Who doesn't love an anniversary? For couples it's about rekindling moments of first love, for many nations it's about marking a significant moment in history. Anniversaries are, for the most part, true celebrations.
"I hate anniversaries," says Masahiro Hidaka, the president of Smash Japan and founder of the Fuji Rock Festival, which is marking its 20th anniversary this year. "I hate those kinds of things, so I didn't want that on any of the banners. Everyone on the team was saying, '20 years! 20 years!' But I didn't care for any of that. It was only after a month or so of their insistence that I broke and said, 'Fine, let's do the whole 20th anniversary thing then.' "
And so it was decided that Japan's premier music festival would officially celebrate its 20th birthday. There's good reason to: Through the years Fuji Rock has hosted everyone from Oasis to Bjork to Eminem. This year's lineup — a nod to the very first roster — features acts who were at the inaugural bash.