FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL: From the vanished second day to the 2km boardwalk. A 29-year story and how to enjoy it that I want to share with friends from overseas

The 2km of wooden planks laid in the forest sound like history
Memories of an opening left behind in the storm
29 years since the phantom night, a sea of light envelops the mountain

I couldn't answer when asked, "What's so good about Fuji Rock?"

A friend from Taiwan once asked me. What is so good about the mountain festival you go to every year?

I listed the band names. While I was listing them, I realized my answer was shallow.

Other festivals have lineups too. This year, Amazon is live-streaming four stages for free, so you can watch them on your home TV. Even so, people board the Shinkansen, sway on a shuttle bus for 40 minutes, and climb up to a mountain 1,000 meters above sea level.

I was able to put the reason into words when I got home and read a sentence in the corner of the official website.

The boardwalk that runs through the forest at the venue has been laid by the people of Naeba and over 3,000 volunteers since 2002. The total length is about 2km. Even those in wheelchairs can stroll through the forest. The planks are inscribed with the signatures of performers and messages from those involved in the work.

What has been built up over 29 years was not the performers.

It was an invisible asset called "traditions that can be passed on."

And that asset was once on the verge of disappearing without a trace.

July 27, 1997: Fuji Rock had no "second day"

The first one was not in Niigata. It was at the Fuji Tenjinyama Ski Resort in Yamanashi Prefecture. "Fuji" refers to Mount Fuji.

The official record is as follows. The dates were July 26 and 27, 1997. Attendance was 30,000. And due to the passage of a large typhoon, the second day was canceled.

The first day was carried out in a driving storm. The headliner was the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Founder Masaahiro Hidaka looks back on the reality of that day, which is spoken of as a legend, in the media: a succession of people falling ill due to cold and fatigue, falls caused by pushing and shoving, illegal parking, and mountains of trash.

Hidaka says, "I wanted to do it because there was no precedent." Because there was no precedent, everything was trial and error. He traveled all over Japan to find a location and spent months calling for preparations against rain and cold.

Even so, there were participants who came to the mountain in T-shirts and sandals.

He said he thought he would quit after one time. To make matters worse, the government official who said they would continue it the following year was transferred, and his successor refused to allow it to be held.

Japanese festival culture had its survival denied on the second day of its opening.

Tokyo ran away, the mountain returned

In 1998, the venue moved to Bayside Square in Toyosu, Tokyo. There were only two stages: Green and White. Björk, Iggy Pop, Beck, The Prodigy. On the asphalt of the city, there was almost no natural shade.

Then, in 1999, Fuji Rock moved to the Naeba Ski Resort in Yuzawa, Niigata Prefecture. Since then, this has been its home base.

What was decisive about this move was not the lineup. It was that the participants themselves changed first.

According to records from fujirockers.org, the official website at the time carried a call to action with the sentiment, 'Let's do things for ourselves.' Users who read this spontaneously began posting messages saying not to litter, or else Fuji Rock would disappear.

It is said that what impressed the local residents first was not the star-studded lineup, but the manners of the attendees.

This is the turning point. It wasn't that the management forced it with rules. The feeling of 'fear of losing it' led the participants themselves to write the norms.

The title of 'the world's cleanest festival' was born in this order. Not from a slogan put up by management, but from a memory that was on the verge of disappearing.

[Management Perspective] 29 years of turning failure into a brand and customers into infrastructure

From a management perspective, the 29 years of Fuji Rock can be read as a textbook on 'how to handle the worst first time.'

There are three points.

First. They did not hide the failure, but incorporated it into their assets.
The official history page does not write of 1997 as a success. It leaves both the fact that the second day was canceled due to a typhoon and that the first day became a legendary day as they were. Few companies pass down stories of accidents. But only the failures that are passed down become the criteria for judgment for the next generation.

Second. They shifted customers from a cost to an infrastructure.
The trash cans at the venue are operated by volunteers. The sorted resources are reborn as the original trash bags handed out at the entrance gates and the toilet paper used at the venue. The official side calls this the 'in-event resource circulation cycle.'

