Why do Japan always get bonus tracks?
 

[rant]
Why do albums in Japan get extra 'bonus tracks' that aren't on UK or US releases? This has always annoyed me a little.
Who makes this decision? Do the artists (generally from the UK/US) not think we are good enough for their 'special' songs?
I just heared an awesome Oasis track from the Japanese release of Definitely Maybe. This song has been around for 11 years and I've never heard it before! It makes me wonder how many great tracks haven't seen the light of day anywhere other than Japan!
[/rant]

Probably because CDs are ridiculously expensive over there, like possibly double what we might pay (or so I've heard). I'm not sure why they don't simply lower the prices such that they wouldn't need to add value. I guess that's just the status quo.

I think its due to higher costs of CD's there and also I think some releases come out later overseas, so they might add additional tracks that were recorded after the initial recording date as well. I know I have a Bjork CD that was an import that came with an extra track (don't think it was Japanese though). I also remember awhile ago seeing an import from Japan with 4 bonus tracks over the copy I had (was like $25 though).

If you ever get annoyed at things they get that you don't, think of all of the space you can enjoy. Or your lack of earthquakes and tsunamis.

i think what alansmithee guessed is correct much of the time.

the cds are pressed and shipped soon after completion here in the US and UK... releases are often not simultaneous in japan. it gives the artist more time to add/produce tracks.

Additionally, it gives those japanese who imported the Western version a reason to pick up the Japanese one as well. think of "Special Edition DVD" run amok.

I keep hearing "CDs are higher in Japan" but I still don't know why. Anyway, here's a link that discusses the matter a bit.

http://www.melodicrock.com/industry/insidestory.html

US released of UK discs often get bonus tracks too. Just look on any p2p client under your favorite band and you're likely to find any tracks you didn't know about

I bought Songs For The Deaf by Queens Of The Stoneage a few months ago and I've only just noticed that it has 2 bonus tracks exclusive to the UK! Maybe it's not just Japan after all....

The actual answer was hinted above, but here is the explanation courtesy of the folks at Def Leppard

http://www.defleppard.com/faq/index.html

Balderdash111 got it right on the money. Also, the Japanese who don't know about this little scam (and I've talked to many of them) think the artists add the tracks just for them, so they feel all good inside... almost like it's worth it to shell out around 2,200 yen (about US$20) for Green Day's latest bowel movement. You know what's even crazier? Local Japanese CDs are usually even more expensive and don't benefit from special event prices. WTF?

Oh, and I would've traded off all those pretty extra tracks for the chance to see non-Japanese movies when they were actually released in the rest of the freakin' world. Only Kill Bill 1 and 2 were simultaneously released in the US and Japan when I was over there (although the Chinese parts were subtitled in Japanese... damn!).