Why so bad in Japan?

Maybe so. Especially, after experiencing overwhelming reaction from the audience in Canada where copies of LH album were sold over 5 million, and they had a big event right after Japan tour (Australia/New Zealand tour was very long-time-no-see show.) So, probably they focused on the tour much more than Japan tour this time due to the ticket sales.)

Aloha !

They didn't have just one off night there when the show was broadcasted live. All shows were shit.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

From the Bounce Tour until the Japanese tour of Lost Highway they had their midlife crisis.

Were they really that bad in Japan? I've seen a lot of clips from the Tokyo Show as they were for some broadcast and therefore in good quality, and i liked it! Not that they were outstanding, but good enough I thought. The thing that makes japanese shows seem a bit lame in general is the audience, who usually is just listening and clapping only in between the songs.

I agree, watched some YouTube footage and the only song I didn't like from the broadcasted live performance was These Days by Richie. He put alot of effort in but he just seemed tired.

I liked "These Days". It was the only proper version of the song in a good quality that I watched and I was blown away by his performance. Wasn't to excited by the idea of Richie singing it, but he nailed it like Jon can't do anymore. It was so emotional. Even if he was tired.

I'd like to hear it so much more than IBTFY, which is overdone.

Jon sang These Days in Leipzig and IMO did well on it.

Well... looks he can, watching the Leipzig show...

I think several things happened in Japan. The recored was successful there but not Bon Jovi successful, they were switching from the NJ shows style to the more rock style show they are doing now and I did hear that all fo them got some kind of bug, Jon worse than the rest, so his energy level wasn't as high as usual. It seemed like it was just an off week, like they had a rough time with the trip there this time.