In other words, the cost item of cleaning fees has been converted into the participation experience itself. Attendees are not consumers, but part of the management. The 3,000 people on the boardwalk share the same structure.

Third. They created the market themselves.
According to figures from the Pia Research Institute reported by the Asahi Shimbun, the music festival market size in 2025 is 46.5 billion yen. This is about 1.9 times the approximately 24 billion yen of 10 years ago, with attendance at 3.71 million, an increase of 1.17 million in 10 years.

This is the scale from a place where it was said in 1997 that 'overseas-style festivals will not take root in Japan.'

And now, exports have begun. Tickets for 2025 were sold in about 60 countries, and the organizers estimate that about 10% were purchased from overseas (The Japan Times). The top countries for purchases are said to be Taiwan, South Korea, and China. It is also said that if you include those who bought through friends, the actual number must be even higher.

[Inference] When this 10% becomes 20%, Fuji Rock will change its role from a Japanese festival to an Asian celebration. [Fact] That has not happened yet.

[Philosophical Perspective] Why are umbrellas prohibited?

This is the rule that surprises friends from overseas the most.

At Fuji Rock, the use of umbrellas is prohibited in all areas, including the campsite. The reason is clearly stated officially. They obstruct visibility, the pointed parts are dangerous, and they can be blown away by the wind in bad weather.

A series of prohibitions based on the same logic are listed.

• Bringing in foldable outdoor chairs is prohibited (many people carry them without folding them, which is dangerous if they bump into others).

• Bringing in tents, tarps, parasols, sunshades, and blue tarps is prohibited (except in the campsite).

• Leaving sheets or chairs unattended to reserve space is prohibited (if left unattended for a long time, they will be discarded).

• Priority tents are for temporary rest, limited to 1 hour per use.

One principle runs through it all.Does your comfort deprive others of their view or space for their feet?

Closing your umbrella on a rainy day is a choice to get wet yourself. When you stack that up over 29 years, the result is that up to 39,000 people per day (2025 record) can look forward at the same time on the same slope.

Self-responsibility and mutual aid are often used as opposing terms. On this mountain, both stand together. Manage your own luggage, sort your own trash. And on top of that, yield to others.

A list of rules is boring. But behind every boring list, there is always a night where someone had a painful experience.

[A cross-section of food] Your stomach determines your route

One technical tip: You are less likely to fail if you plan your day at Fuji Rock by your stomach rather than the timetable.

The venue's largest hospitality area, "OASIS," features restaurants from all over the world, centered around the famous Naeba Shokudo. The official site states it clearly: even with three days, you cannot eat everything.

Food areas are scattered throughout the venue: YELLOW CLIFF, OASIS, Tokoro Tengoku, FIELD OF HEAVEN, ORANGE CAFÉ, the campsite, and PYRAMID GARDEN.

In other words, if you decide on "where you want to eat" first, your route will naturally extend to the edges of the venue. If you only follow the stages, you will inevitably be confined to going back and forth between Green and White.

Only those who make food their destination will go deep into the forest.

[A cross-section of love] Stepping on the boards on the night boardwalk

Let's return to the topic of the boardwalk once more.

The boardwalk during the day is a quiet path sandwiched between the forest and the river. At night, illuminations shine within the forest.

What I love most about this path is the sound of the joints between the boards.

Wood ages the more it is stepped on. Boards laid 24 years ago sound different from boards replaced last year. As you walk, you can tell the age by the sound.

Volunteers laid down 2km of wooden paths that allow wheelchairs to enter the forest. This one sentence is enough to convey what this festival values. It is not flashy. But the boards never decrease.

5 answers and 3 practical tips to send to friends from overseas

I can now answer the question, 'What is so good about it?'

5 attractions (words to use when explaining)

1. The mountain itself is the venue — About 1000m above sea level, ski slopes and forests. The venue has its own scenery.

