After not happening in 2020 and being held on a more limited scale with an all-Japanese lineup last year, one of Japan’s marquee summer music festivals is back to featuring a mix of overseas and domestic acts spread across nine stages in the picturesque mountains of the Naeba Ski Resort in Niigata Prefecture this weekend.
Sure, COVID measures mean you can’t holler along to the music and you'll need to download a tracking app, but at least you can buy beer again.
This year’s installment stands out for showcasing a new crop of Japanese electronic artists who’ll benefit from late-night performance slots being back on the schedule. Nagoya-based Foodman has been the country’s premier experimental act over the past decade thanks to his off-beat approach to percussion, and he’ll close out the first day with a set bound to sound even better if you’re tired. Electronic duos Pasocom Music Club and Dongurizu bring fresh perspectives to old-school dance styles on Saturday, followed by the oddball dance-pop of Zombie-Chang.