Fuji Rock Festival Tips 2017

Going to Fuji Rock Festival this year? Here is some useful advice for festivalgoers.

PACKING LIST

• Hat. You will be spending most of your time without shelter. Not only will it protect you from the sun, but it will also help keep the inevitable rain out of your eyes. 
• Sunscreen. Don't end up a red lobster.
• Waterproof shoes. It is usually muddy and you'll be doing a lot of walking. Hiking boots or rubber boots are good, otherwise some old shoes that you don't mind destroying. A spare pair is a good idea.
• Raincoat. It is likely to rain and umbrellas are not allowed in the festival site, so bring a light raincoat or poncho. Many people also bring rain pants.
• Spare clothes. You will get wet, muddy and sweaty.
• Small towels are very handy for mopping up sweat and rain, protecting your neck, washing your face etc.
• Cash. There are no ATMs on site or in the surrounding area.
• Batteries. For your smartphone recharger, camera and torch.
• Rubbish bags. Not only for rubbish but for keeping things dry and to sit on when the ground is wet. These are usually freely given out at some places in the festival site.
• Something to sit on. You usually have to sit on the ground so just a plastic bag can be enough, or a small cushion or fold-up chair.
• Painkillers for headaches and hangovers.
• Portable smartphone recharger. You will probably be relying on your phone a lot.
• Insect repellent. Especially useful for campers. You will be in the forest.
• Umbrella. You can't bring it in the festival site but it's ok in the campsite and while you're queuing for tickets and the bus.
• Plastic covers or things to keep your gear dry while you're walking around and waiting in the rain.
• Something to sleep on. Seriously, campers. Bring a blow-up mattress or at least a roll-up mat.

FROM THE 100 YEN SHOP

Visit a large 100 yen shop and pick up a few useful things. Here are some ideas:

• Disposable rain coats, rain suits and ponchos. These are cheap and will break but are good for a backup.
• Plastic zip-lock bags to keep your camera, phone and wallet dry.
• Torch. Absolutely necessary for campers but good for everyone else too. Parts of the festival site can be pretty dark at night.
• Pocket tissues and wet tissues to keep clean.
• Plastic tarps (blue sheets).
• Spare tent pegs.
• Mallet for banging in tent pegs.
• Small fold-up chair or fold-up cushion for sitting on.
• Rope. Can be useful for campers.
• Pocket knife. Also useful for campers.
• Insulated PET bottle cover or portable water bottle.

ALCOHOL 

Buying it there:
Most alcoholic drinks in the festival grounds cost 600 yen. The beer is almost always Heineken but you can also get some craft beer at Craft Beer Market at Orange Cafe, Happa in the campsite and Tokoro Tengoku. Naeba Shokudo sells some good nihonshu (sake) and shochu. The Tokoro Tengoku/Cinema Fuji has some decent cocktails, fresh juice and cheap chu-hi. For real bars and wine, go to Palace of Wonder or Cafe de Paris. Some cheap drinks and makeshift bars can usually be found near the festival entrance and the surrounding area.

Bringing it in:
Glass bottles and cans are not allowed to be brought into the festival grounds and your bags will be checked each time you enter. But don't worry - alcohol is allowed to be brought in, so you can mix up drinks in plastic bottles in your tent/room and then carry them into the festival. Bring a cooler box/bag along to keep in your tent/room and get ice from the store near the front of the Prince Hotel. There are vending machines around the entrance which mainly only sell Pocari Sweat, water and Coca-Cola so bring some spirits which you can mix with coke (vodka, bourbon, rum etc.) or water (shochu, whisky etc.).

FOOD
This is Japan so food is a huge part of the festival and you will find plenty of good choices. The biggest concentration of food stalls is the Oasis/World Restaurant area near the Red Marquee. You will also find clusters of them in front of the festival site, at Palace of Wonder, Gypsy Avalon, and other stages and spots. Most food is around 600yen. Good, simple and cheap Japanese food can be had at Naeba Shokudo. Some food details have been announced at Fujirockers.org.

VEGETARIAN FOOD
Unfortunately most of the food is meat-heavy, but vegetarians can try the Mumbai Indian stall, the pizza stall, the omusubi (rice ball) stall, Pommeke fries and Naeba Shokudo in the Oasis food area, veggie curry at Big Cake and an inari sushi stall in the Blue Galaxy area, Toyama Aozora and possibly some other things in the Avalon area, the bakery and pizza stalls at Field of Heaven and there are likely to be a few other options here and there. It is advisable to bring a bit of extra food yourself too.

WALKING

The festival site is an enormous ski resort in the mountains so expect to spend a lot of time walking, walking and walking. You'll need to study the timetable and factor in long walking times between stages on opposite ends of the festival. It can take up to half an hour. Remember that crowds, mud and walking in the dark can hold you up. The paths and boardwalks between stages take you through beautiful green forests so the walking is usually pleasant. The boardwalk can be a quick way to get between the Green Stage and Field of Heaven. It will also take a long time to walk into the festival from the campsite, nearby hotels and the bus stop.

SENDING AND STORING STUFF
You can get stuff sent to and from the festival by Yamato at reasonable prices. There is a counter near the entrance where you can pack and post stuff. This is very useful if you're too tired to carry all your stuff home. The Yamato counter can also store your luggage throughout the festival.

INFORMATION CENTRE
In the Oasis food area there is an information centre that you can go to if you lose anything, have any problems, need first aid etc. Nearby there is also a notice board where they will post any changes to the schedule and people can leave messages for each other. Fujirockers also has a tent around here where you can use the Internet.

THURSDAY NIGHT
The kick-off party on Thursday night is highly recommended. It's free to the public so some locals come and hold a bon-odori (traditional dance) and fireworks. Surprise bands and DJs play on the Red Marquee and Ganban stages while everyone gets hyped up and ready for the festival.

