Astro Hall: A Fun Space in Harajuku that Closed Too Soon

Harajuku is known as one of the best places to shop in Japan. The massive fashion and entertainment industry in Harajuku is known throughout the country. There are several places that one can check out when visiting Harajuku. Aside from the numerous small fashion stores that line the streets in Harajuku, there are also several spaces that were used for different kinds of performances that are worth checking out. One of these spaces that are now sadly closed is known as Astro Hall.

An Overview of Astro Hall and Famous Artists that Played Since 2010

The main goal of the Astro Hall was to serve as a fun space that stimulated creative live sensation and new energy for young people. The space was primarily used for events such as live concerts, seminars, product announcements, parties, exhibitions, and fashion shows to name a few. It was quite a popular place to rent for such huge events during the time when it was still open.

The people who designed Astro Hall opted to not decorate excessively. Astro Hall was designed based on minimalism. However, despite the lack of extravagance, the hall was designed to give off that certain vibe that demands attention. The look of Astro Hall was meant to be futuristic with a texture of sound and light. The hall welcomes entertainment and events of all sorts.

Back in the year 2012, some of the artists that performed in Astro Hall include Arch Enemy, Kamihi Aya, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, CNBlue, Koichi Sugimoto, Dots and Borders, The Novocaines, blgtz, Hoff Dylan, Wakayama, Kazuhideki, Kitano Sui, The Novembers, Chicolat and Akito, SM and SH, Terademe Gimon, Harvard, Petrols, and Shoichi Yokoyama. Based on this line-up, it is apparent that Astro Hall is open not just for local but also to international artists.

A year prior to that, performers in Astro Hall include Red Park, Ito Seiko, Ukulele eiji, Ebisu Muscats, Oreska Band, Aya Kamiki, Sakuya Kawamoto, Kyaryu Pamyu Pamyu, Kotoko Mono, Sakanohue Yosuke, Jonny, Yoshihisa Soga, Chihara Junior, DJ Takei Goodman, Yakuto Nakada, The New Wine, Plasticzooms, Freneshi, The Whitest Boy Alive, Maki chan, Yamazaki Jaco, Yoshida Yamada, ACO, Ueno Freedom, Alien, eli, Herring, Saki Musaki, kimeru, Creep Hype, Japan Funk, Shenel, Stereopony, Dubmaster X, Tsuchida Ryoyuki, 9 nine, Nikie, Fairies, Black Veil Brides, bonobos, My Cord Ryou, Miura Jyun, Your Song is Good, and Yonekura Chihiro.

As for the year 2010, some of the artists that performed in Astro Hall include Aoki Ryuji, Ayaman Japan, Elisa, Comeback My Daughters, Cubismo Grafico five, Cotringo, Super Girls, Scandal, Sayako Keiichi, 10cc, Shimano Namba, nicco, No Use for A Name, Passion Pit, Pamberi Steel Orchestra, Owls, Blackmarket, Hot Squall, Ya-MYABI, Riddim Saunter, Asakura Daisuke, HY, Dancing Country, Kitagawa Kenichi, Cock, Sacred Careful, Suemitsu Atsushi, Slow Club, Nanao Traveler, Niel and Iraiza, Nona Reeves, Paspo, Vanilla Beans, Foals, Black Lips, and Meiwa Denki. Some of the most famous artists that also performed that year were Taylor Swift, Maroon 5, and Brown Eyed Girls.

General Information to Know About When Visiting Astro Hall

A lot of people used to visit Astro Hall. Most of them go when there are events such as concerts. It was important to note about coin lockers available in the venue. This was because some people would usually bring a lot of things with them that they end up not needing during the main event. Coin lockers could be found outside Astro Hall. Visitors could use the coin lockers until an hour after the show. It would be best to find one prior to entering the hall, as there are no more lockers inside the venue.

Should visitors use the coin lockers outside the usage period allowed, they would be fined a penalty amounting to 5,400 yen. It was also important to note that the venue would not be held liable should there be any losses in the lockers on the part of the customer. Acknowledgment of this information is important prior to using the coin lockers. There were no currency exchange centers near the locker area; hence, it would be best to prepare a small change for the coin lockers in advance.

For people bringing their own vehicles, do note that there were no parking spaces available in the venue. Hence, they would have to park somewhere else before going to Astro Hall. Due to the sheer number of people that go to Astro Hall during an event, the staff had allocated a waiting space for its visitors. It was essential that visitors listen to the instructions of the staff while entering and waiting. Re-entry was prohibited. People below the age of 20 were also not allowed to enter the Ornunit concert.

