Taylor Swift's Eras Tour estimated to boost Japanese economy by $228 million
TOKYO — Cheaper tickets may be bringing world travelers to the Tokyo Dome to watch the Eras Tour, but it's also bringing a surplus of funds for Japan.
According to a report by Economic Impact.NET, Taylor Swift's massive concert will pump $228 million (¥34.1 billion) into the country with $162.7 million (¥24.3 billion) going directly to Tokyo.
"The ripple effect will be even greater," said Mitsumasa Etou, the report's author and a part-time lecturer at Tokyo City University, "if consumers from all over Japan, who come to the Tokyo Dome to see Taylor Swift, engage in sightseeing activities in addition to lodging and transportation expenses."
Swift has brought three world tours to the Tokyo Dome. She opened the 1989 World Tour there on May 5, 2015, and concluded her Reputation Stadium Tour on November 21, 2018.
“It’s been awhile since I’ve gotten to see you,” Swift said on Thursday inside the Tokyo Dome. “It’s been over four years, and I’m so happy to be back with you here tonight at the Eras Tour. Thank you to anyone who traveled."
The arena sold 220,000 seats (55,000 each night) for four nights of the Eras Tour. Standard tickets ranged from $59 to $201 (¥8,800-¥30,000) and VIP packages were priced $354 to $823 (¥52,800-¥122,800), according to the Japanese Eras Tour website.
It's been four years and counting
Zachary Travis, 31, bought a $1,300 ticket on StubHub.com to see the show. He booked a flight from Phoenix, but when he arrived in Japan on Wednesday morning, he got a call from the ticket resale site.
"The seller on StubHub had not sent the ticket," he said, "either they wanted to hold onto it or they didn't have it. I was devastated, but I don't accept defeat."
Travis met a woman in his hotel who told him to go directly to the Eras Tour website, because sometimes it refreshes with new tickets.
"Thankfully they released more," he said, "and I was able to get floor tickets for every single one of the four shows. I ended up spending less money on all four nights than I did on that one ticket from StubHub."
The price tag: $804 (¥120,000).
"I actually ended up spending more on merchandise so thank God I brought a duffle so I can take everything home," he said, smiling.
Swift has four tour stops in the Asia-Pacific including Tokyo (four shows); Melbourne, Australia (three shows); Sydney, Australia (four shows) and Singapore (six shows). Fans from the region traveled to Japan’s capital. Three thousand fans came from China.
“I got here two days ago,” said Maxine Tan, who flew with her mom from Manilla, Philippines. “It was totally worth it.”
More: Haven't made it to Taylor Swift's Eras Tour yet? International dates may offer savings
Tan said the price tag was not an issue because of the impact the singer has made on her life. Outside the stadium doors, Tan was excited to show off her glittery green jacket, a replica of Swift’s 2018 Reputation Stadium Tour coat, that her friend made.
“(Swift) is my childhood and adulthood hero,” Tan said. “I hope I get to meet her one day. I want to thank her for changing my life.”
Follow Bryan West, the USA TODAY Network's Taylor Swift reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Taylor Swift's tour estimated to boost Japan's economy by $228 million
