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Over 94 percent of Japanese people in survey find movie theater prices too expensive

Katie Pask Nov 12, 2022
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High prices are part of why many in survey visit the cinema just once a year.

When was the last time you went to the movie theater to enjoy a film? If you live in Japan, chances are you haven’t been in a while, according to the results from a recent survey.

Japanese news media company VOIX asked 500 men and women “How often do you go to the movie theater?” The most common response was “Once a year,” by 33.4 percent of responders. The rest of the poll results were “Rarely” at 26.2 percent, “Once every four to six months” (15.8 percent), “Once every two to three months” (15.4 percent). “More than once a month” rounded off the results with just 9.2 percent of responders giving it as their answer.

There could be a number of reasons for these responses; the coronavirus pandemic definitely made seeing movies on the big screen impossible for a while, and some people might even argue that the quality of Japanese film is a reason they avoid heading to the cinema.

But another question asked to the responders by VOIX may give a clearer picture as to why people aren’t visiting the movie theater as much these days. When asked “What are your thoughts on movie ticket prices?“, an overwhelmingly high proportion of responders answered that they were expensive. 43 percent of responses were “expensive” and 51.6 percent “somewhat expensive”, which combined means 94.6 percent of those asked believe that it’s pretty pricey to go to the movies.

A standard movie ticket in Japan usually costs around 1,800 yen (US12.31), although many movie theaters offer discounts for students, the elderly and cheaper tickets on the first day of every month. 68.4 percent of those surveyed commented that they use such discounts.

Japanese neitzens were in agreement with the survey’s findings, giving their own reasons why they don’t go to the movie theater often.

“I don’t even go once a year these days, lol.”
“I can’t stand watching movies in a room full of strangers.”
“For the price of a single movie ticket, I can get several months of Amazon Prime, and all movies end up on a streaming service sooner or later. I’d want to see something like Avatar at the movie theater though.”
“As long as there are other people kicking chairs and playing with their phones, I won’t go.”

How do Japanese cinema prices compare to where you are from? And are Japan’s pricey tickets stopping you from seeing the latest blockbusters? With the meteoric rise of streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, it’s certainly cheaper to watch movies from the comfort of your own home, but there’s nothing quite like a huge screen in a dark room with a tub of popcorn. Luckily you can recreate the cinema vibe at home with this movie theater popcorn deal from Uber Eats!

Source: Maido na News via Livedoor News via Otakomu
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert image: Unsplash/Krists Luhaers
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