Japan Music Marketing Resources for independent record labels, bands and artists
LIST of LIVE HOUSES in JAPAN
Many
live houses hold auditions and then "book" 3-5 bands to play
on a certain night. For foreign bands, a video of a past live performance,
CD and presskit can replace the audition. If you aren't there to sell
the quota of tickets given to you by the live house then you may have
to pay a fee (but most often fee is waived if the live house operator
is nice and thinks that you will attract more customers).
Otherwise, you can try to organize your own live tour of Japan by renting the live houses for yourself. In either case, you still have to pay for and organize all the other logistics that go with playing in Japan, such as transportation, meals, accommodation, guide, etc...
You should get a letter from the live house operator with details. Contact your nearest Japanese embassy or consulate for details on papers/visas required. If you are playing for no money then you probably don't need any special papers. If you aren't carrying any instruments with you through immigration and don't mention you are gigging then it is fairly easy to get into Japan with the 3 month tourist permit stamp when you land (assuming you are from USA/Canada/Western Europe or other country that has a visa waiver agreement with Japan).
The list of live houses below and websites are in Japanese but you can click on the links and navigate the live house websites which have photos, contact information and sometimes English info. Otherwise, get someone you know who knows Japanese to communicate for you. Do a search on the web for Japanese translators/interpreters. There are also companies that specialize in setting up and managing tours/gigs for foreign artists/bands/labels. Their contact info is available in the Japan Music Marketing Kit downloadable below.
Live shows are the best way to promote your music and sales of your CD in Japan. Concentrate on Tokyo and Osaka, but if you have a JR Rail Pass (and not much carry-on) it is easy to get to other places like Nagoya, Sendai, Fukushima, etc. in less than 3 hours. The more exposure, the better for creating your Japanese fan base.