CAMPING

• The campsite covers a large golf course and surrounding area on the front left of the festival site. Unfortunately, most of it is hilly so flat land is at a premium. The earlier you can get there, the better. Definitely try to arrive on Thursday when it opens if you can. All the best spots get snapped up on Thursday. You can camp from Thursday at 12:00 to Monday at 12:00.
• For women, there is a girls-only area in a great spot near the entrance. 
• The ideal place to pitch your tent is on flat ground (seriously! You will see some tents on crazy angles), not too far from (or close to) the entrance, not at the bottom of a hill as the lower areas get flooded and muddy, near (but not too close to!) toilets, ideally near some trees for shade and to use as a post for a clothesline (but you're not supposed to do this), and not right next to the path (unless you want people falling on and kicking mud on your tent).
• At the entrance to the campsite there is a camping service station. The staff there can help you if you have trouble pitching your tent and other things. There is also a BBQ area here for campers who bring their own food. You are not supposed to use fire or barbecues in the campsite.
• There are some showers and onsen (hot spring bath) you can use near the campsite entrance. Expect long queues and no privacy. Around the campsite there are some toilets which have sinks next to them that you can use to wash up. Some of the nearby hotels will let you use their public baths for a small fee.
• A tent with a shaded entrance is ideal so you can escape from the hot tent, sun and rain during the mornings.
• A fly for your tent will help you keep dry.
• If you buy a different ticket, you can camp in another camping area called Pyramid Garden. It is a flat, grassy area with its own stage. There is also a Moon Caravan camping area where you can camp with your car or dog.
• Before you go to the festival, good place to find cheap camping and outdoor gear is at a 'home centre' (big DIY/furniture shops) like Simachu, Cainz, Komeri etc or cheap department store type places like Don Quixote or Olympic. You can find good quality stuff at outdoor stores like L-Breath. Amazon.co.jp has a big range of outdoor gear too. 
• Ganban offers tent rental for the festival but unfortunately it's already sold out.

TRANSPORT

• Most people take the shinkansen from Tokyo or Ueno station. You need to get off at Echigo-Yuzawa station. It takes just over an hour and costs 5940 yen (unreserved seat) or 6660 yen (reserved seat) from Ueno one-way. There are about one or two trains an hour. You can get tickets from the JR counter of any major JR station. You could get the return tickets in advance as well, or just get them when you get to Echigo Yuzawa. Check train times at Hyperdia.
• Local trains cost almost half the price of a shinkansen (3350yen), but take almost four hours. Get the JR Takasaki line from Ueno to Takasaki, then the JR Joetsu line to Minakami, then the infrequent Joetsu line extension to Echigo-Yuzawa. Plan the train times in advance at Hyperdia. A seishun juhachi kippu is even cheaper. This ticket gives you five daily coupons of unlimited travel on JR local and rapid trains (not express or shinkansen) between July 20 and September 10 for only 11850yen. You can divide the 5 tickets among your friends and it'll work out to be only 2370yen to get to the festival! You will need to travel together though. Even if there are only two of you, if you use it on the way there and back, it'll only cost you 2962yen each way. You can take the above local train route. The seishun juhachi kippu is available at the ticket counters of most major JR stations.
• There are some official bus services available from Tokyo and other places. They take longer and cost more than the shinkansen though, Details at Ganban or the official tour centre.
• You can of course drive there. A car rental agency with English support is Nippon Rent-A-Car. 
• Shuttle buses run to and from Echigo Yuzawa station from 12:00 on Thursday to Monday. There is no real timetable; they just keep going back and forth. Be prepared for long queues in the sun or rain. The buses also stop at Tashiro, Mitsumata and Asagai if your accommodation is around there. Don't worry if you don't have your festival ticket yet, the driver won't check. The bus costs 500 yen but the return trip is free.
• You could get a taxi from Echigo-Yuzawa station to the site if you are in group of three or four, or if you are rich. It will probably cost around 7000 yen.
• If you're leaving by shinkansen on Saturday or Sunday night, you will have to leave early enough to get the last train. This will mean missing the headliners on that day.
• More transport details on the official site.

NOT JUST THE BIG STAGES

The big name acts will be on the Green Stage, White Stage, Red Marquee and Field of Heaven but make sure you check out some of the other stages and areas of the site too.

• Mokudo Tei is a tiny stage set up on the boardwalk in the middle of the forest where bands play intimate sets. 
• Day Dreaming/Silent Breeze is a 20-minute cable-car ride away up on top of a mountain. Some cool hip-hop and electronica acts play up there, there are weird games and costumes, a flying fox, a restaurant, dragonflies and a really fun relaxed atmosphere where you are allowed to act like children. It costs 1500 yen return to get the gondola there.
• Naeba Shokudo is near the world food area/Red Marquee. You can sit undercover on the tatami, get some nice Japanese food and sake, as well as catch some performers on the small stage. 
• The Crystal Palace tent and Palace of Wonder area is a bizarre place near the festival entrance where you can have some all-night fun. Dance, play, have some cocktails and watch the Mega Globe of Death. Check out some up-and-coming bands late at night on the Rookie A Go-Go stage. 
• If you have time, go right down to the very end of the festival beyond the Field of Heaven to the Cafe de Paris tent. You can get some good cocktails and wine, catch some interesting entertainment and cool down your feet in the creek. Also checkout the nearby Orange Cafe and Busker Stop areas.
• There are hammocks you can use in the forest at the back between the Gypsy Avalon stage and NGO area. Take a look at the NGO booths while you're there and catch a performance on the Gypsy Avalon stage.
• Ganban has a small stage near the World Restaurant area where DJs play. This is a fun and casual area to dance late at night.
• Cinema Fuji is a cool area to hang out and watch some late night films or buskers. There are also some good cocktails, juice and food here at Tokoro Tegoku. You can cool your feet in the creek here too. It's past Kids Land, between the Green and White stages.
• There are also a couple of areas behind the Prince Hotel called Pyramid Garden and Moon Caravan open only to campers.

