experimental dream pop - hoping to play in tokyo

www.myspace.com/thespookfish
Please let me know if you have any advice.

If you or your record label have the budget ready (such as your airfare, hotel, food, personal expenses, local travel, etc) then you can just contact live houses or Japanese bands. They will likely allow you to play without having to pay (or sell your quota of tickets). But they will not pay for any of your expenses (unless you are already famous). Don't expect to get paid because doing gigs in Japan is a promotional expense rather than a revenue-generating activity. Unlike other countries, you have to "pay to play" or "audition to play" in Japan. In other countries there are "booking agents" who are trying to make commissions from the revenue you earn from doing gigs. But in Japan, since venues do not pay you, there is no revenue, and hence, no booking agents.

There are of course concert or event producers which may "book" and pay foreign artists for the events they produce but they usually work with famous artists and their record labels. Usually an artist they are sure to make money from.

There are companies that specialize in planning and managing live tours/gigs for foreign artists. But you must pay them for their services as well as all the expenses. If you can't speak Japanese then you probably have to use one of these companies.

It's also a good idea to set up a Japanese web page so live house manager and Japanese bands/fans can learn more about you in their own language.

I did just that at www.topmusic.jp and www.jics.com and I now I got sales of my CD in Japan.