Fuji Rock Festival ’09

The 12th annual Fuji Rock Festival is Japan’s largest outdoor festival and will take place from July 24th through the 26th at Naeba Ski Resort in Niigata Prefecture, part of the Chubu region of Japan.  The original festival was held near Mt. Fuji in 1997 and retained the name despite moving to Naeba in 1999.

Over 100,000 people will attend the event to see headliners Franz Ferdinand, The Killers, and Weezer.  Other artists announced June 2nd include:

Altan Urag, THE BIRTHDAY, BOIKOT, CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH, CRAZE & KLEVER, Dachambo, DE DE MOUSE, DJ TASAKA, esne beltza, JET, nakamura mari, NEWDEAL X TAMAKI ROY, ROVO, YUKIHIRO TAKAHASHI, animanimus, bouzumans, THE CENTERHITS, THE DESCRIPTIONS, gekitetsu, Harp On Mouth Sextet, Jaribu Afrobeat Arkestra, KATE SIKORA, kowarekakeno tape recorders, mahiruno, nenem, reito, SuiseiNoboAz, taizan ni asobu and uchikubi gokumon doukoukai.

“High up in the mountains, far away from city life and daily grind, you’ll love this festival and it’s unique atmosphere.”

Various Fuji Rock Festival Tours including accommodations and transportation from 16 cities in Japan can be booked in advance.  Access to the Fuji Rock Festival site and accommodations in the area can also be arranged independently. Free shuttle buses will operate between Echigo-Yuzawa station (about 1.5 hours outside of Tokyo by train) and the festival site.

Fuji Rock Festival ’09 Event Details

Dates: July 24(Fri), 25(Sat), 26(Sun) 2009
Hours: Gate Open 9:00 / Stage starts 11:00 / Stage close 23:00
Tickets: 3-day tickets: ¥39,800; 1-day tickets:  ¥16,800 (limited to 10,000/day) Pre-booking for all ticket types closes June 5th and regular sales will start on Saturday June 6th.
Car park pass: ¥3,000/car/day for 2+ persons (Not sold separately from entrance tickets)
Campsite ticket: ¥3,000 valid for festival period (Not sold separately from entrance tickets)

Summer Sonic 2009

The 10th annual Summer Sonic is held in two different cities over the weekend of August 7-9, 2009.  The artists will perform in Osaka on Maishima Island and at Chiba Marine Stadium and Makuhari Messe, approximately 40 minutes outside of Tokyo.

Headlines include Beyonce, Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance, Nine Inch Nails, Limp Bizkit, Elvis Costello and The Imposters, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts and Lady Gaga/Klaxons among others.  The list of artists performing at Summer Sonic 2009 is impressive.

Tickets range in price from ¥13,000 for a one day ticket to ¥39,500 for a three day pass. Summer Sonic 2009 Tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased online.

Rising Sun Rock Festival 2009

Taking place in Ezo, Hokkaido on August 14th & 15th, the Rising Sun Rock Festival is an outdoor event featuring a line up of Japan’s contemporary artists covering a range of genres including rock, AOR, alternative, industrial, techno, jazz, ska and more.

Tickets range in price from ¥18,000 to ¥21,000 plus camping and parking if needed.  Tickets to the Rising Sun Rock Festival are currently on preorder.  Regular ticket sales start on June 27th.

Image Credit: Flickr, Fuji0037 & Chiba Marine Stadium: The Verve

To learn more about the history of Japanese transportation you will want to visit some of these great museum locate in various areas of the country.

Trains

The first railway line in Japan commenced operations in 1872 and linked Shinbashi and Yokohama.  Today, if you attached all of the train tracks in Japan together they would take you two-thirds of the way around the world or approximately 27 thousand kilometers.

Learn about the history of Japan’s train system at the impressive Railway Museum in Saitama City, Chiba Prefecture (approximately 45 minutes out side of Tokyo) or at the  Modern Transpiration Museum in Osaka.

Bicycles

The first company to produce bicycles in Japan was Miyata Industry Co. who began bicycle production in 1890 and is still in operation.  Today the bicycle is the most common means used for running errands in and around your neighborhood and for commuting to the nearest train station.

Learn more about the history of this human powered form of transportation at the Bicycle Museum & Cycle Center near Osaka.

