Fuji Rock Festival — Naeba Ski Resort, Yuzawa

Fuji Rock Festival, held at the Naeba Ski Resort in the mountains of Niigata Prefecture, is Japan's largest outdoor music festival and one of the most unique festival experiences in the world. Founded in 1997 — when its inaugural edition was held at the base of Mount Fuji and legendarily battered by Typhoon Rosie — the festival moved to its current forested mountain location in 1999. It has since hosted Radiohead, Björk, Aphex Twin, The Cure, Kendrick Lamar, and a vast range of international and Japanese artists.

What makes Fuji Rock distinctive is its setting: stages are scattered through dense forest connected by boardwalks and mountain paths, with streams, waterfalls, and mountain scenery between them. The 'Field of Heaven' stage deep in the woods is a legendary late-night destination. The festival is also renowned for its extraordinarily clean and well-organised nature — attendees carry out all their own rubbish, and the site is left immaculate. Japanese festival culture emphasises respect and communality, creating an atmosphere quite unlike Western festivals.

Naeba Ski Resort is approximately 200km northwest of Tokyo, accessible by bullet train to Echigo-Yuzawa station followed by a shuttle bus. The festival takes place over the last weekend of July, accommodating around 40,000 attendees per day. Camping is available on the mountain, and the surrounding area offers hot springs (onsen) that provide a uniquely Japanese complement to the festival experience.