You find the music video. You learn the members’ names. You begin imagining what it would feel like to hear your favourite group live in Tokyo, Osaka or Fukuoka. Then you encounter a set of Japanese phrases—fan club, priority application, lottery and digital ticket—that are much less self-explanatory than the music.

For fans of Snow Man, SixTONES, timelesz, King & Prince, Travis Japan, Naniwa Danshi and other artists associated with STARTO ENTERTAINMENT, concert ticketing can take more planning than simply clicking “buy.” The most important information is not a clever trick for getting a ticket. It is understanding the eligibility rules before making travel arrangements.¹

This article explains the system as it stands in November 2026, including an important limitation for overseas residents. It is a general guide, not a promise of eligibility for every future concert; always read that event’s official notice before buying anything.

STARTO and FAMILY CLUB are not the same website

STARTO ENTERTAINMENT is an entertainment company whose official artist pages share music releases, television appearances and tour information. FAMILY CLUB is the official membership and fan club service through which eligible fans receive member benefits and, for certain events, priority opportunities to apply for tickets.¹

There are also separate, similarly named services. FAMILY CLUB web is a paid blog portal for artist content; FAMILY CLUB online offers eligible paid video streams of selected concerts or performances. Famikura Store is for official merchandise. An account or purchase on one service does not automatically give you all the benefits of the others.¹

Start with the official STARTO service guide to identify the right destination, rather than trusting an old fan-made ticketing link.

Can fans living overseas join the official fan club?

Under the current FAMILY CLUB rules, no. The service’s own FAQ says membership is restricted to people residing in Japan who have an address to which domestic postal mail can be delivered. It also explicitly says a person living in Japan cannot join on behalf of a person living abroad.²

This is one of the most important points for overseas fans to know. Some older internet guides suggest using a friend’s Japanese address or a forwarding address. That is not an authorized workaround for the residence requirement. The membership terms also require accurate personal information and exclude corporate or address-service arrangements.³

If you live outside Japan, do not pay a third party to set up a membership under someone else’s identity. That arrangement could cause problems with membership validity, identity checks, payments and entry to the venue. The correct course is to follow official public-ticket options for an event, where available, or enjoy authorized recordings and releases.

If you do genuinely live in Japan and meet the membership terms, check the artist-specific application page for the current rules and price. Living in Japan, rather than being a Japanese citizen, is the key requirement stated in the published membership rule; the application still requires accurate personal details and a usable address.

How much does a STARTO fan club cost?

FAMILY CLUB says that membership fees and benefits depend on the artist. As a concrete example, the published King & Prince membership page lists a ¥1,000 joining fee, a ¥4,000 annual fee and a ¥140 administrative fee. The initial payment is therefore ¥5,140. The membership period begins on the first day of the month following approval and lasts for one year.⁴

Other fan clubs may have different fees or benefits. You should not assume that one subscription covers all groups or that the price of a special membership category will match the artist-specific clubs. The official join page lists the clubs accepting applications, including King & Prince, Snow Man, SixTONES, timelesz, Travis Japan and others as of November 2026.

Possible member benefits include digital or physical membership cards, newsletters, members-only videos and advance applications for certain performances. The official pages make clear that priority ticket applications are offered only for eligible events. Membership does not automatically include a concert ticket or a reserved seat.⁴

The fan club ticket lottery, explained

When a concert offers a fan club priority application, eligible members can apply during an announced period. The Japanese term chūsen (抽選) refers to a lottery. Applications are not the same as purchases: an applicant may not receive a ticket.

FAMILY CLUB states that the drawing is computer-randomized and that it may not be possible to provide seats for everyone who applies, even when they are active members. There is no official guarantee that the age of your membership, repeated entries or supposed “insider methods” will improve your chances.⁵

If you are eligible for membership, the basic sequence is to join the correct group, obtain a valid member number, review the performance notice, apply during the stated period and then check the outcome through the official member site. FAMILY CLUB says applications can be made after the member number has arrived, provided the event’s application deadline has not passed.⁶

Payment instructions, number of seats, whether a companion may be a nonmember and any accessible-seating request procedures depend on the individual event. Read the exact terms before submitting an application. An unofficial website may describe a procedure that was true for one tour but not another.