Cars

The first domestically produced gasoline powered vehicle in Japan was the Takuri, built in the early 1900′s, but Japan relied heavily on imported vehicles until the start of WWII.  Today, many people in Japan do not own cars and rely on the efficient and sprawling train network to get around.

Visit the Toyota Automobile Museum in Nagoya or the Classic Car Museum in Hakodate, Hokkaido to learn more about the history of the automobile in Japan and the see the first Takuri produced.

Other Modes of Transportation

Prior to the industrialization and modernization of Japan’s transportation system the most common means of transportation was on foot or on horseback.  Eventually the rickshaw and the palanquin were imported from other parts of Asia.

The Edo Tokyo Museum offers a visitors some insight into these forms of transportation and life in the days of Edo.  Until February 1, 2009 you can also see the special Beautiful Palanquins exhibit at the museum.

As an island nation, Japan has always relied on water transportation and the Michinoku Traditional Wooden Boat Museum in Aomori (Tohoku region of Japan)offers exhibits and information on ancient boat building techniques use in Japan.

Image Credit:  Wikimedia, Kuruma zukushi

A day at Sumo begins around 8AM when the newest sumo wrestlers participate in a test competition called maezumo which earns them the right to to be listed on the banzuke, or official rankings, for the next tournament.  Next, the lower ranked wrestlers in the Jonokuchi and Makunuchi divisions compete.

Although tickets are good for the entire day many spectators choose not to arrive until around 2:30PM when the Juryo division performs the dohyo-iri, or formal ring entering ceremony. These wrestlers have earned the right to wear richly embroidered ceremonial silk aprons called kesho-mawashi that are beautiful to behold and can cost anywhere from 400,000 to 500,000 yen ($4,000-$5,000 USD).  The matches in this division are then contested followed by the official opening address at 3:30PM.  Just before 4PM the sumo wrestlers of the Makuuchi division perform their dohyo-iri and compete.

Apart from the actual matches, the highlight of the day and the most visually impressive ceremony is the Yokozuna dohyo-iri.  There are two Yokuzuna, or grand champions, and each man makes his entrance wearing a massive braided hemp rope over his kesho-mawashi that weighs between 25 to 35 pounds that is tied in an elaborate bow at the back and ornamented in the front with strips of paper hanging in a zigzag pattern. The yokuzuna is attended by a senior gyoji (referee) and two other wrestlers, one carrying a ceremonial sword.

The concluding rite of the day is the “bow dance” which became part of Sumo custom sometime during the Edo Period when a winning wrestler was awarded a prize of a bow and to express his satisfaction and appreciation performed this dance.

The banzuke or official rankings for the first tournament of 2009 will be issued on December 24th. Written in Kanji on washi paper, rankings can be purchased for around Y100 (US $1) at the stadium office and make a great souvenir when framed.

If you won’t be in Tokyo to catch the January 2009 tournament you may be able to arrange a trip to coincide with one of the other five Grand Tournaments scheduled throughout the year.

2009 Grand Sumo Tournament Schedule:

March 15-29 at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium – advance tickets go on sale February 8th.

May 10-24 at the Ryogoku Kokugikan – advance tickets go on sale April 11th.

July 12-26 at the Aichi Prefectural Gymnasion in Nagoya – advance tickets go on sale May 14th.

September 13-27 at the Ryogoku Kokugikan- advance tickets go on sale August 8th.

November 15-29 at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center – - advance tickets go on sale October 10th.

January 2009 Grand Sumo Tournament Event Details:

Dates: January 11-25, 2009
Ticket Information: Prices range from Y3,600 for a single seat to Y61,800 for a box that holds 6 people. Tickets can be purchased at the venue or by phone.
Venue: Ryogoku Kokugikan – Tokyo, a 2 minute walk from Ryogoku station on the JR Sobu Line
Times:  From 8AM  – 6PM each day

#1 Shinjuku, Tokyo

The New York bar where Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson enjoyed cocktails in the movie Lost in Translation offers great views of the Tokyo skyline from Shinjuku.  Approximately 2 million people move through Shinjuku’s vast train station each day and it is the portal to a busy business area populated by modern skyscrapers and fashionable department stores.  One of Tokyo’s best parks, Shinjuku Gyoen is also located in Shinjukju and you can get a taste for Tokyo’s red-light nightlife in Kabukicho (learn about recently released audio tour of Shinjuku at Ping Mag).