SMARTPHONE APP

There is a great free app you can download to help decide which bands to see and plan your timetable. In the App Store or Google Play.

MORE INFO

Official Japanese site

Official English site

Fujirockers (Japanese)

Fujirockers (English)

Ganban

Day One (Tokyo Gig Guide)

Day Two (Tokyo Gig Guide)

Day Three (Tokyo Gig Guide)

See you there!

Fuji Rock Festival tips 2013

Have you got your Fuji Rock tickets yet? Here's some advice for preparing for and enjoying the festival.

WHAT TO BRING

General:

• Hat. The peak will protect you from the sun and keep the rain out of your eyes. A waterproof one would be very practical if unfashionable.
• Light raincoat. This is essential because umbrellas are not allowed in the festival site and rain is extremely likely. Some people wear plastic rain pants too. I usually bring a couple of cheap rain ponchos as well.
• Strong shoes or boots. You will be doing a lot of walking. Bring spares. Don't bring your best ones because they will get full of mud. Although uncomfortable, wellingtons/gum boots are popular and make it a lot easier to walk around if there's a lot of mud. Bring some spare insoles.
• Sunglasses and sunscreen. You will be outside all day. 
• Jacket. It sometimes gets cold at night, so bring something long-sleeved. 
• Towels. Big towels for the shower, but also bring lots of small towels for mopping up sweat and rain, washing your face, protecting your neck from the sun, wiping the inside of your tent etc.
• Cash. There are no ATMs. 
• Batteries. For your phone recharger, torch, camera etc. 
• Portable ashtray. If you smoke. 
• Tissues. Bring some little packs in case there's no loo paper, you get a runny nose or if you're a messy eater.
• Insulated plastic bottle cover. You can get them from a 100yen shop. 
• Something to sit on. Small tarp, light fold-up chair, or even just a plastic bag. After it has been raining, it can be very difficult to find a dry place to rest your weary legs.
• Plastic zip-lock bags. To keep your phone, camera and wallet dry.
• Small backpack. Preferably waterproof, to carry your drinks and camera and things around the festival.
• First aid kit. Just bring some painkillers and band-aids.

For campers: 
You can get many of these things from a 100yen shop.

• Torch/flashlight. The camp site is dark. Some parts of the festival are pretty dark too. A light you can hang in your tent will also be handy.
• Plastic covers. For your backpack and camping gear on the way to/from the festival. Otherwise, if it is raining while you're waiting for the bus or waiting for your wrist band, all your gear will get soaked.
• Plastic garbage bags. To keep your gear dry, for dirty clothes, sitting on and many other uses.
• Blue sheets (plastic tarps). These come in handy to put in front of your tent, to put your gear on the wet ground, makeshift shade etc.
• Umbrella. As explained above, this will help keep you and your stuff dry while queuing. You can bring it into the camp site but not the festival site.
• Insect repellent. You will be in the forest. 
• Rope. This is very handy when camping to rig up a clothesline or to secure broken tents. Remember a knife to cut it with! 
• Mallet or hammer. You can't bash in tent pegs with your bare hands. 
• Extra tent pegs. Some of them always bend or get lost.
• Small padlock. Theft isn't really a problem, but if you're worried about leaving stuff in your tent/backpack, put a small lock on the zipper. 
• Something to mark your tent. There are thousands and they all look the same, especially when you're drunk! Tape or a flag or something.
• Something to sleep on. Of course you will bring your sleeping bag to sleep in, but many people try to sleep directly on the ground. It can be hard and cold so at least bring a roll-up mat.

ALCOHOL 
Buying it there: 
Most alcoholic drinks in the festival grounds cost 600 yen. The beer is almost always Heineken but you can usually get some nice microbrewery and organic beer down around the Field of Heaven stage. Naeba Shokudo sells some good nihonshu (sake) and shochu. The Tokoro Tengoku/Cinema Fuji has some nice cocktails, fresh juice and cheap chu-hi. For real bars, go to Palace of Wonder or Cafe De Paris. Some cheap drinks and makeshift bars can usually be found near the festival entrance and the surrounding area.

Bringing it in: 
Glass bottles and cans are not allowed to be brought into the festival grounds and your bags will be checked each time you enter. But don't worry - alcohol is allowed to be brought in, so you can mix up drinks in plastic bottles in your tent/room and then carry them into the festival. Bring a cooler box/bag along to keep in your tent/room and get ice from the store near the front of the Prince Hotel. There are vending machines around the entrance which mainly only sell Pocari Sweat, water and Coca-cola so bring some spirits which you can mix with coke (vodka, bourbon, rum etc) or water (shochu, whisky etc).


FOOD
Food is a big part of the festival so you will find plenty of good choices. The biggest concentration of food stalls is the Oasis/World Restaurant area near the Red Marquee. You will also find clusters of them in front of the festival site, at Palace of Wonder, Gypsy Avalon, Orange Court and other spots. Most food is around 600yen. Good, simple and cheap Japanese food can be had at Naeba Shokudo. To see what food stalls will be at this year's festival, check Fes Gohan (in Japanese).

Vegetarians
Apparently the Thai stall called Amrita at Orange Court will have some vegetarian food this year and there will be a vegan stand called CORI at the Dog Wonderland area behind the Prince Hotel. In the Oasis area, you will find a stall selling pizza and pasta, and another selling onigiri (rice balls). At Naeba Shokudo you will find simple Japanese food. Ask them what they have without meat and fish. They should have a couple of things. In the world restaurant area, the Gan-ban bar has chips with salsa which might be vegetarian. At Tokoro Tengoku/Cinema Fuji you will find tokoroten and fresh juice, and possibly a vegetable burger if you're early. In the NGO Village at Avalon there should be some options like bagels from The Atomic Cafe stand. At Field of Heaven, a stall called Levain sells some interesting home made breads and there is also a good pizza stall called Sakuragumi. Big Cake at Orange Court has a vegetable curry that might be vegetarian. Otherwise, you could try your luck at other food stalls. They might be able to make something without meat. I always bring some food with me too.

