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August 06, 2025
 

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CULTURE

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Kid carts and strollers were a common sight at the Fuji Rock Festival this year.
CULTURE / Music
The families that rock together at Fuji
Taking children to Fuji Rock is a rite of passage that should be supported.
CULTURE / Music
From far and wide, overseas visitors flock to Fuji Rock
From Singapore to Greece to Michigan, fans came to Japan not just for the music, but for the nature, the relaxed atmosphere and the freedom to dance into the early hours.
CULTURE / Music
Fuji Rock's weekend of surprises was one of its best yet
Thousands braved crowds and slow-moving lines, but unexpected guest appearances by Mariya Takeuchi and Atarashii Gakko! made this year’s event one of the all-time greats.
Left to right: A woman repurposes a garbage bag to protect her hat from the rain; having a hat and a beverage close at hand is a festival must.
CULTURE / Music / Photo essay
Aug 4, 2025
A weekend in Naeba: Rain or shine, the fun never stopped at Fuji Rock '25
By Alyssa I. Smith
Sweltering naps, makeshift shelters, dancing in the rain — Fuji Rock is all about surrendering to the moment.
Rural, a three-day techno festival, was held July 18 to 21 at Nowhere Camp in Fukushima Prefecture.
CULTURE / Music
Jul 30, 2025
How Japan made techno its own
By Arjan Rietveld
Once inspired by Berlin and Detroit, Japanese techno now moves on its own wavelength — deep, immersive, and unmistakably local.
Fuji Rock still excites Hitsujibungaku — (from left) bassist Yurika Kasai, lead singer and guitarist Moeka Shiotsuka and drummer Hiroa Fukuda — even as its flock grows abroad.
CULTURE / Music
Jul 25, 2025
Hitsujibungaku’s pop-fueled rise to stardom
By Patrick St. Michel
Rock trio Hitsujibungaku is set to make its fourth appearance at Fuji Rock this weekend on its most primetime stage yet — the White Stage right before headliner Haim.
In recent years, Fuji Rock has had fewer blockbuster performers and showcased more top-selling Japanese acts and international musicians' first-time performances in Japan.
CULTURE / Music
Jul 24, 2025
Behind the scenes: Inside Fuji Rock’s strategy for staying on top
By Philip Brasor
With younger fans, more diverse acts and rising global interest, Fuji Rock — one of Asia’s biggest music festivals — is seeing its strongest turnout in years.
Fuji Rock Festival turns the green slopes of Niigata Prefecture’s Naeba Ski Resort into a summer escape that offers soundtracks for every mood.
CULTURE / Music
Jul 22, 2025
JT picks: What not to miss at Fuji Rock 2025
By Johan Brooks, Alyssa I. Smith, Patrick St. Michel, Mark Thompson and Philip Brasor
Ready for Fuji Rock? Here are The Japan Times crew's recommendations for must-see artists at next weekend's three-day music festival.
Rain gear? Check. Chicken hat? Check
CULTURE / Music
Jul 19, 2025
What to pack if you are heading to the Fuji Rock Festival
For those headed to the Fuji Rock Festival, these essential items will go a long way in making your festival experience a rousing success.
Businesses who cater to fandoms gathered at Tokyo Lifestyle Week for the second annual Oshikatsu — Merch Collection Expo, a trade show devoted to fandom goods.
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Jul 12, 2025
Music idol and anime fandom merch is big business
By Patrick St. Michel
Over 100 booths showed off the latest in acrylic stands, binoculars and cheering items such as glow sticks and flags at the second Oshikatsu — Merch Expo.

China’s unbeatable new production model export
China is not merely moving more goods; it is exporting a new, ruthlessly efficient production model powered by automation, AI and state-guided industrial optimization.
Extreme heat in Japan set to peak this week
People shield their eyes from the sun as they walk through a street on a hot day in Tokyo on July 26.
How Pakistan shot down India's cutting-edge fighter using Chinese gear
An Indian Air Force pilot gets out of a Rafale fighter jet during its induction ceremony at an air force station in Ambala, India, September 2020.
Australia announces new warships will come from Japan
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Mogami-class frigate Niyodo sails at an undisclosed location in this image released Tuesday.
Italy's fast fashion hub becomes Chinese mafia battlefield
Signs for fast-fashion factories in Prato, Italy, on Friday. Chinese crime groups in the district thrive on the "Prato system" rife with corruption in the fast-fashion sector.
Fuji Rock's weekend of surprises was one of its best yet
Radwimps lead singer Yojiro Noda threw himself into the rock band’s Green Stage performance ahead of headliner Vampire Weekend.
How Trump is gaslighting on climate change — with Japan’s help
The Bishu Maru LNG tanker, owned by Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, next to the Freeport LNG terminal in Texas
With a new distillery, Suntory makes a spirited move on gin market
A staff inspects a distillation pot still at Suntory's new Osaka Spirits & Liqueurs Craft Distillery, which will focus on gin production and help Suntory capture a bigger slice of the fast-growing gin market.
Junglia brought dinos back to Okinawa. But will it bring tourists?
At Panorama Dining, one of Junglia’s two proper restaurants that also doubles as the rooftop Inifinity Terrace overlook, guests can pay extra to sit in balcony tables made to look like birds’ nests overlooking the park grounds.
From Osaka to the NHL: Jordan Spence hopes to inspire young Japanese hockey players
Ottawa Senators defenseman Jordan Spence helps lead the Dreamskate Japan hockey camp in Tomakomai, Hokkaido, on July 5.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Ichiro Suzuki, one of the most iconic players in NPB and MLB history, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with 99.7% of the vote.
With Hall of Fame induction, Ichiro makes himself heard loud and clear
By Jason Coskrey

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