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Is the year-end Arashi Concert about to go high-tech with facial recognition for attendees?

Kay Dec 18, 2015
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Rumors are flying around the Japanese internet that facial recognition technology may be introduced at least partially at the Arashi concerts being held later this month.

Getting your hands on a highly coveted concert ticket is difficult in any country, and Japan is no exception. Now, word is that Johnny & Associates, the entertainment company behind some of the most successful boy bands in Japan including Arashi and SMAP, may be using some form of facial recognition for the ARASHI LIVE TOUR 2015 Japonism concerts taking place at Tokyo Dome on December 23, 24, 26 and 27, as fans entering the draw to purchase additional seats that have been made newly available will apparently be required to submit a photo of themselves.

Because of the group’s enormous popularity, it’s become common practice for Arashi concert organizers to open up what would normally be equipment space and make additional seats available shortly before the event for the myriad desperate fans who haven’t been able to purchase tickets. And while the additional seats for the concerts later this month are being allocated in a slightly different way than usual, fans have been sharing information on social media this week that those lucky enough to have been selected to participate in the draw for the seats are receiving e-mails stating that they need to register their mugshot in order to submit their entries.

The photo submission is apparently required just for the additional seats and doesn’t apply to the regular seats that have already been sold, but fans nonetheless seem to have been surprised by this development, with many people commenting online that this must mean they will be introducing some form of facial recognition for the upcoming Arashi concerts. If indeed that is the case, the logistics of scanning the concert guests may take a little bit of getting used to, but the technology has already been used at concerts of other popular performers such as Momoiro Clover Z and Mr. Children with satisfactory results.

In the face of this information coming out, there have been a few negative remarks from internet users who feel the facial recognition process is a pain, and people even wondering half-jokingly, “What if this means they choose attractive-looking people to get the seats so that they can fill the concert hall with pretty faces?” But considering the huge demand for Arashi concert tickets, the majority of fans seem to think this is a great idea that will prevent the reselling of tickets at immensely inflated prices. Hopefully, it will allow genuine fans to enjoy the performances of the artists they love at reasonable prices, because we all want quality entertainment to be as accessible as possible, after all, don’t we?

Source: J-Cast News via Hachima Kiko
Photo: YouTube/Korean Mania