Wandering around on the opening day of this year's Fuji Rock, I got the impression that numbers were down on previous years. Of course, anyone who has ever been stuck in the event's seemingly never-ending lines for the portable toilets — or who's been shut out from seeing their favorite band as the tent-like confines of Red Marquee filled to the brim — will be able to tell you that this is not necessarily a bad thing.

Indeed, overall attendance clocked in at a cumulative 111,000 — the festival's lowest total since 2004. There was a drop of 10,000 from last year's edition on both the Friday and the Sunday, down to 30,000 — a loss of nearly a quarter each day. Of the three days, only the Saturday came close to selling out for headliner Björk. Perhaps the "Abenomics" spending push hasn't quite extended its influence as far as Naeba Ski Resort in Niigata Prefecture, or perhaps we can blame last week's weather forecast.

Friday headliners Nine Inch Nails kicked off their performance in the midst of torrential showers and lightning — perfect conditions for listening to the somber industrial rock that Trent Reznor excels at. In fact, it was reminiscent of Nine Inch Nails' Summer Sonic appearance in 2009, which also featured a mood-setting thunderstorm. Coming after a four-year live hiatus, the group showed no signs of ring rust, debuting two tracks from upcoming album "Hesitation Marks" before ending with "Hurt."