Seeing AKB48 Shows (TOC at first post)

@dutchie If it's of any interest to you, a tweet has just popped up in my Twitter timeline from the AKB48 Cafe about a solo event with Ota Nao on Saturday:

https://ameblo.jp/akb48cafe/entry-12497418291.html

It looks like there'll be an on the day lottery for tickets at the Cafe but I think you have to pre-register online - hopefully that's not too difficult!

 

You could have deleted it and make a new one under your own name.

 

Not sure if this is the right place but is anyone here planning to apply for team shows in Tokyo and Chiba next month? I failed fanclub applications so I plan to apply again for ippan, but if there is anyone else we could both try applying for 2 tickets and take each other as companions if one of us wins. Please message me if you want to do this (all teams or even 1 of them is fine, except the special Aqua Clara show since I'm already applying with a friend).

 

Hi, I'm planning to apply for Team 4's Te Wo Tsunaginagara ladies only performance on January 18th. I'm a super casual fan who has never done this before, but I do have an account for the ticketing website already. If I had known about the stage's timing, I would have tried to apply for the regular stage which is scheduled for earlier time on the same date as well, but sadly I have already made a previous appointment in the morning. What I want to ask is: when will the application open for the ladies only performance? The application for the regular stage on the same date (for far-offs people that is) has opened, but the application for the ladies only performance has not. Will the application open date for ladies only stage follow the scheduling for regular stage's ladies and kids application? Thanks beforehand!

 

Ticket center says application for the stage is January 15th (midnight) to January 16th (8 PM), so the schedule is different from usual stages. Only exception is if you have the 98 or 100 benefits, in which case it's according to the usual schedule. Ladies only stages don't have as many application rounds as regular stages, they are a bit of special case. There is also no separate fan club application as with other stages.

 

Thank you so much! I must be dumb because I can't find the info anywhere on the english website. Is the ladies only stage as competitive as regular stage? I'm seriously crossing my fingers as it is the only one which timing works for me.

 

I didn't check the English website so I'm not sure if it's the same, but on the Japanese website, the info is written if you click on the theater schedule and then the ladies only stage.

Ladies only stages are a lot less competitive than regular ones. I've been in 2 ladies only stages this year, both Team B, and the first one was an easy win (though some people still didn't win) while the second one had less applications than seats in theater, so everyone who applied got in, and it was even possible to get tickets on the day at the theater. I'm not sure if this was because it was too soon after the other Team B ladies only stage, if there are not many female fans who want to see a Team B stage at all (maybe 4 will be more popular), flu season, holidays, etc. as this is not usual even for a ladies only stage. Back in 2017/18 I applied for 2 or 3 ladies only stages and I only got a (very low) cancel machi for a Team 4 one, so I ended up getting in, but not the others (I believe they were Kamikyoku Shibari and Team A but don't take my word for it). So 1 out of 3 is still a lot higher rate than with regular stages, but even with ladies only stages there is no guarantee you'll definitely get in. By the way, it also depends on the performing members. If more popular members (Naachan, Nagi etc. for Team 4) are there the harder to get in.

 

Oh just some reminder, the english version of the website may not be as informative as the Japanese one. If you cannot read Japanese, use the G***le translate instead

 

So I'm gonna be in Tokyo in May with my husband and we want to see a theatre show. This might be a dumb question, but would it be better to apply for couples, or just do ippan? Also, would we both be able to apply with each other as our companion, or would that be considered cheating the system?

 

Nobody knows the exact winning rates of couples vs. ippan, so can't give you advice on that, but couples has reserved seats (pretty good ones) whereas ippan seats are based on lottery - you could get first row or you could get the back of the standing area, or anything in between. If you want to increase your chances of winning, you might want to look into getting a fanclub membership for that time (the mobile fanclubs are 300 yen per month and you could just get it for the time you are in Japan and cancel after), however I'm not sure how that works with companion applications - I heard both of them need to be members, but this is not official confirmed info from what I can tell.

As for applying with each other as companion, unfortunately that would be considered cheating the system and could get you blacklisted. I recommend you instead both apply from the same account, or maybe get 2 accounts and apply from them in order (one day from yours, next day from your husband's, then next from yours...) as it seems the winning rates per account are higher if you don't apply for each show.

 

I do suggest the female apply for couple ticket. Said to be easier to win as many wotas are single man? But like Riina said, the seat is limited.

Also, if you are in Japan as a tourist you cannot register for AKB mobile. Even I who live in Japan but do not use Big 3 cellular service (docomo, au, softbank) cannot

 

Well, you don't actually need to be a couple to apply for couple's seat, it could be any female friend or relative applying with you as long as you fit the "1 male, 1 female" requirement I applied with male friends before, never won but I only tried a few times so can't really say how hard it is to win.

And I'm not sure if it's any different if you have an Android phone, but if you have an iPhone, you can get the app version of AKB Mobile through the app store (just need a Japanese app store account), and pay for the membership through the app store. If your credit card is not accepted, you can get an iTunes gift card at any konbini and use that to refill your app store account My phone is not one of those big 3 and it works perfectly fine that way, although the fanclub does have some limitations if you use the app version rather than the mobile site version (which indeed requires you to be a subscriber of one of the big 3) but it works perfectly fine for applying for theater. Also I'm not sure if @wendychi and her husband are considering AKB theater only or others as well but other mobile fanclubs such as SKE mobile are even easier to apply for without subscribing to the big 3, just use any credit card, even foreign one is fine (though again if you don't use one of the big 3, can't use some features like RH vote etc.). Then there are also other fanclub options that increase your chances of winning: eizo (video) website which has a bit more expensive monthly subscription but also allows you to watch 48 group videos on there, or Nihon bashira no kai which has a yearly subscription. I pay for eizo with my foreign credit card and Nihon bashira no kai by konbini payment, but there might be other options too, can't remember right now.

 

Can you renban _and_ single apply? o:

 

Last week, I received my Visa to visit Japan at the very end of the month (September 2022). My first time! Went through the registration process shown on the first page here for 48Group tickets (thank you for these instructions & screenshots!!!), though it did allow me to mark myself as "overseas" and give a USA address. Got all the confirmation emails and such and was even able to update my temp password. But then I went to send my email to sfar@akb48.co.jp per the instructions for overseas fans, and it immediately bounced back. Anyone have another option/address/approach? Do I just try to apply for tickets one-by-one once the theater shows for when I'm there show up on the calendar? Thanks for any help!

 

I think I’m right in saying that the overseas system has never worked, or at least it hasn’t in recent years. There’s advice upthread to use a hotel address in Japan and that’s what I’ve used in the past. However I’ve rarely used my Ticket Center account (except to successfully apply in 2019 for SKEBINGO Live and Sasshi’s gradcon) so I can’t say for certain that this would work for theater shows, but I don’t see why not.

 

@dutchie I’ve just tried the Ticket Center website and it’s working fine for me, however that’s by accessing the mobile version on my phone as I’m currently away from home without my laptop.