 ( +6 / -0 )

I was really surprised the Basketball final was so expensive, it's not such a popular sport here or in most countries, and it's almost guaranteed that the Americans will win and it will not be a very competitive game.

You are not paying attention to the popularity of the sport here to make this comment. Basketball is one of the larger sports here, and is probably 3rd in popularity behind Baseball and Soccer.

There is quite a wild following in the Basketball Japan (bj) league, which has 24 teams.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bj_league

6 ( +7 / -1 )

I didn’t mind waiting in line since I’m at home anyway I could just leave the computer on, but once I got in I was surprised at how ridiculous the process was to buy the tickets! Typical Japanese bureaucracy. Even my husband who is Japanese was impatient!!!

5 ( +6 / -1 )

My wife and I are set to be out of Japan for good before the Olympics, but a few friends back home in the UK are disappointed because they wanted to come over for the games and get free board. I want to be back in Europe for a far more interesting event in 2020 - the European Championship.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

I have a device called a "television."

14 ( +14 / -0 )

Madden, basketball is crazy popular in the Philippines, as well.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

rip.... off......

10 ( +10 / -0 )

I was really surprised the Basketball final was so expensive, it's not such a popular sport here or in most countries, and it's almost guaranteed that the Americans will win and it will not be a very competitive game.

Euro sides, argies and aussies (possibly canada) will give the yanks a run for their money. Basketball's arguably the world's second biggest team sport, massive in north am and europe (on the continent that is) and pretty popular in asia, south america and oz too.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Why am I not suprised they were so ill prepared for this?

8 ( +8 / -0 )

It seems pretty ridiculous to me. A concert can sell out 40,000 tickets in minutes. I guess they must have a few little old ladies running around an office looking for pieces of paper and getting hanko stamps on them from three different people - like they do at city hall.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

We have all month basically so I think it shouldn't be a problem to get in on May 2-something at like 1am, the time I am usually on the computer.

I am also doing my country's Olympic authorized ticketing site because I feel I will have a better chance to get tickets. When I went to Beijing Olympics, I was able to score many tickets while I read people in China had a hard time applying.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Who made this web system?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Masayuki, who do you think? It's a Japanese website. And we all know how ADVANCED the Japanese are concerning the internet (sarcasm).

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Im not sure that I would even attend the crowded hassle that is the olympics if I was paid to go watch

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Can’t believe how clunky the ticketing website is after all the hype and buildup. And the tickets are really expensive for any decent seats. Expected more efficiency from Japan as host - hope it gets better from here.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Remarkably similar to the Rugby World Cup ballot, that was a bit of an excercise in futility and got nowhere fast. Took 20 hours to get a pool game ticket for Oita. Very frustrating,hopefully both events go smoothly...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Given the idiocy of scheduling the Olympics in July and August, the best place to watch any competition not held indoors will be from the air conditioned comfort of one's home.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Haha what a complete JOKE, I live in Japan, for almost 3decades, just clicked the link in the article & this pops up!

Tokyo 2020 Authorised Ticket Reseller List

You are seeing this page because you do not currently reside in Japan and will not be able to purchase tickets on this website.

However, you can purchase your Tokyo 2020 Olympic tickets from your country’s designated Authorised Ticket Resellers (ATRs) appointed by your National Olympic Committee.

You can find a list below of all currently appointed ATRs. Find the designated ATR of the country you currently reside in and visit its website. Please note that ticket sales may not have started yet in the region you reside in.

If you are unable to find the country you reside in on the list below, please note that an ATR may not be appointed yet for your region of residency. This list will be continuously updated so please check it regularly for the latest information.

Keep up to date with ticketing and other Tokyo 2020 news on social media (Facebook, Instagram, LINE, Twitter)

W...…...T.………….F!  Too hilarious!!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Long lines, high heat, high humidity, high priced tickets, over priced food and product, ........ no thank you. Already made my "70%" unwanted payment toward the Olympics. I"ll stay clear of it all. Maybe do some camping and hiking.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Japan basketball team will have a NBA player in Hachimura for the Tokyo Olympics (and maybe 1 or 2 more too depending)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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