Reselling concert tickets for a steep profit — the practice commonly known as scalping — is a serious problem that deprives music fans of the chance to enjoy live performances at fair prices. Four music industry organizations and 172 musicians and bands issued a joint statement Sept. 11 opposing the widespread practice — the second action of its kind following a statement issued last month. Some people call for strictly regulating the reselling of concert tickets, but that alone won't solve the entire problem. All concerned parties should put together their ideas and find an optimal solution.

The joint statement pointed out that people buying up tickets and reselling them at exorbitant prices make it difficult for many fans to obtain tickets. The resale of concert tickets "should not be left as it is" since the activity also serves as a hotbed of criminal acts, such as selling counterfeit tickets, it said.

In one case, more than 100 tickets — each priced at more than ¥300,000 — were sold on a website designed to facilitate ticket transactions between individuals, according to the All Japan Concert and Live Entertainment Promoters Conferences. In another case, 2,000 out of 6,000 tickets for a concert were offered at the same website. Takeo Nakanishi, head of the organization, lamented that these resale activities trample on the intentions of those musicians who deliberately offer inexpensive tickets so that young fans can come and enjoy their performances.