From The Beatles to K-Pop: Six Decades of International Artists Performing in Japan

Getting the Show Started

On June 29, 1966, The Beatles arrived in Japan on a historic visit. From the next day, for three consecutive days, they performed five concerts at Nippon Budōkan Hall in Tokyo, which were attended in total by around 50,000 people.

Drawing in such a huge number of wildly enthusiastic fans, these concerts were a social phenomenon and marked a turning point in entertainment, as well as establishing the Budōkan Hall as a venue for popular international artists. During the 1970s, bands like Deep Purple, Queen, and Cheap Trick held concerts at the hall as part of their Japan tours and it became well known simply as the Budōkan overseas.

Michael Jackson, at the start of his Japan tour, waving to cheering fans gathered to greet him in the arrival lobby of Narita Airport on December 8, 1988. (© Jiji)

In 1988, Tokyo Dome, boasting a capacity of 50,000 plus, opened and from the late 1980s through the 1990s, it saw a whole stream of large-scale performances by Western stars, including Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Sting.

K-Pop Takes the Stage

From the 2010s onward, K-pop artists have taken the lead among international artists performing in Japan. According to reports by ACPC, a music association of promoter companies, assessing the live entertainment market among its members, South Korea overtook North America in 2024 for highest number of performances by international artists. In 2025, a series of large-scale concerts led to further expansion of the K-pop market, rising to approximately ¥88.3 billion and giving it 13.7% of the total market share.

Data Sources

• Data on concerts (Japanese) by All Japan Concert & Live Entertainment Promoters Conference.
• List of artists performing at Tokyo Dome by Tokyo Dome City.

(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo: The Beatles arrive at Haneda Airport in Tokyo on June 29, 1966. © Jiji.)