WALKING
The festival site is an enormous ski resort in the mountains so expect to spend a lot of time walking, walking and walking. You'll need to study the timetable and factor in long walking times between stages on opposite ends of the festival. It can take up to half an hour. Remember that crowds, mud and walking in the dark can hold you up. The paths and boardwalks between stages take you through beautiful green forests so the walking is usually pleasant. The boardwalk can be a quick way to get between the Green Stage and Field of Heaven or Orange Court. It will also take a long time to walk into the festival from the camp site, nearby hotels and the bus stop.

MOBILE PHONES
Bring your phone but don't rely on it too much as you often can't get reception at the festival site. Plan places and times to meet friends in advance. Bring a battery-operated phone recharger and a plastic bag to keep your phone dry.


SENDING AND STORING STUFF
You can get stuff sent to and from the festival by Yamato at reasonable prices. There is a counter near the entrance where you can pack and post stuff. This is very useful if you're too tired to carry all your stuff home. The Yamato counter can also store your luggage throughout the festival.


SHOP
It took me a couple of years before I realised there was a small shop in front of the Price Hotel selling drinks, snack food, instant ramen, a little bit of camping equipment and other bits and pieces. Of course some of the prices are inflated. This can also be a good place to shelter from the rain and use real toilets.


INFORMATION CENTRE
In the Oasis food area there is an information centre that you can go to if you lose anything, have any problems, need first aid etc. Nearby there is also a notice board where they will post any changes to the schedule and people can leave messages for each other. Fujirockers also has a tent around here where you can use the Internet.

NOT JUST THE BIG STAGES
The big name acts will be on the Green Stage, White Stage, Red Marquee, Orange Court and Field of Heaven but make sure you check out some of the other stages and areas of the site too.

• Mokudo-tei is a tiny stage set up on the boardwalk in the middle of the forest where bands play intimate sets. 
• Day Dreaming/Silent Breeze is a 20-minute cable-car ride away up on top of a mountain. Some cool hip-hop and electronica acts play up there, there are weird games and costumes, a flying fox, a restaurant, dragonflies and a really fun relaxed atmosphere where you are allowed to act like children. 
• Naeba Shokudo is near the world food area/Red Marquee. You can sit undercover on the tatami, get some nice Japanese food and sake, as well as catch some performers on the small stage. 
• The Crystal Palace tent/Palace of Wonder area is a bizarre place near the festival entrance where you can have some all-night fun. Dance, play, have some cocktails and watch the Invisible Wall of Death. Check out some up-and-coming bands late at night on the Rookie A Go-Go stage. 
• If you have time, go right down to the very end of the festival beyond the Orange Court to Cafe De Paris tent. You can get some good cocktails, cool down your feet in the creek, and jam on the drums at Stoned Circle. 
• There are hammocks you can use in the forest at the back between the Gypsy Avalon stage and NGO area. Take a look at the NGO booths while you're there and catch a performance on the Gypsy Avalon stage.
• Ganban has a small stage near the World Restaurant area where DJs play. This is a fun and casual area to dance late at night.
• Cinema Fuji is a cool area to hang out and watch some late night films or buskers. There are also some good cocktails, juice and food here at Tokoro Tegoku. You can cool your feet in the creek here too. It's past Kids Land, between the Green and White stages.
• There are also a couple of new areas behind the Prince Hotel called Pyramid Garden and Moon Caravan open only to campers.

THURSDAY NIGHT
The kick-off party on Thursday night is highly recommended. It's free to the public so some locals come and hold a bon-odori (traditional dance) and fireworks. Surprise bands and DJs play on the Red Marquee and Ganban stages while everyone gets hyped up and ready for the festival.

CAMPING

• The campsite covers a large golf course and surrounding area on the front left of the festival site. Unfortunately, most of it is hilly so flat land is at a premium. It must be a ridiculously difficult golf course! The earlier you can get there, the better. Definitely try to arrive on Thursday when it opens if you can. All the best spots gets snapped up on Thursday.
• For women, there is a girls-only area in a great spot near the entrance. 
• The ideal place to pitch your tent is on flat ground (seriously! You will see some tents on crazy angles), not too far from (or close to) the entrance, not at the bottom of a hill as the lower areas get flooded and muddy, near (but not too close to!) toilets, ideally near some trees for shade and to use as a post for a clothesline (but you're not supposed to do this),  and not right next to the path (unless you want people falling on and kicking mud on your tent).
• At the entrance to the camp site there is a camping service station. The staff there can help you if you have trouble pitching your tent and other things. There is also a BBQ area here for campers who bring their own food. You are not supposed to use fire or barbeques in the camp site.
• There are some showers and onsen (hot spring bath) you can use near the camp site entrance. Expect long queues and no privacy. Around the camp site there are some toilets which have sinks next to them that you can use to wash up.
• A tent with a shaded entrance is ideal so you can escape from the hot tent, sun and rain during the mornings.
• A fly for your tent will help you keep dry.
• If you buy a different ticket, you can camp in another camping area called Pyramid Garden. It is a flat, grassy area with its own stage.
• Before you go to the festival, good place to find cheap camping and outdoor gear is at a 'home centre' (big DIY/furniture shops) like Simachu, Cainz, Komeri etc or cheap department store type places like Don Quixote or Olympic. You can find good quality stuff at outdoor stores like L-Breath. Amazon.co.jp has a big range of outdoor gear too. 