Can a tourist buy tickets without membership?

Sometimes there may be official public sales, but do not assume that every concert has one. A particular tour may offer fan club priority booking, a later general sale, an organizer-approved resale opportunity or a combination. Availability and eligibility are different for each event.

Before planning travel, look for an official notice from STARTO, the artist’s record label or the event organizer. Find the actual sales page and verify its rules for identification, account creation, payments, companion details and mobile ticket delivery. A Japanese sales portal may require a Japanese phone number or other verification even when a webpage is publicly accessible.

In other words, “open to the general public” does not automatically mean “guaranteed to work from any country.” Check the documented application requirements before booking a flight, accommodation or a nonrefundable package.

Official resale: RELIEF Ticket is not one single lottery

Japan’s ticket market includes resale websites that are not authorized by the event organizer. For concerts participating in the official system, RELIEF Ticket is a designated, organizer-approved resale service through which eligible tickets can change hands at the official price.⁷

The current RELIEF Ticket guide says eligible resale periods generally run from 11:00 a.m. five days before the performance until 11:59 a.m. two days before it, Japan time. The site only lists tours that participate in the service; not every show is covered.⁸

An especially important detail is that the service offers two different purchase procedures depending on the tour. One is a first-come, first-served purchase, involving SMS verification of the buyer’s phone number. The other is a lottery application, for which the official guide explicitly requires membership in the fan club of the performing artist.⁹

It would be misleading to say that all RELIEF Ticket purchases require fan club membership, or that the system is freely accessible to anyone abroad. You must check whether the specific show uses first-come or lottery resale, and whether you can satisfy its registration, SMS, payment and identity conditions. The resale site’s rules require buying with the account belonging to the actual attendee, not for someone else.

See the official RELIEF Ticket buying guide and its individual tour pages. For fans who cannot meet the conditions, it is better to accept the limit than to risk an invalid ticket purchased from a stranger.

Digital tickets are usually displayed on the day

At applicable FAMILY CLUB concert events, the representative ticket holder accesses the digital ticket through the member portal on the concert day. The official FAQ instructs the representative and pre-registered companions to arrive together and display the ticket on a smartphone or tablet after agreeing to the venue’s entry conditions.¹⁰

Do not rely on a printed QR code or a screenshot. FAMILY CLUB says that, unless the organizer explicitly announces an exception, a printed digital ticket or screenshot cannot be used for entry. A phone or tablet must be able to connect to the internet at the venue.¹¹

International travellers should check mobile data coverage and device compatibility before travelling. Never assume that having a friend send you a screenshot is equivalent to a ticket issued in your name. Seat numbers may also be revealed at a different stage depending on the particular ticketing system.

Bring identification that matches the booking

FAMILY CLUB warns that identity checks can take place for both the representative and companion. Its official guidance asks people to bring original, valid government-issued identification that verifies their registration details: name, address and date of birth. Photocopies and images are not accepted as substitutes, and some performances may impose additional document requirements.¹²

That is why using someone else’s member account or a false address creates a serious risk. Even if a ticket appears in an account, entry is not guaranteed when the person’s actual identity does not match the record.

For visiting fans, it is particularly important to check the event’s approved identity documents. A passport may be helpful for travel, but the details it displays and the venue’s specific requirements matter. Do not assume every passport or foreign-issued card will satisfy an event’s full list.

What about watching concerts online from overseas?

FAMILY CLUB online is STARTO’s linked video-streaming service for selected concerts and stage performances. It is separate from artist fan club membership. However, the service’s FAQ says that purchasing and viewing from outside Japan are not supported, and its support team cannot handle inquiries about overseas use.¹³

Not every concert stream is distributed through the same provider. Some performances may have their own authorized international distribution or on-demand releases, but you must check the event’s actual overseas availability. A stream advertised in Japan is not necessarily licensed for the rest of the world.

