How to Buy Tickets When a Show is Sold Out
It can be rather difficult to buy advance tickets to the Tokyo theater, especially to a popular show. At the Tokyo theater, you cannot buy tickets at the theater ticket window on the first day of sales - the only way for the general public to buy tickets is through an authorized ticket agency (such as Ticket Pia), which may have a special ticket line or website, and reserving tickets for pick up. This means that getting through and getting tickets takes patience and a lot of luck. Not to mention a Japanese address and credit card. After the first day of sales any remaining tickets are available "normally" - at the theater ticket window, through convenience store ticket machines, at ticket agencies, etc.
So, what do you do if the show you REALLY want to see has sold out before you could get through, and you're not up for spending 20,000yen for a ticket on Yahoo Japan Auctions or Ticket.co.jp?
Basically, there are two things you can try. You can try to get a toujitsuken (Same-Day ticket) at the theater on the morning of the show, or you can try to buy a ticket from someone standing in front of the theater selling their own.
How to Buy Toujitsuken
A toujitsuken is a same-day ticket, so you need to go to the theater early in the morning on the day of the show to buy one. The person getting the ticket needs to actually be present at the time the ticket is bought - that is, you cannot stand in line for you and your friend, and then buy tickets for both of you. Your friend (or a stand-in ;) ) has to be there too.
Toujitsuken are available almost everyday. For special shows - such as TCA Specials, 88th Anniversary shows, etc. - sometimes there are no toujitsuken. Also, there are no toujitsuken at most "Kashikiri"s (privately booked shows where a company or other group has bought out the entire theater). There are special rules for toujitsuken on certain days of the run: First Show of the Run, Last Show of the Run, Shinjin-Kouen ("Rookie Show"), and Farewell Shows. Toujitsuken for these days are usually arranged by calling a private number the day before - if you're in Japan and want to try it, check Takarazuka's Official Webpage a few days before.
But, let's assume you just want a ticket for a regular show.
You need to get to the theater early - especially if you're trying for the first show of the day. 8:00AM is about right if it's a weekday and you're not too concerned about where you sit - 7:00AM or earlier is better if it's the weekend. If you're hoping to get a GOOD seat, camping out the night before is not unheard of.
There are seperate lines for each show. The line for the first show generally runs to the right of the ticket windows, and the one for the second show - if there is one - runs to the left of the windows. Often the line for the second show is shorter earlier in the morning, but not always.
Sometimes if there's a morning show some people will leave their stuff to keep their place in line, while they go take pictures of the stars arriving. Make sure you are actually standing at the back of the line. It's a good idea to ask the person in front of you, "Kochira wa saigo desu ka?" ("Is this the end?") because if you're a foreigner sometimes they're uncomfortable telling you you're in the wrong spot. Also, if you're the end of the line, someone may ask you this. Or, they may ask the person in front of you, if they're afraid you don't speak Japanese.
Tickets tend to go on sale at 9:30am on weekends, especially if the line is long and there's an 11:00am show. When sales start for the second show also depends - sometimes it's concurrent with first show sales, sometimes they wait until they've sold all the tickets for the first show before starting.
You must pay for same-day tickets with cash or a Takarazuka card.
The number of seats available varies day-by-day, depending on cancelled reservations, etc. But, on regular days there are always at least "Toujitsuken B-Seki" (Same-Day B-seats) - these are the seats in the last row, on the far left and far right. There are 50 seats, and they cost 2500yen each. These seats are only sold as toujitsuken.
If you're towards the back of the line, they will probably run out of even the toujitsuken B-seki tickets. But, there are also 49 "tachi-mi" (stand-and-watch) tickets that are also only sold the day of the show. These cost 1500yen. If they don't have a little map of the theater out when you get up to the window, there's only tachi-mi left. If you're not sure you can ask, "Tachi-mi shika arimasen ka?" (Is there nothing but standing tickets?)
If you buy tachi-mi and you're with a friend, make sure you go up to the window together, so the ticket seller can try to give you spots next to each other.
There is one additional option, but it's one I've never tried. You also have the option of taking a number and waiting to see if there are any cancelled reservations. If you do this, you'll need to be back at the theater an hour before the show. You'll wait in line again, according to the number you received earlier, and get the chance to buy the tickets from any cancelled reservations. Again, I haven't ever done this, so I don't know much about it.
If you get to the theater later, and there's no line, but the window is open, you can ask if they still have tickets: "Toujitsuken mo arimasen ka?" If you don't speak Japanese, you can tell the toujitsuken windows by the fact that they have a number in them. The first show will have some kanji, the number "1," then more kanji. Second show is the same with the number "2." There may also be lines for purchasing advance tickets and picking up reserved tickets - these are both all kanji, so if you don't read Japanese and you want one of these lines, just ask when you get to the front.
A tachi-mi ticket lets you stand and watch from all the way at the very top and very back of the theater. Your ticket will have a number on it - this designates where you stand. There's a handrail behind the last row of seats, and the places are marked on the bar with the numbers. The lower number seats are towards the middle, and they go out from there with even numbers on the left (if you're facing the stage) and odd numbers on the right. Keep your ticket out because about 5-10 minutes before the show, an usher will come through and make sure you're standing in the right spot. They will also warn you to keep your bags in front of you and not to drop things on the person in front of you. Sometimes they also check in with you at intermission. Feel free to sit on the floor before the show and during intermission. Everyone else does. :)
Why Tachi-mi is the greatest thing ever
Now, if you're like most people I've talked to, you're thinking "Stand through a three hour show?! Are you crazy?!"
Well, yes, possibly. But tachi-mi has its advantages.
