Fuji Rock Fesival 2010

In June, I sent a quick email over to Dylan...

"This would be so awesome!"
http://www.smash-uk.com/frf10/lineup.html

Who knew that we would book a last minute trip to Japan and make our way over to rural Niigata for the Fuji Rock Festival. I've been wanting to go for years, but timing, weather and the thought of camping in Japan never really enticed any of my friends. Thank God I married someone like Dylan.

After a couple of nights in Tokyo, Dylan and I grabbed our backpacks and our $29.95 tent from Target and made our way northwest.



It only took 75 minutes to get from Tokyo to the Echigo Yuzawa train station on the shinkansen.



After arriving to the Echigo Yuzawa station, we had to stand in line to hop on a 45-minute shuttle to get to the Naeba Ski Resort where the Fuji Rock Festival takes place.



Like thousands of others, we arrived to the Fuji Rock Festival a day before the actual festival commenced in order to get a nice, cozy and FLAT spot for our tent. That's us, the red $29.95 tent from Target. Dylan managed to pitch our tent within minutes under pouring Niigata rain. Thanks Dylan.



Within a couple of hours, prime flat land has been taken and all that is left are spots on a slope.



If there's any music festival to go to, Japan has to be the cleanest. There were "WOMEN ONLY" toilets and they NEVER smelled.



Don't forget to store your valuables in the Coin Rocker.



After pitching our tent, Dylan and I took a long nap during some of the heaviest rainfall that weekend. We woke up around 10pm, totally dazed and confused. It was still pouring, but we were both extremely hungry.



Thank God the food stalls were all up and running. Ramen in the rain!



The next morning we woke up to this, beautiful forested mountains.









My favorite breakfast, simple donburi with an onsen (boiled for 30 seconds) egg.



On rainy mornings, Dylan would run out and fetch breakfast. There's nothing like breakfast in a tent.





Dylan made a some new friends working the stands. This kid Daisuke is Tupac's biggest fan.



Off to the Fuji Rock Festival!



This is seriously the cleanest festival in the world. Everyday they would pass out these bags (made from last year's PET bottles) to help keep the forest clean. D and I used it to lie down on when we needed to pass out on the lawn. Everyone passes out at the Fuji Rock Festival.



Even smokers are clean. Portable ashtrays!



Like I said, you'll never go hungry at Fuji Rock.















Some of the best chicken sausage I've ever had.



This is the salt they used to season the sausages.



Yakitori all day long.





Freaky pinwheel sausages.





Cheapest snack for 100 yen. Cucumber & miso.



Wood-fire pizza.


Tons of ramen.



Of course, if you want to save money, you can bring your own portable bbq and bincho.





When we weren't eating and catching performances, Dylan and I cooled down by the river.





Every now and then, we would stop and say, "Wow, I still can't believe we're here."

The greatest part of the Fuji Rock Festival and our main reason for coming is to watch some of our favorite bands in another land. We had an amazing time partying with the adorable Japanese fans.



Local Natives



LCD Soundsystem



Vampire Weekend



Dirty Projectors



Them Crooked Vultures



Atoms For Peace



You'll find that after long nights of partying until 6am, people get sleepy.











After four rainy and muddy nights, Dylan and I were ready to head back to civilization. We survived our first international music festival and four nights of marriage in a cramped tent. High-five.



Special thanks to these portable chairs. They saved our lives.



Last goodbyes to friends we made.



Goodbye to our local drinking friends.



Back on the bus at 5am.

Heading back to Tokyo and then off to Hokkaido...

Thanks for reading!