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Fuji Rock FestivalThe granddaddy of all Japan's summer rock festivals. Fuji Rock Festival was founded by Masahiro Hidaka and inspired by his visits to the Glastonbury Festival in the UK in the mid 1980s. Hidaka subsequently set up the Tokyo-based promotions company Smash Corporation along with Tomoaki Ishitobi. In 1997 the pair hosted the inaugural Fuji Rock at Tenjinyama at the foot of Mt. Fuji. Despite the third day being washed out by a typhoon the 1998 festival took place in Tokyo before finding a permanent home at Naeba Ski Resort in Niigata prefecture. Fuji Rock Festival reguarly attracts over 100,000 fans each year. Previous line-ups have included Basement Jaxx, The Chemical Brothers, Courtney Love, Lou Reed, Morissey and many more. Dates:
Summer SonicSummer Sonic kicked off in 2000 with a line-up of mostly rock, punk and now hip-hop acts. Summer Sonic is unashamedly urban and the venues are split between Chiba, (outside Tokyo) and Osaka, with the bands swopping venues for the two days of the festival. Prvious line-ups have included Avril Lavigne, Beastie Boys, Darkness, Lee "Scratch" Perry, The Damned and many more. Dates: Rock In JapanRock In Japan also dates from 2000 and is Japan's largest rock festival focusing on domestic rather than foreign bands. Previous line-ups have included Dragon Ash, Asian Kung-fu Generation, The High-Lows and more. 2007 line-up includes Rip Slyme, Guitar Wolf and Ellegarden. Dates: Rising Sun Rock Festival in EzoHokkaido's version of the summer rock festival craze with mainly domestic bands on show. Previous line-ups have included Bonnie Pink, Boom Boom Satellites, Dragon Ash, Kemuri and more. Dates: Earth CelebrationDating from 1988, the Kodo Drummers-produced "Earth Celebration" of World Music is one of Japan's best known music festivals. The event is held on Sado Island off Niigata every August. The central theme is tataku - to beat out a rhythm - and attracts percussion groups from all over the world. The three-day event is complete with workshops, fringe and exhibitions and has the feel of a hippie WOMAD event. Dates: Larks In The ParkDating from 1992 and formerly known as Mukogawa, Dance on the Banks and held on the banks of the Mukogawa river, it's now Nakanoshima, Larks in the Park, after the event grew too big for its original venue and moved in 2003. An all-day, outdoor, free music festival at Kenzaki Park in Osaka organized by founder and local resident Joe Wade. Previous line-ups have included The Porkers, Tripod Jimmy and more. Dates: Tokyo Summer FestivalThe Tokyo Summer Festival is one of Japan's biggest music events, taking place between the beginning of July and the beginning of August. Begun in 1984, it has become the capital's major summer music fiesta. Sponsored by the Arion-Edo Foundation - a foundation devoted to promoting musical talent in Japan, musical performers from all over the world come to liven up Tokyo's summer. Almost every genre and style of music is represented, meaning the Summer Festival's extensive schedule offers something for everyone. Thousands of music lovers from all over Japan and the world congregate at the Festival every year. Dates: For further information, check the Tokyo Summer Festival website. List your music festival here Contact Us
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Music Festivals: Fuji Rock, Summer Sonic, Rock in Japan
