The Resale of STARTO Tickets and the Issue of "Nakadumi" ―― Understanding the Light and Shadow of Fan Culture

The Resale of STARTO Tickets and the Issue of "Nakadumi" ―― Understanding the Light and Shadow of Fan Culture

2025年06月18日 14:04

Table of Contents

  1. Current Status of STARTO Reorganization and Ticket Issues

  2. Mechanism of High-Priced Resales and Latest Judgments

  3. Prevalent "Middleman" Practices and Related Terms

  4. Psychology Behind Fans Resorting to Resales and Middleman Practices

  5. Legal Risks and Actual Troubles

  6. Countermeasures by STARTO and the Entire Industry

  7. Performance Trends and Impacts by Affiliated Artists

  8. Future Outlook—Towards a Fair Viewing Culture

  9. Conclusion


1. Current Status of STARTO Reorganization and Ticket Issues

The former Johnny's Office will change its name to STARTO ENTERTAINMENT by the end of 2024. The official website's artist list includes names like 20th Century, NEWS, SUPER EIGHT, Hey! Say! JUMP, Kis-My-Ft2, timelesz, A.B.C-Z, WEST., SixTONES, Snow Man, Naniwa Danshi, Travis Japan, Aぇ! group, Arashi, King & Prince, and ふぉ～ゆ～.starto.jp


With the digitization of tickets, seat numbers are not displayed until just before entry, and identity verification has become mandatory. As a result, traditional paper ticket resales have significantly decreased, but practices like "QR resales" or transactions inside the venue have persisted in different forms.




2. Mechanism of High-Priced Resales and Latest Judgments


2-1 Ticket Resale Prohibition Law

The "Act on Prohibition of Unauthorized Resale of Specified Entertainment Tickets," enacted in 2019, penalizes repeated and continuous resale activities exceeding the face value without the consent of the event organizer.nakamotopartners.com



2-2 Groundbreaking Judgment by Tokyo District Court

On March 10, 2025, the Tokyo District Court ruled that "resale of tickets limited to the original purchaser is an infringement of business rights" and ordered the disclosure of information on 16 sellers.corporate.starto.jpFollowing this, in May, STARTO sent notifications through lawyers to over 200 resale sellers, declaring legal action.3. Terms and Related Words Commonly Used On-Site

TermMeaningMonetary ExchangeMain Risks
SaichenExchanging seats on the left and right of the stageNoneViolation of Entry Restrictions
NakatsumiBuying a better seat with an additional fee after entryYesViolation of Resale Laws and Troubles
Bante UriChoosing a seat number among multiple name winsYesHigh Pricing and Incomplete Identity Verification
QR GotoSwitching the official app to a companion's smartphone for entryYesName Lending and Disclosure Requests
The detailed definitions are also organized in fan articles and Q&A.fs-event.comdetail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jpnote.com
4. The Psychology Behind Fans Resorting to Resale and Nakatsumi

  • Wanting to See Their Favorite Up Close: The dance performances of Snow Man and SixTONES are overwhelmingly impressive at a distance where facial expressions can be read with the naked eye.

  • Competition for Fan Service: Members of King & Prince and Naniwa Danshi are overwhelmingly more likely to blow kisses to the front rows of the arena.

  • Multi-stage culture: Fans aiming to attend all performances of a tour (all stages) use surplus tickets for financial recovery.




5. Legal risks and actual troubles

  • Cases where damages were claimed after disclosure requests (sender information disclosure order).corporate.starto.jp

  • Tickets invalidated and entry refused, resulting in wasted travel expenses.

  • Discovered to be a different person during identity verification, leading to police involvement.



6. STARTO and industry-wide measures

  1. Facial recognition + ID linkage: Implemented at all performances for tours by Kis-My-Ft2 and timelesz.

  2. Permanent resale reporting desk: Dedicated form on the official website.

  3. Warning emails in collaboration with lawyers: Sent to over 200 people as of May.sponichi.co.jp

  4. Official resale preparation: Beta testing during the Snow Man dome tour.

  5. Collaboration with other companies: Other organizers like Takarazuka Revue are also strengthening police cooperation.kageki.hankyu.co.jp




7. Trends and impacts by affiliated artist and performance

  • SixTONES"VVS" Arena Tour: Reports of resale prices reaching up to 100,000 yen.

  • Snow Man"iDOLO" Dome Tour: Reduced entry troubles due to facial recognition.

  • timelesz Nationwide Tour episode 1: Resale numbers visualized and immediately reported by officials.

  • WEST."FESTA": Frequent ticket tier sales causing seat price differences to trend on SNS.

  • Naniwa Danshi"BON BON VOYAGE": Highest demand for resale.


    (Additionally, the tour schedules of all groups such as NEWS, Hey! Say! JUMP, Kis-My-Ft2, A.B.C-Z, Travis Japan, Aぇ! group, King & Prince, Arashi, etc., are affected.)




8. Future Prospects—For a Fair Viewing Culture

  • Complete tracking of transfer history through blockchain-based tickets .

  • Absorbing market prices with dynamic pricing + official resale .

  • Pros and cons of linking with My Number Card —privacy protection remains a challenge.

  • Fan education : Initiatives to update practices from the Johnny's era.




9. Conclusion

STARTO ENTERTAINMENT, riding the wave of a groundbreaking ruling, has begun to earnestly tackle the eradication of illegal resales. However, "middle loading" remains a gray area unique to the digital ticket era, caught between fan enthusiasm and legal regulations. The key to establishing a fair viewing environment is


① Early implementation of official resale

② Further tightening of entry systems

③ Dialogue with fan communities


.


To protect a live culture that artists such as SixTONES, Snow Man, timelesz, WEST., King & Prince, Naniwa Danshi, and others can proudly present to the world, it is essential for management and fans to share and adhere to the rules.


List of Reference Articles

  • STARTO Official "Judicial Decision on Ticket Resale Listings" 2025/03/10corporate.starto.jp

  • Sponichi "STARTO to Take Legal Action Against Over 200 Resellers" 2025/05/10sponichi.co.jp

  • Shun Tayori Note "Difference Between Saichen and Nakatsumi" 2025/05/12fs-event.com

  • Yahoo! Chiebukuro "Janiota Terms: Nakatsumi" 2024/10detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp

  • Note "Janiota's Stacking Methods: QR Code & Order" 2022/10note.com

  • Government Public Relations "Guide to the Prohibition of Unauthorized Ticket Resale Law" Revised 2019/06nakamotopartners.com

← Back to Article List