2. You cannot cover 12 stages and 180 acts in 3 days — A design where it is impossible to see everything. The luxury of assuming you will miss things.

3. 2km of boardwalk — A forest path laid by volunteers that is accessible even by wheelchair.

4. Food that travels the world — Led by Naeba Shokudo, there is more food at the stalls than you could eat in 3 days.

5. Trash cans are managed by volunteers — Resources are turned back into trash bags and toilet paper for the following year. Participation becomes management.

3 practical tips (you will be stuck if you miss these)

• How to get there: Tokyo Station → Joetsu Shinkansen → Echigo-Yuzawa Station → Shuttle bus to the venue (paid, 2,000 yen round trip / travel time approx. 40 minutes, over 1 hour during congestion).You will not make the last train from Echigo-Yuzawa Station after the performances end. Echigo-Yuzawa Station is closed from midnight to 5:30 AM. Secure your accommodation or night bus in advance.

• Payment: Credit cards (AMEX / VISA / MASTER / JCB), electronic money such as transportation IC cards, QR payments (PayPay, au PAY, d-barai, R Pay), and cash can be used. However, there is a pitfall officially stated.Electronic money payments using overseas mobile phones are not possible. Those coming from overseas must carry credit cards and Japanese yen cash. The only ATM is the Seven Bank ATM at YELLOW CLIFF, and its operating hours are limited.

• Clothing: Simple vinyl rain ponchos are not acceptable. Use camping/mountain-grade rain gear with separate top and bottom. Wear broken-in shoes with good grip or rain boots. Bring warm clothing even in midsummer. Avoid exposing skin (due to insects).

English block you can copy and paste

10 techniques to enjoy it to the fullest

I will provide only concrete measures derived from official information and the venue's structure.

1. Book a '90 minutes of watching nothing' in advance
It is physically impossible to follow 180 acts across 12 stages. Create a blank space from the start, walk the boardwalk, or go up on the Dragondola. According to the official site, it is Japan's longest gondola, taking 25 minutes one way, costing 2,500 yen round trip, and operating from 9:15 to 16:30 (last descent at 17:00). Getting a bird's-eye view of the entire venue will change how you walk through the remaining two days.

2. Your shoes determine victory or defeat
This is the lesson from 1997. Sandals and brand-new shoes are a defeat. Wear broken-in shoes with good grip, or rain boots.

3. Have two sets of rain gear with separate tops and bottoms
Umbrellas cannot be used. There are times when ponchos do not function due to the wind. At an altitude of 1,000m, a wet body is the gateway to hypothermia.

4. Carry two mobile batteries
There is no charging service at the venue (officially stated). Maps, timetables, payments, and meeting up are all on your smartphone. The moment it dies, you are isolated.

5. Send your luggage ahead by courier service
You can send items from home to the venue, and from the venue to home (domestic shipping only). The official site recommends shipping by the Saturday of the week before the event. Coin lockers only take 100-yen coins and there are no change machines. Luggage storage is 1,500 yen per item per day.

6. Carry a headlamp
It keeps both hands free. On the night boardwalk and in the campsite, this is the most effective piece of equipment.

7. Choose only chairs and sheets that you can carry
Assembly-type outdoor chairs are not allowed. Even for foldable chairs that are allowed, leaving them unattended to save a spot is prohibited and they will be discarded. Always pack them up when moving.

8. Enter from the pre-party (7/23, free admission)
Bon dance, grand lottery, and fireworks. There is a secret gig at RED MARQUEE from 20:00 (performers announced on the day). Closes at 24:00. Getting your body used to the mountain air here will reduce your exhaustion on the first day.

9. Always mark your tent
The official site writes that every year, many people lose track of their spot in the vast campsite where identical tents are lined up.

10. Do not leave food in your tent
This is not a technique for enjoyment, but a technique for survival. I will write the reason in the next chapter.

[Important Notes] 6 points, in order of proximity to life-threatening risks

I will write this without sensationalism. Everything here is content officially announced by the organizers.

