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The story
Kenji Sawada — known to fans as “Julie” — is now 78, and his latest tour, “freedom 安堵 courage,” has sold out nearly all of its 29 venues nationwide, sparking a fierce scramble for tickets. While his nearly 60-year career is enjoying fresh reappraisal, reports of high-priced scalping have also surfaced, leaving fans with mixed feelings. On 5channel threads, users recalled past incidents — like concerts he once cancelled over poor turnout, and the circumstances behind disbanding his fan club — with opinions split between praise for his voice and stage presence and criticism rooted in past concert controversies.
Julie — Kenji Sawada, 78, Caught in a Heated Ticket Scramble: “A Good Seat While You Still Can” — The Reality of High-Priced Resale and Fan Psychology
Kenji Sawada — known as Julie — is still at the center of a ticket-buying frenzy even at 78. His many musical achievements over a nearly 60-year career are being reappraised, and he’s drawing intense attention as a legendary artist.
His current tour, “freedom 安堵 courage,” is doing so well that nearly all of its 29 hall-sized venues nationwide have sold out — but among his longtime fans, a certain grumble is being whispered.
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Read the original article
What people said
That year he did 70 shows, including Yokohama Arena and Budokan — booking a weekday show at Saitama Super Arena on top of that was reckless. He should've at least downsized it to hall mode.
Arrested for domestic violence 🚔 ("タイーホ" is net slang for 逮捕, "arrest")
It wasn't that the seats were empty that set him off — wasn't it that the front rows were always the same faces every time? That's why he disbanded the fan club too, I think.
I got tickets around that time and went — it was Budokan, but no band, just him and one guitarist. He barely played any of his famous songs, and honestly I fell asleep halfway through…
Let's get "The Zen Diary" (Tsuchi wo Kurau Junikagetsu, his 2022 film) on terrestrial TV soon.
Depends on the show. Sometimes it's mostly hits, other times it's nothing but obscure deep cuts.
By the bubble era, Sawada Kenji was already old news, though.
I heard Takako Ota once told the die-hard fan squad that showed up at every single one of her concerts, "you don't have to push yourselves so hard," and that it ended up shortening her career as an idol.
Getting lectured by Julie himself — now that's a good memory.
A fan said "I just close my eyes and listen at the venue lol" — cracked me up.
Nah, honestly, the voice is showing its age too.
That was Saitama Super Arena in full-arena mode — of course it wasn't going to fill up.
https://i.daily.jp/society/life/2025/07/20/Images/d_19249988.jpg
Who's this? Zenji Pekin? (a famously distinctive-looking Japanese magician/entertainer)
So he actually gets proper stage costumes/jackets custom-made… This isn't something for sale, right? (´・ω・`)
Background and Key Points of This Discussion
Kenji Sawada has a career spanning nearly 60 years since his debut, and within the thread, users pointed out that he once cancelled shows in the past due to low turnout, and that he himself reportedly disbanded his fan club because he took issue with the front rows always being filled with the same regular fans. The fact that this tour sold out in nearly all 29 nationwide venues appears to stem from a combination of longtime fans who know this history wanting to “see him in a good seat while they still can,” and a broader re-evaluation of him as a legendary artist. At the same time, even after the law banning unauthorized ticket resale went into effect, high-priced scalping hasn’t been eradicated, and it’s easy to overlook that this ticket scramble too has seen reports of resale activity. Opinions in the thread were divided mainly around his singing ability and stage presence, with nostalgic praise coexisting alongside harsher assessments based on past concert controversies.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Geinou Sports Hayabusa+) thread “[Entertainment] Julie — Kenji Sawada, 78, Caught in a Heated Ticket Scramble: “A Good Seat While You Still Can” — The Reality of High-Priced Resale and Fan Psychology.”
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