TRANSPORT

• Most people take the shinkansen from Tokyo or Ueno station. You need to get off at Echigo-Yuzawa station. It takes just over an hour and costs 6490yen from Tokyo or 6290yen from Ueno one-way. You can get tickets from the JR counter of any major JR station. You could get the return tickets in advance as well, or just get them when you get to Echigo Yuzawa. Check train times at Hyperdia.

• Local trains cost about half the price of a shinkansen (3260yen), but take more than twice the time. Get the JR Takasaki line from Ueno to Takasaki, then the JR Joetsu line to Minakami, then the infrequent Joetsu line extension to Echigo-Yuzawa. Check train times at Hyperdia. A seishun juhachi kippu is even cheaper. This ticket gives you five daily coupons of unlimited travel on JR local and rapid trains (not express or shinkansen) between July 20 and September 10 for only 11500yen. You can divide the 5 tickets among your friends and it'll work out to be only 2300yen to get to the festival! You will need to travel together. Even if there are only two of you, if you use it on the way there and back, it'll only cost you 2875yen each way. You can take the above local train route. The seishun juhachi kippu is available at the ticket counters of most major JR stations.
• You can of course drive there. A car rental agency with English support is Nippon Rent-A-Car. 
• Free shuttle buses run to and from Echigo Yuzawa station from 12:00 on Thursday to Monday. There is no real timetable; they just keep going back and forth. Be prepared for long queues in the sun or rain. The free buses also stop at Tashiro, Mitsumata and Asagai if your accommodation is around there. Don't worry if you don't have your festival ticket yet, the driver won't check. 
• You could get a taxi from Echigo-Yuzawa station to the site if you are in group of three or four, or if you are rich. It will probably cost around 6000yen.

Here's a good Japanese site to help you plan your timetable: http://www.onyou.jp/tametebo

See you there!

MORE INFO 

Official English site

Official Japanese site

Fujirockers

English Facebook group

On Tokyo Gig Guide:

2013 Day One

2013 Day Two

2013 Day Three

2010 day one review

2010 day two review

2010 day three review

2009 review

2008 review

Fuji Rock Festival tips 2010

by craig

The 9th lineup announcement has been made and timetables are up for this year's Fuji Rock Festival. So it's time to get ready and plan your weekend.
The festival is on July 30th, 31st and August 1st. Info: http://www.smash-uk.com/frf10/index.html
Here are some general tips for the festival:

TRANSPORT

Most people take the shinkansen from Tokyo or Ueno station. You need to get off at Echigo Yuzawa station. It takes over an hour and costs 6490yen from Ueno one-way. You can get tickets from the JR counter of any major JR station. You could get the return tickets in advance as well, or just get them when you get to Echigo Yuzawa.



Local trains cost about half the price of a shinkansen (3260yen), but take more than twice the time. You can get the JR Takasaki line from Ueno to Takasaki, then the JR Joetsu line to Minakami, then the infrequent Joetsu line extension to Echigo-Yuzawa. Check train times at Hyperdia.

A seishun juhachi kippu is even cheaper. This ticket gives you five daily coupons of unlimited travel on JR local and rapid trains (not express or shinkansen) for only 11500yen. You can divide the 5 tickets among your friends and it'll work out to be only 2300yen to get to the festival! You will need to travel together though. Even if there are only two of you, if you use it on the way there and back, it'll only cost you 2875yen each way. You can take the above local train route.

You can of course drive there. A car rental agency with English support is Nippon Rent-A-Car.



Free shuttle buses run to and from Echigo Yuzawa station from 12:00 on Thursday to Monday. There is no real timetable; they just keep going back and forth. Be prepared for long queues in the sun or rain. The free buses also stop at Tashiro, Mitsumata and Asagai if you're accommodation is around there.


PACKING LIST



Clothes etc:
*Hat. The peak will protect you from the sun and keep the rain out of your eyes.
*Raincoat. This is essential because umbrellas are not allowed in the festival site and it WILL rain. Some people wear plastic rain pants too.
*Strong shoes or boots. You will be doing a lot of walking in the rain and mud. Bring spares. Wellingtons/gum boots are popular.
*Sunglasses and sunscreen. You will be outside all day.
*Jacket. It sometimes gets cold at night, so bring something long-sleeved.
*Towels. Big towels for the shower/bath/sink/swimming, but also small towels for mopping up sweat and rain.
*Cash. There are no ATMs.
*Batteries. For your phone recharger, torch, camera etc.
*Portable ashtray. If you smoke.
*Tissues. Bring some little packs in case there's no loo paper or you get a runny nose, or if you're a messy eater.

For campers:
You can get most of these things from a 100yen shop.
*Torch/flashlight. The camp site is very dark. Some parts of the festival are pretty dark too.
*Plastic covers. For your backpack and camping gear on the way to/from the festival in case it rains.
*Insect repellent. You will be surrounded by forest.
*Rope. This is very handy when camping to rig up a clothesline or to secure broken tents. Remember a knife to cut it!
*Plastic tarps. Handy for putting under/over your tent, sitting on, makeshift shade etc.
*Mallet or hammer. You can't put in tent pegs with your bare hands.
*Small padlock. Theft isn't really a problem, but if you're worried about leaving stuff in your tent/backpack, put a small lock on the zipper.
*Something to mark your tent. There are thousands and they all look the same! Tape or a flag or something.

Other useful things:
*Insulated PET bottle cover. You can get them from a 100yen shop.
*Something to sit on. Small tarp, light fold-up chair, or even just a plastic bag.



ALCOHOL

Buying it there:
Most alcoholic drinks in the festival grounds cost 500yen. The beer is almost always Heineken but you can get some nice microbrewery and organic beer down around the Field of Heaven stage. Naeba Shokudo sells some good nihonshu (sake) and shochu.