① Wild animals (announcements have been significantly strengthened since 2026)

The official guidelines explicitly state the possibility of encounters with bears, monkeys, and wild boars. Supervised by the NPO Niigata Wildlife Research.

• Do not attract them: Do not leave food or drinks inside the tent. Do not leave empty containers around the tent. Take raw garbage to the eco-station.

• Avoid them if you encounter them: Sudden movements, running away, screaming loudly, throwing objects.

• What to do if you encounter them: Do not turn your back, do not take your eyes off them, and slowly increase the distance. Move quietly to a safe place and inform the staff after they have left.

• If attacked: Protect your face, front of your neck, and abdomen with your arms, and lie face down on the ground if possible.

Refrain from moving alone at night or early in the morning. Do not enter forests or restricted areas. Make your presence known by talking or making noise while moving.

The organizers employ experts to drive away wildlife and have security guards patrol from before the event until it ends. Even so, it is a mountain.

② Insects (Bees/Ticks)

Specific countermeasures are listed in the official FAQ.

• Bees: Yellow and black stripes are the most dangerous. White clothing is relatively safe. Avoid strongly scented perfumes and cosmetics. If one approaches you, crouch down on the spot.

• Ticks: Wear bright, smooth fabrics that fit snugly against your skin. Tuck your pant hems into high-cut shoes or high socks. Check your entire body when you return to your accommodation. If you find one attached, do not crush it; use tweezers to pull it out, ideally within 4 hours.

The official site warns that if ticks carry pathogens, they can lead to scrub typhus or Lyme disease. If you develop a fever or skin symptoms after a bite, do not rely on your own judgment and please visit a medical institution.

③ Weather and Body Temperature

The event will be held rain or shine (except in the case of natural disasters). At an altitude of about 1000m, mountain weather changes easily, and temperature fluctuations are extreme. The official site explicitly lists hypothermia due to rain and wind as a risk.

Bring warm clothing even in July. Change if you get wet. First aid tents are available at OASIS (next to Information) from 9:00 AM to 5:00 AM the next day, and at the Green, White, and Heaven stages from 9:00 AM until the end of the performances. Endurance is not a virtue.

④ Transportation and Time

• After the performances end, you will not make the last train from Echigo-Yuzawa Station. There is no other public transportation.

• Echigo-Yuzawa Station is closed from midnight to 5:30 AM, and you cannot enter the premises.

• Sleeping outdoors around the venue or station is prohibited. Arriving by car without a parking pass is also prohibited.

• Parking on the street before the parking lot opens is a nuisance to local residents.

⑤ Venue Rules

• Smoking is prohibited throughout the venue. Smoking areas are located at YELLOW CLIFF, WHITE STAGE, ORANGE CAFÉ, and the campsite.

• Bringing in bottles and cans is prohibited (even if placed in a cooler box).

• Photographing, recording, or filming performing artists is prohibited. Bringing in recording equipment is prohibited.

• Mosh pits and stage diving are prohibited. It is clearly stated that accidents must be resolved between the parties involved.

• Fireworks and other explosives, bicycles, skateboards, kickboards, and pets are not allowed.

• The use of open flames at the campsite is prohibited (excluding MOON CARAVAN).

6. Ordinance regarding age

According to the Niigata Prefecture Youth Development Ordinance, those under 18 must return to their accommodation by 11:00 PM. This is not the organizer's wish, but an ordinance.

2026, a morning without the call

This year, the morning at the Green Stage was a little different.

Smiley Harashima, who had served as the MC for this venue since the first festival in 1997, passed away on January 6, 2026. He was 65 years old.

After Kiyoshiro Imawano's "Going Up The Country" played, the first thing to ring out in the morning was usually "FUJI ROCK!!". The official Fuji Rock social media accounts expressed the sadness of not being able to hear that call this year.

