I'd like to ask you all how much you pay for a cinema ticket where you live or places you know.
In Japan, as harmony must prevail, prices seem to be the same everywhere. No matter if you watch a new blockbuster in upmarket Ginza or a minor production in a remote suburb, that you live in Osaka or in the country, you'll pay the standard 1800yen (have I been told). The cinema in itself may be small, old and filthy or huge, brand new and comfortable, you'll pay 1800yen.
But there are a few ways to enter cheaper than that. You can buy a discouted ticket in a combini or special ticket shop, or better, go for a late show (9pm ! ) and pay "only" 1000 or 1200 yen. You can also get a discout if you are a (Japanese) highschool student (doesn't work if you are studying outside Japan), come the 1st of the month or on Wednesday if you are female.
Let's now compare the prices with other places in the world.
In London, a ticket usually cost between 4 and 6.5 pounds (700 to 1200yen), but can be as much as 12 pounds (+-2000yen) in places like Leicester Square or Picadilly Circus. The big advantage is that you can buy a monthly ticket for 20 pounds with unlimited access to any UGC cinemas. UGC, actually a French company, has branches in 6 EU countries : France, UK, Ireland, Belgium, Italy and Spain. That's interesting for the comparison of prices inside Western Europe.
I checked the French UGC site ; a normal ticket in central Paris is 8,8 euros (6,5 to 8,2 in the suburbs) and from 5,5 to 7,5 in other regions of France, the cheapest being Marseille and the most expensive Strassbourg, Bordeaux and Nantes). But if you buy a 5 or 7 ticket card, it's less than 5 euros/film anywhere and 16,5 euros for a one-month unlimited ticket (that's about the same as just one film in Tokyo !).
In Brussels, a ticket is about 6,5 euros.
In the rest of Belgium, you'd pay from 4 to 7 euros for a ticket.
The main difference between Europe and Japan is that every cinema (company) has its own prices, so even two cinema in the same city, 100m away from each other may charges different prices. The reason of price harmony in Japan is that there are only 2 cinema companies, which apparently work closely together.
Eastern Europe, Spain and Portugal are the cheapest places to watch a movie in Europe (usually from 2 to 4 euros) and UK the most expensive.
Having travelled a lot in Asia, I know more or less what it cost in some countries :
The cheapest country I have been to was India. I have had a ticket for something like 0,4 euro, though the average is double (hum, still less than a euro). There are always different price for front seats, middle/back seats and balcony. Most of the movies showing are Indian ones (Bollywood, etc.), I haven't seen any Western one. I guess upper-class people have access to some special cinemas with all the latest American blockbusters.
Nevertheless, Hollywood that dominate the scene in South East Asia. In Bangkok, the average ticket cost about 2 or 3 euros. It's about double in Singapore. In Manilla, prices vary with the quality of the theatre itsef, from under 2 euros to 4 euros in modern shopping centers. Indonesia has less Western production (usually 1 or 2 year-old ones, but some recent in Jakarta) and lots of soft porn cinemas (oddly enough for a Muslim country, with no age limit ; children enter freely). It's as cheap as in India, but with all ticket the same price.
In Australia, film were quite cheap ; about 4 euros if I remember well.
What is is like in the States and other places (Brazil, Turquey...) ?
In Japan, as harmony must prevail, prices seem to be the same everywhere. No matter if you watch a new blockbuster in upmarket Ginza or a minor production in a remote suburb, that you live in Osaka or in the country, you'll pay the standard 1800yen (have I been told). The cinema in itself may be small, old and filthy or huge, brand new and comfortable, you'll pay 1800yen.
But there are a few ways to enter cheaper than that. You can buy a discouted ticket in a combini or special ticket shop, or better, go for a late show (9pm ! ) and pay "only" 1000 or 1200 yen. You can also get a discout if you are a (Japanese) highschool student (doesn't work if you are studying outside Japan), come the 1st of the month or on Wednesday if you are female.
Let's now compare the prices with other places in the world.
In London, a ticket usually cost between 4 and 6.5 pounds (700 to 1200yen), but can be as much as 12 pounds (+-2000yen) in places like Leicester Square or Picadilly Circus. The big advantage is that you can buy a monthly ticket for 20 pounds with unlimited access to any UGC cinemas. UGC, actually a French company, has branches in 6 EU countries : France, UK, Ireland, Belgium, Italy and Spain. That's interesting for the comparison of prices inside Western Europe.
I checked the French UGC site ; a normal ticket in central Paris is 8,8 euros (6,5 to 8,2 in the suburbs) and from 5,5 to 7,5 in other regions of France, the cheapest being Marseille and the most expensive Strassbourg, Bordeaux and Nantes). But if you buy a 5 or 7 ticket card, it's less than 5 euros/film anywhere and 16,5 euros for a one-month unlimited ticket (that's about the same as just one film in Tokyo !).
In Brussels, a ticket is about 6,5 euros.
In the rest of Belgium, you'd pay from 4 to 7 euros for a ticket.
The main difference between Europe and Japan is that every cinema (company) has its own prices, so even two cinema in the same city, 100m away from each other may charges different prices. The reason of price harmony in Japan is that there are only 2 cinema companies, which apparently work closely together.
Eastern Europe, Spain and Portugal are the cheapest places to watch a movie in Europe (usually from 2 to 4 euros) and UK the most expensive.
Having travelled a lot in Asia, I know more or less what it cost in some countries :
The cheapest country I have been to was India. I have had a ticket for something like 0,4 euro, though the average is double (hum, still less than a euro). There are always different price for front seats, middle/back seats and balcony. Most of the movies showing are Indian ones (Bollywood, etc.), I haven't seen any Western one. I guess upper-class people have access to some special cinemas with all the latest American blockbusters.
Nevertheless, Hollywood that dominate the scene in South East Asia. In Bangkok, the average ticket cost about 2 or 3 euros. It's about double in Singapore. In Manilla, prices vary with the quality of the theatre itsef, from under 2 euros to 4 euros in modern shopping centers. Indonesia has less Western production (usually 1 or 2 year-old ones, but some recent in Jakarta) and lots of soft porn cinemas (oddly enough for a Muslim country, with no age limit ; children enter freely). It's as cheap as in India, but with all ticket the same price.
In Australia, film were quite cheap ; about 4 euros if I remember well.
What is is like in the States and other places (Brazil, Turquey...) ?