NAEBA, NIIGATA PREF. – On the Thursday night before the Fuji Rock Festival begins in earnest, part of the festival site is open to everyone free of charge. Originally, this pre-festival party, complete with traditional Bon-odori dancing and fireworks, was a means of thanking the surrounding community for putting up with the racket, and for years it was attended mainly by the Fuji faithful. More recently, it has become a fourth day of the festival. This year it was so packed, revelers could barely move around.
An increasing number of festival-goers are from Asia, where better living standards have created a boom in the concert and music festival businesses. Some camp out, but most opt for accommodation off-site, bringing their families.
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