Let’s take a deep dive into the incredible success of J-Pop artists during their tours, showcasing their popularity and the immense support they receive from their fans. You will learn which J-Pop groups and solo artists have made a big splash and earned big bucks through their outstanding performances. Given below are top 10 highest-grossing J-Pop tours.
1. Arashi
Arashi is a Japanese boy band. It consists of five members: Satoshi Ohno, Sho Sakurai, Masaki Aiba, Kazunari Ninomiya, and Jun Matsumoto. They debuted in 1999. Arashi's 2013 "Love" tour was the highest-grossing tour in Japan's history, grossing ¥3.8 billion. The tour ran from November to December 2013 and included 32 concerts. The tour broke records for concert admission in Japan, with 2.37 million people in attendance. The 2021 concert film ARASHI ANNIVERSARY TOUR 5×20 FILM 'RECORD OF MEMORIES' was the highest-grossing live-action film in Japan in 2021, grossing $39,542,007 in theaters.
2. Exile
Exile is a Japanese boy band. It consists of 19 members: Alan Shirahama, Mandy Sekiguchi, Taiki Sato, Exile Naoto, Naoki Kobayashi, and Takanori Iwata, Exile Makida, Exile Usa, Exile Atsushi, Exile Akira, Exile Takahiro, Kenchi Tachibana, Exile Tetsuya, Exile Nesmith, Exile Shokichi, and Exile Naoto. Their debut year was 2001. July 2005 saw the release of their collaborative album "Scream" with Japanese rock band Glay, which peaked at number one on the Oricon listings and sold in excess of 500,000 copies. The Japanese band Exile's 2011 Tower of Wish dome tour was their second and third highest-grossing tour in Japan that year. In 2012, Exile's tour was their second highest-grossing tour in Japan.
3. AKB48
AKB48 is a girl group. The group comprises of 58 members, including 40 official members and 18 trainees. AKB48 is one of Japan's highest-earning musical acts and the fifth-best-selling girl group worldwide. In 2012, the group's record, and DVD/Blu-ray sales reached $226 million, making them the top artist that year. The three-day AKB48 In Tokyo Dome ~1830m no Yume~ concert sold out in less than an hour, with around 50,000 people attending each day. The AKB Super Festival at Nissan Stadium was also televised and reportedly watched by over 500,000 people.
4. Mr. Children
Mr. Children is a Japanese rock band. They debuted in 1992. The band consists of four members Kazutoshi Sakurai, Kenichi Tahara, Keisuke Nakagawa and Hideya Suzuki. The band has sold over 75 million albums during its 30-year career. In 2012, they were the highest-selling artist and had the highest-selling album of the year. In 2017, Mr. Children sold out a stadium tour with over 700,000 fans. Their 2018–2019 tour also sold out, with over 600,000 fans.
5. Namie Amuro
Namie Amuro is a Japanese former singer, dancer, model, actress and entrepreneur who was active between 1992 and 2018. She was born on September 20, 1977. Namie Amuro's final tour is the highest-grossing tour by a Japanese solo artist. The tour sold around 800,000 tickets from 22 performances, including five international engagements. The tour also drew about 750,000 fans, a record for a solo artist on a single music tour in Japan. Amuro's final concert tour, which began in February, drew about 750,000 fans, a record for a solo artist on a single music tour in Japan. The concert video was the first to eclipse 1 million in sales in Japan.
6. Perfume
Perfume is a Japanese pop girl group. It consists of three members Ayano Omoto, Yuka Kashino and Ayaka Nishiwaki. They debuted in 2003. In 2022, they announced their first arena tour in four years, Perfume 9th Tour 2022 “PLASMA”. The tour began on August 20, 2022, and traveled to nine cities across Japan until November. In 2023, Perfume made a comeback to the international stage with two performances at Primavera Sound, one of Europe's largest music festivals. They performed in Barcelona on June 1 and Madrid on June 8.
7. BTS
BTS is a male-only band from South Korea. Seven individuals comprise it: Jungkook, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, and V. BTS is a Korean musical group composed of Japanese songs. While certain compositions are Japanese versions of Korean melodies, others are entirely original. In 2021, BTS became the first overseas artist to top Japan's annual music sales rankings since 1968. Their “wings tour” in japan was a massive hit, making one of the highest grossing J-Pop tours.
8. Hikaru Utada
Producer and Japanese-American singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada. Her date of birth is January 19, 1983. She has reached the age of forty. Her career began in 1996. Included in the list of the nation's all-time best-selling albums are six of her studio albums—First Love, Distance, Deep River, and Digest. According to Billboard, Hikaru Utada's 2000 tour was the most prominent Japanese music event. In 2007, EMI announced that Utada had set a record for a Japanese recording artist with combined sales of 7.7 million across all formats. Utada is also considered the highest-paid Japanese singer or musician, with an estimated net worth of around $45 million as of 2021.
9. Kis-My-Ft2
Kis-My-Ft2 is a Japanese boy band. It comprises of six members Kento Senga, Toshiya Miyata, Wataru Yokoo, Taisuke Fujigaya, Yuta Tamamori and Takashi Nikaidō. They debuted in 2005. Kis-My-Ft2's 'Luv Bias' blasts in at No. 1 on the latest Billboard Japan Hot 100. Kis-My-Ft2 has sold more than 10 million copies in Japan and has had over 2 million concert attendees. They have sold more than 10 million copies in Japan and have total concert attendance exceeding 2 million.
10. Nogizaka46
Nogizaka46 is a Japanese girl group. It consists of 51 members. They debuted in 2011. According to Oricon, Nogizaka46 had an artist revenue of ¥6,702,600,000 in 2022. Their 34th single, Monopoly, was released on December 6, 2023. The song sold 691,515 CDs in its first week, 13% more than its previous single. Nogizaka46's 25th single, “Shiawase no hogoshoku,” shot to No. 1 on the latest Billboard Japan Hot 100. Nogizaka46's "Itsuka Dekiru Kara Kyou Dekiru" takes the top spot on the latest Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart.