On July 24, the first act on the Green Stage began with the long name "ROUTE 17 Rock'n'Roll ORCHESTRA feat. Shinya Oe, Hiroto Komoto, Kenichi Asai, Tortoise Matsumoto THANKS, SMILEY HARASHIMA". They have inscribed the memorial into the official program name.

And the headliner for the final day, the 26th, is MASSIVE ATTACK.

In 1997, on that second day that vanished due to a typhoon, their name was on the second stage lineup. They did not perform that day.

They came in 2003. They came in 2010 and created a legend in the pouring rain. And now, for the third time in Naeba after 16 years, they stand at the pinnacle of the final night.

The band that was invited to the phantom second day will close out the final night 29 years later.

It is too perfect. But this place has lasted long enough for such things to happen.

The boards of the boardwalk grow old as they are stepped on. Someone replaces the old boards.

It is not a big deal. There is one place in this country that has simply continued to do that for 29 years.

This year's morning, that call is not there.

Instead, there is the sound of footsteps on the boards.

Thank you for reading until the end.

“Happily grasping information, enriching the brain and heart, and balancing mind and body.”

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About the membership “Design Room (tentative)”

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Once a specific date is decided, I will announce it here again. I appreciate your patience for a little while longer.

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The reason I will continue to write from now on

【Notes and Concerns】

• Verification required: The dates, prices, rules, and operating hours in this text are based on information confirmed on the official website as of July 25, 2026. These may change due to weather or operational decisions on the day, and the organizers explicitly state that “precautions and rules may be changed regardless of the timing or method of notification.” Please be sure to check the latest information on the official website before attending.

• Sections marked as [Inference]: The statement “If the overseas ratio goes from 10% to 20%, the role will change” is the author’s inference, not the organizer’s outlook. The overseas purchaser ratio (approx. 10%) and the number of sales countries (approx. 60) are based on the organizer’s views reported by The Japan Times and are not considered measured values.

• [Unknown/Verification required]: The final attendance figures for 2026 are unannounced at the time of writing. The mention of MASSIVE ATTACK in the lineup for the second day of the first festival in 1997 is based on the official history, but the details of the timetable for that day have not been confirmed.

• Regarding health and safety: Descriptions of insect bites or feeling unwell are summaries of official warnings from the organizers and are not medical advice. If you have a fever, skin symptoms, or feel unwell, please visit the first-aid tent at the venue or consult a medical institution after returning home. Always consult a doctor for symptoms you are unsure about.

• Regarding expressions: “The cleanest festival in the world,” “Japan’s longest gondola,” and “one of the largest in the country” are introductions of expressions used by organizers or in reports, and are not the author’s definitive judgments of superiority.

• Regarding rights: This article is limited to references that meet citation requirements (subordination, clear source, no modification, minimum necessity) and does not reprint articles, songs, or photos. “FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL,” the abbreviation “Fuji Rock,” and the logo are registered trademarks of Smash Corporation.

• Regarding priorities: I prioritized accurate recording of official rules and comprehensive safety information over word count goals.

• Laws, social media terms, service specifications, and prices are subject to change. The current events described in this article include assumptions as of 2026; always check primary sources before making important decisions.

• This article is based solely on personal experience, thoughts, and creative work (fiction).

• The people, occupations, ages, figures, situations, personal experiences, and episodes that appear include creative elements and dramatization for the sake of privacy protection and expressive necessity.

• All characters, groups, locations, names, and organizations appearing here are fictional and have no relation whatsoever to any real persons, groups, events, etc. Any resemblance to actual entities is purely coincidental.

• The cases described as personal experiences include reconstructions and abstractions of multiple instances and are not direct accounts of specific individuals' facts.

• Images are illustrations generated by AI (Gemini).

◇Click here for the disclaimer◆

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【Reference Materials & Sources (by Topic)】

Citations are limited to the extent that they meet the requirements (master-servant relationship, clear source attribution, no modifications, and minimum necessity), and facts are generally described in my own words. Please be sure to check primary sources for figures and regulations.