For one thing, it's cheap. This is really the big one for me. An "A" seat costs 5000yen. Tachi-mi costs 1500yen. I can see a show three times tachi-mi for what it costs to see the show once with an "A" seat, and still have money left over for postcards!
Because tachi-mi is so cheap I got to see a lot more shows as a broke college student than I could have otherwise. While I was in school in Tokyo, I would cheerfully eat cheese and crackers at home during the week, saving my money to go see a show tachi-mi on the weekend. (FYI, this also proved to be a great weight-management system. ;) )
Although standing so long gets uncomfortable, I'm so tall that I find that the seats can get kind of uncomfortable too after awhile - for me it's a trade-off between aching feet and an aching back. Plus, if you tachi-mi you get a nice little bar to rest your arms on while you're using your binoculars, so your arms don't get quite as tired.
Tachi-mi is 1000 yen cheaper than even the cheapest seats, the toujitsuken B-seki. Toujitsuken B-seki are as bad or worse than tachi-mi for watching the show. I've seen it over and over, but I still can't understand it - people will buy last row, Seat #1 - first seat on the far left of the theater - instead of tachi-mi #1 - right in the middle. I saw a couple take seats at complete opposite ends of the theater, just because they didn't want to stand.
It does get tiring to stand after a while, but I sit before the show starts and during intermission. Really, it's not bad at all. I've even been known to wait until they've sold all the B-seats so I can get tachi-mi instead. (They don't sell tachi-mi until they're out of seats.)
Sure, if you have the money and can get one, who wouldn't prefer a great seat? But if it's a matter of tachi-mi or not seeing the show at all - please consider tachi-mi.
Just don't forget your binoculars. :)
How To Buy Tickets From Other People
Note: I haven't bought tickets this way in about 5 years, so I don't have any up-to-date info on what the current "system" is. I'm leaving this info up, though, in case you're feeling particularly brave/desperate. (I suspect that the profusion of websites that now make it easy for people to sell their extra tickets online at a profit has also have cut down on the number of people selling their tickets the day-of the show...)
When I was staying in Tokyo for school, buying tickets from other people was easy - they'd stand around in front of Mitsui Plaza, proudly displaying their tickets for perusal. When I went back to Japan in 2004, I was horrified to find that this easygoing system was gone - some sort of crackdown took place, and ticket-selling has gone "underground"!
For this reason, I'm upgrading buying tickets this way from "No Japanese Necessary if You're Brave" too "Must Have Some Japanese Skills and a Lot of Chutzpah".
But, if you've got guts, or are just desperate like me...
Get to the theater about 30 minutes before the show. Now, the first step is figuring out where people are selling their tickets. When I last bought tickets this way in Tokyo, it was in front of Chanter - not by the doors, but down across the street from Mitsui Plaza. But if they're discovered, they may move again. Look for some slightly "shifty" looking women - people paying way too much attention to what everyone around them is doing. Step 2 is to figure out who's buying and who's selling - this is tough, because sellers don't really hold out the tickets like they used to. Watch for fumbling in the purse, a ticket held non-chalantly against the elbow, etc.
Now comes the hardest part - actually stepping forward and buying a ticket. If you're anything like me, chances are good that the Japanese ladies are going to beat you to anything worth buying - remember, they're standing there trying to figure out who's selling too!
Once you see a ticket, check it out. Be careful that you are buying tickets for the show you want - some people will be selling tickets for a later show, maybe even a week or two later.
Everytime I've bought tickets this way, the woman has only asked for the retail ticket price. So, you should be able to figure out how much a ticket is by looking at the ticket closely and finding the price on it. Try to avoid seat numbers under 10 or over 65 - these are way off to either the left or right. Most tickets offered will be 2nd floor - so even an SS seat is rather far from the stage. If you can get a 2nd floor S seat, row 4, seat 40 or so - snag it! (If you've got the money...) This is about as good as you'll probably get.
Also, some people will only sell their tickets as a set, while others are willing to split them up. If someone is selling two or more tickets and you only want one, you can ask, "Ichi-mai demo ii desu ka?" ("Is just one all right?") (If you only want two, "Ni-mai demo ii desu ka?" etc.)
Make sure you have a variety of bills with you; sellers don't always have exact change.
If the show you want to go to is special in some way, it's going to be harder to buy tickets from someone - they want to see the show themselves!!! For a special show, only go down to the theater if you're willing to try even for that slim chance...
Why do people sell their tickets?
I wondered this for awhile - I couldn't figure it out. Since they were only selling at the price the ticket cost them, they weren't making any money. (I've also heard of ticket scalpers, who sell for a profit, but I've never dealt with any.) Why would so many people be selling tickets at no profit? I mean, a few people may have meant to go to a show, and then had other plans intervene - but not enough for 10-15 to be selling tickets at every show!
I think I've figured it out - but I haven't polled people selling tickets or anything, so I could be wrong.
Members of Takarazuka's Tomonokai ("Friend's Club" - actually, a ticket buying club) can order tickets in advance of the day tickets officially go on sale. However, they can only request the day and section (SS, S, A, B) of the ticket - which seat they actually get (if any) is determined by lottery. The star fan clubs work in a similar way - club members can request a ticket for a certain day, but don't know what seat they'll end up getting.
I think that what some people do is, order/request tickets for a bunch of days, in hopes of getting a really good seat. For the days when they didn't get as good a seat as they wanted, or if they're low on money, they can always make their money back by selling the ticket online or at the theater.
I think it's telling that the fan clubs pass out tickets about 30 minutes before the show, and 30 minutes before the show is when most people selling tickets come...
But that's just my theory. I could be wrong. :)