Bringing it in:
Glass bottles and cans are not allowed to be brought into the festival grounds. Your bags will be checked each time you enter. But don't worry - alcohol is allowed to be brought in, so you can mix up drinks in PET bottles in your tent/room and then carry them into the festival. Bring a cooler box/bag along and get ice from the store near the front of the Prince Hotel. There are vending machines around the entrance but they mainly only sell Pocari Sweat, water and Coca-cola. So bring some spirits which you can mix with coke (vodka, bourbon, malibu etc) or water (shochu, whisky etc).



FOOD

Japanese are obsessed with food so you will have plenty of good choices. There are food stalls around the entrance and in several spots in the festival grounds, the biggest being the Oasis/World Restaurant area. Most food is around 500yen. Good Japanese food can be had at Naeba Shokudo. Pizza at Field of Heaven. Vegetarians will find the most choices around Field Of Heaven and Gypsy Avalon.


WALKING



The festival site is an enormous ski resort in the mountains so expect to spend a lot of time walking, walking and walking. You'll need to study the timetable and factor in long walking times between stages on opposite ends of the festival. Mud and crowds can hold you up too. The paths and boardwalks between stages take you through beautiful green forests.


CAMPSITE



The campsite covers a large golf course and area on the front left of the festival site. However, most of it is hilly so flat land is at a premium. The earlier you can get there, the better. Arrive on Thursday when it opens if you can. For women staying without men, there is a girls-only area in a great spot near the entrance.

The ideal place to pitch your tent:
*Flat ground
*Not too far from the entrance
*Not at the bottom of a hill as the lower areas get flooded and muddy
*Near (but not too close to!) toilets
*Near some trees for shade and to use as a post for a clothesline
*Not over or right next to the path

Bad examples:


MOBILE PHONES

Bring your phone but don't rely on it too much as you often can't get reception at the festival (especially with Softbank). Plan places and times to meet friends in advance. Bring a battery-operated phone recharger!

SENDING AND STORING STUFF

You can get stuff sent to and from the festival by Yamato for reasonable prices. There is a counter near the entrance where you can pack and post stuff. This is very useful if you're too tired to carry all your stuff home. The Yamato counter can also store your luggage throughout the festival. Details here.

NOT JUST THE BIG STAGES



Mokudo-tei is a tiny stage set up on the boardwalk in the middle of the forest where bands play intimate sets.
Day Dreaming/Silent Breeze is a 20-minute cable-car ride away up on top of a mountain. Some cool hip-hop and electronica acts play up there, there are weird games and costumes, a flying fox, a restaurant, dragonflies and a really fun relaxed atmosphere where you are allowed to act like children.
Naeba Shokudo is near the world food area/Red Marquee. You can sit undercover on the tatami, get some nice Japanese food and sake, as well as catch some bands on the small stage.
The Crystal Palace tent/Palace of Wonder area is a bizarre place near the festival entrance where you can have some all-night fun. Dance, play, have some cocktails and watch the Human Cannonball and Wheels of Death. Check out some up-and-coming bands on the Rookie A Go-Go stage.
If you have time, go right down to the very end of the festival beyond the Orange Court to the tent which will be Cuban-inspired this year. You can also get some good cocktails, chill down in the creek, and jam on the drums at Stoned Circle.
There are hammocks you can hang in, in the forest between the Gypsy Avalon stage and NGO area. Take a look at the NGO booths while you're there.
Ganban has a small stage near the World Restaurant area where DJs play. This is a fun and casual area to dance.



THURSDAY NIGHT



The kick-off party on Thursday night is one of the festival highlights for the early-comers. It's free to the public so some locals come and hold a bon-odori (traditional dance) and fireworks. Surprise bands and DJs play on the Red Marquee and Ganban stages while everyone gets hyped up ready for the festival.

Related posts:
Fuji Rock Festival tips 2009
Fuji Rock Festival 2010
Fuji Rock Festival 2009 Review
Fuji Rock Festival 2008 Review

On Tokyo Gig Guide:
Day one
Day two
Day three

Also check out:
Fujirockers blog
Fuji Rock English BBS
Facebook page

So, who wants to join the Tokyo Gig Guide FRF team?

Fuji Rock Festival 2010

by craig

Fuji Rock Festival this year will be on July 30th (Fri), 31st (Sat), and August 1st (Sun).
This is the 6th line-up announcement with links to the artists' myspaces/websites. Expect more announcements as the festival gets closer.

30th
MUSE / THEM CROOKED VULTURES / ASH / THE BAWDIES / BEARDYMAN / BROKEN BELLS / BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE / Char / !!! / CORINNE BAILEY RAE / THE CRIBS / DIRTY PROJECTORS / THE ENTRANCE BAND / GRAPEVINE / GREEN VELVET / HIKASHU / JAGA JAZZIST / JAMAICA-Live / KEN ISHII / KEN YOKOYAMA / KICELL / MAD PROFESSOR / MAGMA / MAGNETIC MAN / MIIKE SNOW / MUTEMATH /MYSS (ROC TRAX) / OGRE YOU ASSHOLE / RUSKO / SONHOUSE / SPECIAL OTHERS / SUPER JUNKY MONKEY / Superfly / TAKKYU ISHINO / toe / Z-TRIP / ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA

31st
ROXY MUSIC / JOHN FOGERTY / 22-20s / BOYS NOIZE / THE CRO-MAGNONS / DEREK TRUCKS & SUSAN TEDESCHI BAND / DETROIT SOCIAL CLUB / DEXPISTOLS & ROC TRAX CREW / DOHATSUTEN / EGO-WRAPPIN' AND THE GOSSIP OF JAXX / EMELINE MICHEL / FLOGGING MOLLY / HAWAIIAN6 / JAMIE CULLUM / JOHN BUTLER TRIO / KITTY DAISY & LEWIS / KULA SHAKER / LA RUDA / MARINES BIG BAND / MGMT / MORIARTY / MYLO (DJ SET) / OVERGROUND ACOUSTIC UNDERGROUND / PARACHUTE/ RIVA STARR / STRAIGHTENER / THEATRE BROOK / TOYODA YUZO & YUZOBAND / TRICERATOPS /TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE

1st
MASSIVE ATTACK / ATOMS FOR PEACE / AIR / ALBERTA CROSS / ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION /BELLE AND SEBASTIAN / BOOM BOOM SATELLITES / BUFFALO DAUGHTER / CODEINE VELVET CLUB / DIANE BIRCH / DONAVON FRANKENREITER / FOALS / GOOD 4 NOTHING / HOT CHIP / IAN BROWN / FUMIO ITO / JJ GREY & MOFRO / KITTY DAISY & LEWIS / LCD SOUNDSYSTEM / MALLACAN /MATT & KIM / THE MIDDLE EAST / moe. / JUNKO MORIYA Special Big Band For Fuji Rock / AKIHIRO NAMBA / OCEAN COLOUR SCENE / OZOMATLI / quasimode / RIDDIM SAUNTER / Sandii featuring SandiiBunbun and Earth Conscious / SCISSOR SISTERS / VAMPIRE WEEKEND / Y.Sunahara / YEASAYER

So how much will this all cost me?
A 3-day ticket is ¥39,800, and 1-day tickets are ¥16,800 but they are limited to 10,000 tickets per day.
If you want to camp, a campsite ticket is ¥3,000 per person for the festival duration. Car Park Passes are ¥3,000 per day per car.

How can I acquire tickets?
In Japan, get them online from Pia or eplus. From June 5th, you'll be able to buy tickets from the Pia ticket machines in Family Mart convenience stores and ticket Pia counters. The ticket code will be 782-666. More info here You'll also be able to get them from the Ganban record store (B1F Shibuya Parco Part 3).
From overseas, you can get tickets in English from Ganban.

More info:
Festival site (English) http://www.smash-uk.com/frf10/index.html
Festival site (日本語) http://www.fujirockfestival.com
Fujirockers: http://www.fujirock.com
Tokyo Gig Guide - 30th July, 31st July, 1st August.

Related posts:
My review of last year's festival
My tips for the festival last year.

You can dance if you want to

by liza

When a show lets out at 9 or 10pm, the excitement is high but the night is still young! What to do then?

When the usual izakaya or bar seems like a buzzkill, there's always getting your dance on. And there are definitely places that play music other than what you'll hear at a Gaspanic horrorshow or Roppongi pick-up joint.

Tokyo Indie lists these nights in English. (I suppose "indie" is now a genre instead of a way of thinking, but I digress.) I'm not affiliated with this site at all but I'm glad it's there!

This Saturday night, they're throwing a party at Hell's Bar in Sangenjaya. I went to the one in November and had a good time, even though it was really crowded and seems like it will be again. I'm sure the cover charge of "free" has nothing to do with this!

As for other bigger parties -- Hard to Explain is once a month and the location changes sometimes. It's usually good fun with more obscure music toward the beginning of the night and "classics" once everyone is good and liquored up. They used to have bands playing earlier in the evening but I haven't seen any since the night has moved to smaller venues.

Mighty Pop throws parties in different places. I've been to one at the Chelsea Hotel that had a good opener band and slightly more obscure but good music, but it was quite fashion-y. Lots of people dressed up standing around chain smoking looking bored for awhile. But they loosened up.

Parties listed on Tokyo Dandy seem to be more electro- and fashion-oriented. Haven't been to any yet.

I'm almost embarrassed to admit it, but my late-night standby when all else fails is the Rock no Cocoro bar in Shibuya. The music is not especially "cool" but the people and staff there are usually really nice and like to party. (plus there's no cover!) Stay away from the food though...

Anyway those are the bigger ones, am still sussing out the smaller ones so let's hear it if you know a good one!

Fuji Rock Festival tips

Check out the Fuji Rock Festival website for the timetable and ticket information.

Here are some tips, advice and a packing list for the festival.

GETTING THERE

Take the shinkansen from Tokyo or Ueno to Echigo Yuzawa station. It takes over an hour and costs 6490yen from Ueno one-way. Go to any JR counter of a big station and get tickets in advance if you can. Then get your return tickets when you get to Echigo Yuzawa. There are free shuttle buses from Echigo Yuzawa station. Last year I had to wait over an hour in a queue in the rain for a bus.

To save money on transport, you can get local trains for about half the price of a shinkansen (3260yen), but it takes more than twice the time. Take the JR Takasaki line from Ueno to Takasaki, then the JR Joetsu line to Minakami, then the infrequent Joetsu line extension to Echigo-Yuzawa. If you're going on the Thursday or Friday, the 6:27am Takasaki line from Ueno will get you to Echigo-Yuzawa at 10:21am, or the 10:20am train will get you there at 2:17pm. Check train times at Hyperdia.

To save even more money, get a seishun juhachi kippu. This gives you five daily tickets of unlimited travel on JR local and rapid trains (not express or shinkansen) for only 11500yen. You can divide the 5 tickets among your friends and it'll work out to be only 2300yen to get to the festival! You will need to travel together though. Even if there are only two of you, if you use it on the way there and back, it'll only cost you 2875yen each way. More info at Japan Guide.

WHAT TO BRING

The essentials: clothes, camera, tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, pillow, toiletries, tickets.

Torch (flashlight). It's essential if you're camping, but also useful finding your way around the darker parts of the festival grounds at night.

Sunscreen, hat and sunglasses. You'll be spending a lot of time out in the sun.

Rain poncho or light rain coat. You can't bring umbrellas into the festival grounds and you are guaranteed to get stuck in the rain at some point. You can get plastic ponchos from 100yen shops, but they break easily so bring a couple.