There were events in Astro Hall that required the staff to check the age of their visitors. As such, only valid IDs were accepted. Upon entry, visitors were to show their driver’s license, Registered Resident card or passport, or Alien Registration Card. These IDs should show their name, photo, and date of birth. Should an ID be expired or invalid, visitors may be refused to enter the hall. Furthermore, those visitors who were refused entry to the hall would also not be able to have their tickets refunded.

Astro Hall also considered people with disabilities in their system. Customers who rely on wheelchairs would only have to inform Astro Hall, as well as the organizer, in advance as to his or her situation prior to the event. This was so that they could properly prepare whatever they need to help these customers. Not informing them in advance might result to delay in admission.

In the entrance, a drink may be charged to the customers for 500 yen. Either this or customers can already exchange their drink tickets at the entrance. For customer who would be exchanging their drink tickets after the event would only be entitled to oolong tea for 10 minutes. Drink fees could not be refunded. There were also some events that did not allow customers to exchange their drink tickets after the show. Hence, it was always best to exchange it as soon as possible.

The space inside Astro Hall was a no smoking zone. There was a designated space specifically for people to smoke in. However, there were certain events wherein a smoking area was not established. It was best to ask the venue staff or the organizer where customers can smoke.

Tickets and Access to Astro Hall in Harajuku

Ticket reservation in Astro Hall could be done through e-mail. Customers should know the important details of the event so they could reserve a ticket. These details included the name of the performance to be reserved, the number of tickets that a customer wished to reserve, the full name of the customer, his or her address, his or her date of birth, and his or her contact number. These details should be included in the e-mail to be sent to Astro Hall for ticket reservation.

Customers would receive an e-mail confirmation that they were able to successfully reserve their desired number of tickets. Other ticket reservation details would also be included in the confirmation e-mail. A customer should receive an e-mail response within 2 to 3 working days. If 1 week had passed since sending a ticket reservation e-mail and no response was made, the customer should contact Astro Hall for an update.

The storefront of Astro Hall would begin selling tickets a month prior to the date of the performance. The selling period would last until the day of the performance itself. The storefront is open to selling tickets from 1 PM to 8 PM. Should Astro Hall be closed, no sales would be made. Hence, it was best to always check in advance,

Astro Hall was also easily accessible via public transportation. One option was to take a train going to JR Yamanote Line Harajuku Station. From there, it was only a 6-minute walk going to Astro Hall. The other option was to take the Tokyo metro going to Chiyoda Line Meiji Jingumae Station. From there, it was only a 2-minute walk going to Astro Hall.

Things to Know When Renting Astro Hall

Astro Hall could be rented for several types of events. The venue usage fee excluding tax varies depending on the day preferred. There are also additional fees for extra-time extension. Refer to the table below for the corresponding fees excluding tax.

 While the venue fee stated above excluded tax, it included other fees such as incidental facility fee, lighting and acoustic witness fee, and facility management fee. Event organizers had to reserve the venue 2 months in advance to ensure that Astro Hall was not yet fully booked. The rent time should also be more than 6 hours. In addition, organizers also had to pay an extra incidental equipment cost of 40,000 yen.

The time used in the venue would begin from carrying in the materials and equipment inside the venue and ends after carrying out said items following the conclusion of the event. Should the time usage be over 5 hours, a meal fee would be charged for the consumption of the staff. Visitors would have to pay for 500 yen for a drink when entering Astro Hall.

Should an organizer decide to cancel their reservation in Astro Hall, People would be charged a certain fee depending on how early they notified Astro Hall. If the organizer canceled up to 91 days before the scheduled event, 60 percent of the basic usage fee would be charged.

If the cancellation was made 46 to 90 days before the scheduled performance, 80 percent of the basic usage fee would be charged. If the cancellation was made 45 days or less before the scheduled performance, the full amount of the basic usage fee would be charged. This fee was only applied for sound and lighting. Refer to the tables below for the basic usage fees for lighting and sound excluding tax.

Some performances would require the use of a pin spot. The usage fee of a pin spot in Astro Hall was 25,000 yen for 10 hours. An extra time extension fee of 3,000 yen would be charged for usage time exceeding 10 hours. Application for the use of a pin spot should be made a month prior to the actual event. This was so that Astro Hall could prepare the right number of staff required to facilitate the event and required equipment.

Despite the big capacity of Astro Hall, it was sadly closed for good a few years back. Nonetheless, the events and performance held in this venue were unforgettable to the several attendees that made it to these events. Hence, even though Astro Hall can no longer be used, its significance remains in the minds of the people who enjoyed every bit of its facilities while it lasted.