■ Primary Information | Official Organizer (Source to check first)

• FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL '26 Event Information (Dates, Tickets, Eve Festival, Access)
  https://www.fujirockfestival.com/info/index

• Same, Guidelines (Prohibited items, prohibited behavior, wildlife, precautions)
  https://www.fujirockfestival.com/guide/index

• Same, FAQ (Belongings, clothing, cashless, insect protection, lockers, courier service)
  https://www.fujirockfestival.com/faq/index

• Same, Area Guide / FACILITY (Boardwalk, Dragondola, OASIS, First Aid Tent, Smoking Area, ATM)
  https://www.fujirockfestival.com/area/facility?facility12

• Same, Lineup (2026 Performers, Performance Cancellation Notices)
  https://www.fujirockfestival.com/artist/index

• Same, History 1997 (Dates, Venue, 30,000 Attendance, 2nd Day Cancelled)
  https://www.fujirockfestival.com/history/1997

• Same, History Index (1997–2025 / Not held in 2020)
  https://www.fujirockfestival.com/history/index

• English Official Site (Share this with friends from overseas)
  https://en.fujirockfestival.com

• Organizer: SMASH Corporation
  http://smash-jpn.com/

■ History & Founder's Testimony

• Wedge ONLINE "Masahiro Hidaka, Promoter — Japanese festivals will only get more interesting"
  https://wedge.ismedia.jp/articles/-/17607?page=2

• Qetic "Looking back at the history of Fuji Rock! Part 1 (1997–2006)"
  https://qetic.jp/music/fujirock-pickup-2/196799/

• fujirockers.org"[Naeba 25th Anniversary Project (1)] Naeba Fuji Rock: The Origin"
  https://fujirockers.org/?p=20680

■ Attendance and Market Data

• WWDJAPAN "122,000 people attended 'Fuji Rock 2025' over four days"
  https://www.wwdjapan.com/articles/2173763

• Exhibition and MICE (eventbiz) "Fuji Rock Festival '25 mobilizes 120,000 people over four days"
  https://www.eventbiz.net/?p=160664

• Asahi Shimbun (distributed via Yahoo! News) "Fujii Kaze and XG at Fuji Rock; Hi-Standard returns after 27 years saying 'We're back'" *Source for Pia Research Institute's music festival market size and attendance figures
  https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/eca30fefe8abbd573e14a5fadf8ea9180debbe60

■ Overseas Attendance and Inbound Tourism

• The Japan Times "From far and wide, overseas visitors flock to Fuji Rock"
  https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/08/04/music/overseas-visitors-fuji-rock-festival/

• TheTicketingBusiness News "Fuji Rock festival rocks international visitors"
  https://www.theticketingbusiness.com/2025/08/fuji-rock-festival-rocks-international-visitors/

■ 2026 Event Status

• FASHIONSNAP "Fuji Rock Festival '26 kicks off, featuring 180 acts including The xx and Fujii Kaze"
  https://www.fashionsnap.com/article/2026-07-24/fujirock-2026-opening/

• WWDJAPAN "[Snap] 'Fuji Rock 2026' kicks off" *Temperature and weather on the first day
  https://www.wwdjapan.com/articles/2458080

• fujirockers.org"[FRF'26 ARTIST PICKUP vol.3] MASSIVE ATTACK"
  https://fujirockers.org/?p=25561

• Skream! 'MASSIVE ATTACK, YouTube special program to commemorate their Fuji Rock appearance'
  https://skream.jp/news/2026/07/massive_attack_youtube.php

■ About Smiley Harashima

• ORICON NEWS 'Smiley Harashima passes away at 65'
  https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2430192/full/

• Music Natalie 'Smiley Harashima passes away at 65, served as Fuji Rock Green Stage MC for many years'
  https://natalie.mu/music/news/655878

• fujirockers.org'To Smiley Harashima'
  https://fujirockers.org/?p=25243

■ Zero Waste / NGO Village

• NGO VILLAGE Official Website
  https://ngovillage.net/

#ThingsWeCanDoForTheFuture