Use authorized recordings and official video channels when overseas streaming is unavailable. Be wary of unlicensed uploads claiming to offer “the full concert” or sites asking for payment credentials to bypass regional restrictions.

How overseas fans can participate without a Japanese fan club

Having limits on fan club membership does not mean being excluded from the music. There are several legitimate ways for overseas fans to build a connection with their favourite artists, though availability varies by territory and release.

1. Follow the artist’s official website. Start with STARTO to check tour dates, music releases, performances and verified artist links. Older fan lists may contain former members or agencies.
2. Listen through licensed music services. Look for official releases through the artist’s record label, streaming platform or distributor. Catalogues and territory restrictions vary.
3. Watch official videos. Many groups provide music videos or behind-the-scenes material on verified YouTube channels. That can be a good first step before buying a physical album.
4. Consider legitimate physical releases. CDs, DVDs and Blu-rays can be wonderful collections, but check subtitles, region restrictions, playback formats and international shipping before ordering.
5. Look for authorized international events. If a group announces overseas concerts or an event with a clear public-ticket channel, follow the organizer’s stated conditions rather than assumptions based on Japan-only sales.
6. Participate in a respectful fan community. Translations, reviews, fan art and discussions are ways to connect, subject to copyright and the artist’s guidelines.

The practical approach is to remain flexible. Missing one tour does not mean you cannot engage with a group’s larger creative history, nor does it require you to buy a risky ticket.

A quick checklist before booking a trip to Japan for a concert

For fans who hope to travel internationally for a performance, a little preparation can save real money and disappointment.

1. Verify the date and venue. Use the artist’s official live schedule and the organizer’s page, not a social-media post with a cropped screenshot.
2. Confirm whether a valid ticket route is actually available to you. Check fan club eligibility, public-sale restrictions or the specific RELIEF Ticket procedure before arranging travel.
3. Check account and phone requirements. Some services require SMS verification, an internet-enabled smartphone and a buyer identity that matches the person attending.
4. Read the refund and name-change policies. Sales may be final. Official resale eligibility and periods depend on the event; buying an ordinary ticket is not a guarantee you can resell it later.
5. Plan transport and access separately. Confirm the venue’s gate, public transportation after the show, accessible seating options and any age requirements.
6. Do not assume a screenshot is admission. Follow the actual digital-ticket instructions, carry accepted identification and arrive with any companions whose tickets are linked to yours.

A responsible plan may be to wait for a clearly documented international sale or official tour announcement instead of committing to a trip based on uncertain resale availability.

A note on the ARASHI era

If you followed ARASHI, you may remember the intense demand for concerts and the importance of the fan club. The group completed its final concert and ended group activities on May 31, 2026. Older ARASHI ticket guides should not be read as instructions for a future ARASHI tour that has not been announced.

The current FAMILY CLUB joining list includes individual memberships for artists such as Sho Sakurai and Masaki Aiba, but membership in an individual artist’s club should not be confused with a revived ARASHI group membership.¹⁴

For the group’s story, see our separate article, Why ARASHI’s 2026 Farewell Still Matters. The difference between past group activities and current individual careers is particularly important when searching for news in another language.

Questions from international fans

Music first, paperwork second

Japanese idol concerts bring an extraordinary connection between performers and fans. It is easy to understand why someone living thousands of miles away might dream of joining an arena filled with light sticks, familiar songs and other people who share the same enthusiasm.

But a reliable overseas guide has to make room for the rules as well as the dream. When a membership is limited to Japanese residents, it should say so. When ticket resale requires identity verification, that matters more than a clever workaround. And when a concert has no confirmed overseas distribution, nobody should promise access that does not exist.

There is still plenty to discover: records, performances, interviews, videos and the creative worlds of the groups themselves. Start with the music, use official information when an opportunity arises, and let the next concert be something you can enjoy without uncertainty about whether your ticket will work.