#2 Ginza, Tokyo

Ginza is to Tokyo what 5th Avenue is to New York.  This famous shopping district is famous for it’s grand nightly display of colorful neon and almost every luxury store that you can imagine.  The area is also home to some great western style and modern architecture and the main street in closed to traffic on weekend afternoons which make being seen that much easier – because being seen or saying that you have been to Ginza has a certain cache worldwide. (Ginza map)

#3 Shibuya, Tokyo

Shibuya is full of trendy and cool stores that cater to Tokyo’s younger generation.  The famous Hachiko Crossing is one of the busiest intersections in the world and is home to large video screens, funky billboards and one of Starbucks busiest stores in the world.  Catch the energy of the area with a walk around Shibuya.

#4 Harajuku, Tokyo

Gothic Lolitas and Japanese Princesses will vie for you attention in Harajuku.  Takeshita Dori is home to stores that cater to the areas denizens and also offers insight into trendy Tokyo street fashion. In start contrast, only a short distance away from the cutting edge of the Tokyo youth scene you will find the peaceful confines of the Meiji Jingu Shrine. (Harajuku walking map)

#5 Asakusa, Tokyo

Asakusa’s Senso-ji temple and Nakamise Dori, a shopping street leading up to it are well worth visiting on any trip to Tokyo.  The area is also home to a number of famous tempura restaurants an is a short walk from the Kappabashi wholesale district where you can pick up beautiful Japanese dishes, ceramics, iron tea kettles, knives and even one of the plastic food replicas that you will find in almost every restaurant window in Japan.  Asakusa is also the place where you can embark on a cruise of the Sumida river. (Asakusa area map)

#6 Ueno, Tokyo

Ueno Park is home to a zoo, a number of temples, some of Tokyo’s best museums and is one of city’s most famous areas for viewing the Cherry Blossoms each spring.  Just outside the park is Ameya-yokocho, a bustling street market filled with tiny shops and vendors’ carts – pick up a local snack or souvenir or simply stop for a refreshment after a stroll through the park. (Ueno Walking Map)

#7 The Rest Of Tokyo

There is a lot to see in this city with a population that exceeds 12 million and is divided into 23 separate wards.  Other areas that made this roundup of the most popular sights in Tokyo are the ultra modern cities within the city: Roppongi Hills, Tokyo Midtown and Odaiba.  To get a glimpse of how royalty lives you may also want to consider a visit to the Imperial Palace, home to the Emperor of Japan, and the adjacent gardens.

#8 Yokohama

A beautiful port town about a half an hour outside of Tokyo by train, Yokohama is home to one of the biggest Chinatowns in the world and some great examples of foreign architecture.  The Minato Mirai area is home to a modern shopping area and a Ferris Wheel that offers a stunning view of the bay.  See these and all of the other great tourist spots that Yokohama has to offer.

#9 Kyoto

Kyoto can be described as the cradle of Japanese history and culture. Once the capital, Kyoto has an amazing number of ancient temples, shrines, traditional buildings and excellent museums that are well worth visiting.  Kyoto is one of the most beautiful places in Japan and is well deserving of a spot on this list.

#10 Osaka

Osaka, two-and-a-half hours from Tokyo by shinkansen, is home to traditional architecture and the famous Osaka Castle.  About 40 minutes away is Himeji Castle, a World Heritage Site built from the 14th to 17th centuries and nearby Kobe is home to the world famous beef of the same name.  Visit the Osaka and Kobe tourism websites to learn more about theses great cities.

Returning visitors are a bit more adventurous and head for some of the other regions of Japan to enjoy great skiing and hiking in Hokkaido or some of the areas well know for their onsens or spas.  With the slowing of the worldwide economy and an underdeveloped tourism infrastructure Japan has it’s work cut out to increase the number of tourists that visit each year.

I hope that the Visit Japan Campaign is successful as it will allow visitors and foreign residents to learn more about areas of Japan that would otherwise remain undiscovered.

Image Credit:  Personal Collection, Flickr, Sensō-ji Temple (Asakusa, Tokyo) & Japan – May 12th 2007 – Himeji and Osaka Castle 036