Naturally, as it’s in Japan, Fuji Rock is also known as one of the world’s cleanest music festivals. This is evident in the flushable (yes, flushable and clean!) porta-potties and the colorful Fuji Rock garbage bags volunteers hand out to festival-goers as they enter the grounds.

“Festival fashion” is always on the radar, and with Fuji Rock, think avid-hiker-meets-Woodstock (the mud-sliding hippie part, but not so much nudity). Here are five tips and tricks to help you understand the festival better so you will be best equipped for the fantastic weekend away from Tokyo!

You’ve got a choice between a hotel (such as the Prince Hotel on the grounds), minpaku (traditional Japanese inns/cabins) around the town, or camping. With the first two options, book almost immediately as the dates and lineups are announced nearly six months prior to the event. Be aware that room prices peak to double or triple the rates of other times of the year.

Naeba Ski Resort, where Fuji Rock is held, has its own campgrounds located quite literally outside the festival gates.

Campers receive a special wristband that allows in-and-out privileges for the clearly marked Fuji Rock campgrounds, and camping is not allowed in any other parts. There is also a “Ladies Only” campsite available on-site.

Camping is the cheapest option (5,000 yen per person) and it rarely sells out. Even if you are new to the camping game, Fuji Rock staff have your back. There is a “Camping Clinic” available on-site, with outdoor experts to help you set up your tent and get you situated for a comfortable camping experience.

On-site toilets are available for free. Showers and onsen are available for a small fee, but be prepared to wait in a long line unless you go early enough in the morning. Showers and bathhouses for day use are also available at neighboring lodges and minpaku, so take a stroll and look for signs for day-use onsen.

Be prepared to sleep in some rainy weather from time to time and to hear some music in the distance throughout the night. Cars are not allowed where the campgrounds are, but overnight car parking is available elsewhere on the grounds.

Unlike many Western music festivals, where the daytime culture of drinking and partying around the campgrounds is popular, Fuji Rock’s campsites are much more reserved for sleeping. No cooking equipment is allowed, either, but luckily, Fuji Rock has some fantastic food (more on this later).

Though a day trip from Tokyo is also possible, keep in mind that the last Tokyo-bound train leaves before the final act.

Fuji Rock is located north of Tokyo, in Niigata Prefecture. The best way to reach the festival grounds is via Hokuriku Shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo Station to Echigo-Yuzawa Station, then take the shuttle bus from there to Naeba Ski Resort, where Fuji Rock is located.

The shuttle bus is 2,000 yen and takes you roundtrip. A 6,000+ yen cab ride is also possible, though there’s very little chance of catching one coming back from the festival to the station.

Another option is to take a bus from Tokyo with a tour package provided by Fuji Rock. Visit the official Fuji Rock website for more details on tour packages.

Send:
Fuji Rock is unique as you can actually post packages to the festival grounds from a week in advance. If you’re camping, this means sending your tents, camping chairs, sleeping bags, or any other essentials you don’t have the hands to carry there with you. At the end of the festival, you can post it back home, and it doesn’t cost too much!

Pack (including fashion tip):
Typical overnight essentials and clothes with layers. Rain gear and hiker hats are “in” at Fuji Rock. Rain boots and clothes that can get rough are also essential. Don’t dress for Coachella - dress in comfortable camping clothes. Add a colorful bandana, hat, or sunglasses for a fashionable flare. Don’t forget sunscreen and bug spray!

Buy:
There’s a store on festival grounds that sells Fuji Rock and band merchandise, but also camping chairs, ponchos, and towels. Walk a few blocks off the grounds into town and you’ll find a few stores scattered around that sell food and drinks, as well as boots and other camping gear. Beware that most things will be sold out by day 2 or 3.

Though there is camping and lodging, you can’t cook for yourself or have food at some of the lodges. However, there are many food stands and ready-to-eat meals available in the town, and more importantly, on festival grounds.

Fuji Rock is the mecca for Japanese food stalls and restaurants who travel from all over the country to serve their proud meals over this weekend.

There are dozens and dozens of food trucks in different areas all around the festival grounds to choose from. Pizza, fish’N’chips, gapao rice, curry (the famous Heidi’s Curry Shop), are some of the veteran favorites.

There are many veg-friendly options and organic food as well. You’ll go back to Tokyo and drool for the next whole year thinking about some of the meals at Fuji Rock (I, for one, do, and can’t wait to go back for some of my favorite foods this year).

Fuji Rock is much, much more than just musical acts. Here is a list of some MUST see/dos:

For a full list of entertainment sites, visit the official website below.

Loads of insider tips, some already mentioned above, but here are more!

Fuji Rock Festival is an international music festival that sets itself apart from others through its unique cultural lens of Japan. World-renowned rock, pop, hip-hop and electronic artists are showcased from year to year and yet, the audience and the producers of Fuji Rock add a special flare to the festival that you won’t be able to experience anywhere else. Japanese music and nature lovers flock to the festival grounds from all over the country, some bringing along their families and all bringing with them the Japanese mannerism.

Aside from the cleanliness and friendliness of the festival, debauchery is rarely ever seen that a safe and respectful weekend can be spent by all. Getting close to the front row is not a hurdle and can be done with ease. While some may see it as “tame,” Fuji Rock is anything but a snooze fest. Dancing, singing, and laughing can be seen and heard all throughout the night. The experience is, of course, what you make of it, but a Japanese music festival is one that should be on your bucket list. And what better than the greatest scale of them all?


Main photo: Image (C) Noriteru Ino.