I am turning 40 next year. I am hoping to convince my wife to a trip to Japan to coincide, hopefully, with Maaya doing a 25th anniversary concert. I am willing to celebrate my birthday early, on time, or late if it means I can get to see a Maaya concert.
What I am wondering is how have ticket sales worked in the past? I know that at one point if you were a fan club member you got early access to prime seats, possibly, through some lottery process. I also seem to recall reading on here that there was a Maaya's meet up at a previous concert before I joined the board.
Is there some way I can join the fan club internationally and have the opportunity at tickets? If there is, has anyone ever documented the process? I searched the board but didn't find anything popping out.
Thanks and sorry if this has been addressed before. If it has, feel free to provide the link.
How can someone purchase tickets to a Maaya concert internationally?
Re: How can someone purchase tickets to a Maaya concert internationally?
In theory you can buy the tickets in open sale, but it is a pretty chancy business and is especially difficult if you don’t live in Japan. Fan club members usually get an opportunity to participate in pre-sale lottery for a chance to buy a ticket earlier. It’s not a guarantee but certainly is a much better chance for getting one.
Officially the fanclub membership requires a Japanese address but when it first opened there was an option to enter an overseas address and it seems this policy was unofficially kept when the FC management was transferred to Lawson. The newsletter is sent out four times a year and also usually there is a postcard for your birthday. Sometimes some small swag is bundled with the letter (last one tends to include a DVD with some documentary-style footage about what happened to Maaya during the year). There is an online fanclub shop where you can buy past newsletters and goods but they ship only to Japan (also, some goods are sold only at lives and not available in the shop afterwards).
I made a guide on how to register some time ago, not sure if it still works, but you can try it:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=692&p=12833#p12828
You can also find someone in Japan to register for you and participate in lotteries. Another option is various proxy services that offer a Japanese address and can forward mail for you. Some of them might even help you with entering lotteries and getting tickets, although with the current Lawson setup it’s less of a necessity since you can usually pick up your tickets in any Lawson once you arrive to Japan (but in some cases you may need to pay in advance and this may require someone to be physically in Japan). I’ve heard that some Japanese travel agents offer such services, so you can try checking with your local ones if you have any.
You can also usually find Maaya tickets on online auctions (especially Yahoo Auctions) but they tend to be much more expensive than the official prices (especially if paired or first rows). There are some online services that can bid and buy tickets for you but be prepared to pay hefty fees on top of the actual price.
There is a ticket exchange/sale topic on Maaya’s Mixi group and usually people who have tickets but are unable to go are giving up tickets for the standard price to fellow fans but this requires you to know Japanese and I think the exchange is usually done in person.
Me and a few others on this forum are in the fan club and few times in the past we managed to get tickets for other members so that may be possible too.
Officially the fanclub membership requires a Japanese address but when it first opened there was an option to enter an overseas address and it seems this policy was unofficially kept when the FC management was transferred to Lawson. The newsletter is sent out four times a year and also usually there is a postcard for your birthday. Sometimes some small swag is bundled with the letter (last one tends to include a DVD with some documentary-style footage about what happened to Maaya during the year). There is an online fanclub shop where you can buy past newsletters and goods but they ship only to Japan (also, some goods are sold only at lives and not available in the shop afterwards).
I made a guide on how to register some time ago, not sure if it still works, but you can try it:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=692&p=12833#p12828
You can also find someone in Japan to register for you and participate in lotteries. Another option is various proxy services that offer a Japanese address and can forward mail for you. Some of them might even help you with entering lotteries and getting tickets, although with the current Lawson setup it’s less of a necessity since you can usually pick up your tickets in any Lawson once you arrive to Japan (but in some cases you may need to pay in advance and this may require someone to be physically in Japan). I’ve heard that some Japanese travel agents offer such services, so you can try checking with your local ones if you have any.
You can also usually find Maaya tickets on online auctions (especially Yahoo Auctions) but they tend to be much more expensive than the official prices (especially if paired or first rows). There are some online services that can bid and buy tickets for you but be prepared to pay hefty fees on top of the actual price.
There is a ticket exchange/sale topic on Maaya’s Mixi group and usually people who have tickets but are unable to go are giving up tickets for the standard price to fellow fans but this requires you to know Japanese and I think the exchange is usually done in person.
Me and a few others on this forum are in the fan club and few times in the past we managed to get tickets for other members so that may be possible too.
