Number_i Popularity Backfires as Concerns Grow Over Empty Seats at TOBE Joint Concert
Is “Number_i” popularity having the opposite effect?
The talent agency TOBE, headed by Hideaki Takizawa (44), and home to artists such as Ken Miyake (46), Hiromitsu Kitayama (40), and Number_i, will hold a joint concert featuring all its artists, to HEROes ～TOBE 3rd Super Live～, from April to May in Aichi and Hokkaido. However, there are concerns in some quarters about whether the venues will be filled.
TOBE launched in March 2023. Soon after, artists such as Miyake, Kitayama, and former King & Prince members—Sho Hirano (29), Yuta Kishi (30), and Yuta Jinguji (28)—as well as former Juniors, joined one after another. With this strong lineup, the agency held its first joint concert at Tokyo Dome from March 14–17, 2024. The second concert last year expanded to both Tokyo Dome (March 6–7) and Kyocera Dome Osaka (April 6–7).
This year, however, performances are scheduled for April 20–22 at Vantelin Dome Nagoya in Aichi and May 16–17 at Daiwa House Premist Dome in Hokkaido. Notably, there is no Tokyo show for the first time, and only two locations, which surprised fans when the schedule was announced.
In early March, after ticket lottery results for fan club members were released, social media was filled with confused reactions such as: “All my friends who said let’s go together got tickets,” and “I got duplicate wins and don’t know what to do—are fewer people going to the TOBE concert?”
According to an entertainment writer:
“While the Hokkaido shows are on weekends, the three Aichi performances fall on weekdays (Monday to Wednesday) starting at 6 p.m., which is a tough schedule for fans traveling from afar. Based on social media posts, quite a few fans ended up winning multiple tickets for the same performance with friends and chose to let them go (decline payment and forfeit their tickets).
Also, this concert will use facial recognition entry, requiring not only the ticket applicant but also any accompanying attendees to register their face photos within a designated period.”
Is a Number_i fan meeting the cause?
Amid this, TOBE announced on March 16 via social media details about the “TOBE ID member ticket application.” Ahead of general sales, it revealed that those registered for the free “TOBE ID” would have a chance to apply for tickets (application period: March 17–22). Furthermore, starting around mid-March, some members who had lost in the initial fan club lottery reportedly received notifications informing them of revival wins.
In addition, general sale tickets went on sale at 10 a.m. on the 28th (sales will end once the planned number is reached). According to TOBE’s official website, the ticketing service Lawson Ticket handles both the Aichi and Hokkaido performances, while Ticket Pia, e+ (eplus), CN Playguide, and ticket board appear to handle only the Hokkaido shows.
“Even before general sales, first-come, first-served advance sales for the Hokkaido performances began at noon on March 20 through CN Playguide and others (a system where tickets are sold on a first-come basis prior to general sales). Although Aichi also had advance sales through Lawson Ticket, all applications closed at 10 p.m. on the 24th.
Among them, the Hokkaido performances are the ones where concerns about attendance are strongest. Perhaps TOBE is also putting effort into promotion, as large ‘to HEROes’ advertisements have reportedly appeared in the underground shopping area of Odori Station in Sapporo since around the 23rd, becoming a topic among fans. Additionally, an advertisement announcing the concert was published in the Hokkaido Shimbun dated the 20th, which included information about advance and general sales through CN Playguide,” (same source as above).
Providing opportunities such as the “TOBE ID member ticket application” after fan club ticket applications had ended is a first for the third “to HEROes event.” Online, fans have expressed positive opinions such as:
〈There were probably quite a lot of duplicate wins and forfeited tickets for to HEROes given the schedule and venues. I hope the seats get filled〉
〈This time, people who are just somewhat interested in TOBE might come in through general tickets. It’d be sad if it’s empty, so I think that’s a good thing〉
〈I’m going to the Aichi show, but I’m thinking of buying general tickets for dates I didn’t win and going anyway. I don’t want to see an empty dome〉
〈I’m glad that general tickets are being sold this time for ‘to HEROes.’ I hope more people get to know the appeal of TOBE artists〉
showing a desire for more people to attend the venue.
On the other hand, among the performers, the group with the largest fanbase is Number_i. They have announced that they will hold their first fan meeting this summer.
“Since ‘to HEROes’ is a joint concert, each artist inevitably gets less stage time compared to a solo concert. Some Number_i fans are reportedly holding back on applying for to HEROes because they want to focus on the upcoming fan meeting,” (same writer).
Against this background, TOBE posted a “Notice Regarding Fan Club Tickets” on its official website on March 13. Regarding whether applying for to HEROes or the lottery results would affect future ticket lotteries for each artist’s performances, they explained: “Lotteries are conducted for each performance individually. Whether or not you apply for a specific performance, or its lottery results, will not affect future lotteries.”
“Although they didn’t explicitly mention Number_i’s fan meeting, the message was essentially that they want their fans to feel at ease applying for ‘to HEROes’ tickets going forward” (same source).
As mentioned earlier, general ticket sales for ‘to HEROes’ began on March 28, but neither the Aichi nor Hokkaido shows sold out immediately, and as of 1 p.m. on the 30th, tickets were still available for both.
Will the Aichi and Hokkaido performances of ‘to HEROes’ avoid becoming a festival of empty seats!?