Plastic tarps/covers/garbage bags to cover your backpack and camping gear on the way to the festival in case it rains.

Cash. There are no ATMs.

Insulated PET bottle cover. You can get them from a 100yen shop.

Batteries. For your phone recharger, torch, camera etc.

Insect repellent, especially if camping. You will be spending time at night in the forest.


Something to sit on. Small tarp, light fold-up chair, or even just a plastic bag.

Towels. Big towels for the shower/bath/hose-shower/creek, but also small towels for mopping up sweat and rain.

Swimwear/shorts/clothes you can wear if you jump in the creek or wash yourself with a hose. Those shower and onsen queues are ridiculous!

Sensu (folding fan) can be handy. There is no air-conditioning!

Shade tent or tarp and rope to rig up a sun-shade. The early morning sun will turn your tent into a sauna so it's good to be able to sit around/sleep near your tent in the morning.

Flip-flops to wear around the campsite. You'll slip all over the place and get your toes trodden on if you wear them into the festival.

Shoes that may get destroyed. You will be doing a lot of walking, probably in the rain and mud. A spare pair might be good. Wellingtons/gum boots are popular, but they're sweaty and uncomfortable.

Light jacket. It may get cool at night, so bring something long-sleeved.

Small padlock. Theft isn't really a problem, but if you're worried about leaving stuff in your tent, put a small lock on the zipper.

Something to mark your tent. There are thousands and they all look the same! Tape or a flag or something.

Rope. This is very handy when camping to rig up a clothesline or sun-shade, or to secure broken tents. Remember a knife to cut it!

A mallet or hammer. Bashing tent pegs with a rock is not much fun.

Portable ashtray if you are a smoker.

Tissues. Bring some of those freebies that they hand out on the street in case there's no loo paper or you get a runny nose, or if you're a messy eater.

TIPS

Campsite. Get there on the Thursday to find a good flat spot to camp. You don't want to end up pitching a tent on the side of a hill miles from the toilet in a place that will flood.

Alcohol. You can't bring glass bottles or cans into the festival grounds. You can bring whatever you want into the campsite or hotels though, so mix up drinks in PET bottles in your tent/room and then you can carry them into the festival. Bring a cooler box/bag along and get ice and mixers from the store near the front of the Prince Hotel. Plastic cups are useful if you want to drink at your campsite. Most alcoholic drinks in the festival grounds cost 500yen.

Mobile phones. Bring your phone but don't rely on it too much as you often can't get reception at the festival. Plan places and times to meet friends in advance. Bring a battery-operated phone recharger.

Garbage bags. The staff hand out garbage bags when you enter the festival. These are very useful, not only for your rubbish, but also to sit on if the ground is wet or dirty, and to cover your bag/camera/self when it rains.

Queues. Be prepared for queues for the bus to and from Echigo Yuzawa station (so get there early on Thursday), queues for your armbands when you arrive (get there early), queues for toilets, queues for food and drinks, queues to use showers, sinks and hoses, occasional queues to enter stages and super-long queues for merchandise.

Sending stuff. You can get stuff sent to and from the festival by Yamato for reasonable prices. There is a counter near the entrance where you can pack and post stuff. Very useful if you're too tired to carry all your stuff home. Details here. The Yamato counter can also store your luggage throughout the festival.

Food. There are plenty of good food stalls throughout the festival grounds selling all kinds of food, and it's not too expensive. There's plenty for vegetarians too. There is also a small shop near the Prince hotel where you can get snacks and drinks for your campsite. There is organic food around Field of Heaven and Gypsy Avalon.

Shop. I didn't discover this until the final day last year, but there is a small convenience-store-like-shop between the festival entrance and the Prince Hotel. You can get ice, water, drinks, snacks and instant noodles here. They even sell some camping gear, hats etc in case you forgot something. There are some decent toilets here too.

Walking. The festival site is very, very large and the paths can be crowded, so get fit and expect to spend a lot of time walking between stages. Please take this into consideration when planning which bands to see. If you want to head to Orange Court to see a band starting at the same time as the finishing time of band you just saw at Red Marquee, well you'll probably miss most of their set. The walk from the campsite to the festival is also quite long.

Plan. Study the timetable before you go and work out who you want to see. Check out the websites of bands you don't know and discover some new stuff you can catch at the festival. Look at the festival layout and work out if it will be possible to walk between stages between bands in time to catch them.

EXPLORE AND CHILL-OUT


Watching supergroups at the Green and White stages, Red Marquee, Orange Court and Field of Heaven can be a bit tiring for 3 days, so plan some time to check out the other stages and areas of the festival.

For a real trippy experience, take the 20-minute cable car up to Day Dreaming/Silent Breeze way up on top of a mountain. Some cool hip-hop and electronica acts play up there, there are weird games and costumes, a flying fox, a restaurant, dragonflies and a really fun relaxed atmosphere where you are allowed to act like children.

There are hammocks you can hang in, in the forest between the Gypsy Avalon stage and NGO area. Take a look at the NGO booths while you're there.

Naeba Shokudo is near the world food area/Red Marquee and you can get some nice Japanese food and sake there as well as catch some bands on the small stage.

Mokudo-tei is a tiny stage set up on the boardwalk in the middle of the forest where bands play intimate sets.

All-night action can be had outside the festival entrance in a bizarre area around the Crystal Palace tent. Dance, play, have some cocktails and watch the Mongolian circus. Check out some great up-and-coming bands on the Rookie A Go-Go stage. There are some great artists playing there this year. More info at Palace of Wonder.

If you have time, go right down to the very end of the festival beyond the Orange Court to Café de Paris, a Moulin Rouge cabaret inspired area with chanson and gypsy music. You can also get some good cocktails, chill down in the creek, and jam on the drums at Stoned Circle.


So, who wants to join the Tokyo Gig Guide Fuji Rock '09 cohort?