Re: How can someone purchase tickets to a Maaya concert internationally?
Hello Roxfan!
Thanks for that link.
I managed to register using the Tenso address I use for proxy services.
Once the show(s) are announced for next year I will see if they offer me lottery tickets and if not, it would be great to have other members who are also FC members help. All assuming the wife agrees on going to Japan again.
I don't post much here, but dang if the people here aren't awesome!
Thanks for that link.
I managed to register using the Tenso address I use for proxy services.
Once the show(s) are announced for next year I will see if they offer me lottery tickets and if not, it would be great to have other members who are also FC members help. All assuming the wife agrees on going to Japan again.
I don't post much here, but dang if the people here aren't awesome!
Re: How can someone purchase tickets to a Maaya concert internationally?
A few more questions.
Now that I am registered, what happens? I really hope I don't have to create a Lawson ID as that requires SMS capability it seems, which I do not have.
I assume most things, like the lottery registration, etc can just be done with email but actually paying requires someone with a Japanese credit card?
I don't mind the Japan only shipping since services like Tenso make it easy. Just need to make sure that I have everything I need to make this happen... if I can make it happen.
Thanks again!
Now that I am registered, what happens? I really hope I don't have to create a Lawson ID as that requires SMS capability it seems, which I do not have.
I assume most things, like the lottery registration, etc can just be done with email but actually paying requires someone with a Japanese credit card?
I don't mind the Japan only shipping since services like Tenso make it easy. Just need to make sure that I have everything I need to make this happen... if I can make it happen.
Thanks again!
Re: How can someone purchase tickets to a Maaya concert internationally?
You should have received some confirmation emails, probably from ids-info!at!fc-ids.com and/or Lawson (check your spam folder). Sometimes they send out some news or announcements, e.g. lately they've been notifying members about the tickets to the fanclub-only live tour “STAND UP". I think it's over now but you can test if your FC ID is active at this URL:
https://l-tike.com/st1/ids2018standupticket
(normally it would be used to confirm whether you won any tickets).
You will probably also get a letter by post with your member card and other info (I think the initial FC shop login info is sent that way). The latest newsletter (issue 59) arrived a few days ago so you probably will only get the next one (or maybe even only the next year's, not sure how it works for mid-year entry).
https://l-tike.com/st1/ids2018standupticket
(normally it would be used to confirm whether you won any tickets).
You will probably also get a letter by post with your member card and other info (I think the initial FC shop login info is sent that way). The latest newsletter (issue 59) arrived a few days ago so you probably will only get the next one (or maybe even only the next year's, not sure how it works for mid-year entry).
Re: How can someone purchase tickets to a Maaya concert internationally?
In fact I'm surprised you could enter. I thought the opening was only from december to march each years.
Anyway, welcome to IDS! (and to Maayas) and hope to see you next year at a concert
Anyway, welcome to IDS! (and to Maayas) and hope to see you next year at a concert
Re: How can someone purchase tickets to a Maaya concert internationally?
It seems they extended the enrollment/renewal period and it is now from October till end of February.
Last edited by roxfan on 2018-10-14 18:32, edited 1 time in total.
Re: How can someone purchase tickets to a Maaya concert internationally?
Thanks. And thanks!Jérôme. wrote: Anyway, welcome to IDS! (and to Maayas) and hope to see you next year at a concert
Re: How can someone purchase tickets to a Maaya concert internationally?
Received notification that my member card had shipped. Waited, holding my breath, that it would be delivered (using Tenso for mail) because I had to do some weirdness to register the address I have. A day or 2 later, Tenso let me know they received it and I paid to have it delivered to me.
Received it today in mail. Pretty happy this all worked out!
Received news letter 59! Got my IDS Member Shop card. Got my IDS member card. Got the sticker to apply to the IDS! Shop card.
Logged into the shop... now that I can see the actual member items, looks like I will be spending some money!
For the record, anyone looking to join for 2019, it seems registration runs until 28 February 2019.
Received it today in mail. Pretty happy this all worked out!
Received news letter 59! Got my IDS Member Shop card. Got my IDS member card. Got the sticker to apply to the IDS! Shop card.
Logged into the shop... now that I can see the actual member items, looks like I will be spending some money!
For the record, anyone looking to join for 2019, it seems registration runs until 28 February 2019.
Re: How can someone purchase tickets to a Maaya concert internationally?
I'm glad it has worked