Eastern Japan Rock Festival Information List [2025–2026]

This historic festival in Kushiro, Hokkaido began in 1985. It started by turning the troublesome sea fog—something the locals often contend with—into a unique event theme. Highlights include not only live performances by artists, but also food stalls and kitchen cars from local shops offering delicious fare, as well as a sound-and-light fog laser show in collaboration with DJs. Since 2021, there have also been booths where you can experience glamping and day-trip camping. It’s well worth the trip: enjoy music and food while taking in the natural surroundings!

Speaking of Fuji Rock, it’s one of Japan’s three major music festivals. It’s a large outdoor rock festival that draws over 100,000 attendees across three days every year. The venue is Naeba Ski Resort in Niigata Prefecture. You can enjoy a wide range of musical genres across stages of various sizes, and at night there are all-night DJ events—truly a festival where you can immerse yourself in music. Plus, just being at a festival set in the great outdoors is enough to get your heart racing. If you’re a music fan, it’s a festival you should attend at least once.

Bugsami is a summer festival organized by the visual kei rock band BugLug, bringing together visual kei artists. It began in 2018, held its first outdoor edition in 2022, and has been steadily expanding in scale. The lineup, featuring acts connected to BugLug, draws attention every year. There are also attendee-exclusive programs that make it well worth the trip for visitors. With accommodation plans available, you can enjoy the event at a relaxed pace.

JOIN ALIVE has been held every year since 2010 at Iwamizawa Park, which features an open-air music hall and the Hokkaido Greenland amusement park. You sometimes hear about music festivals held at amusement parks, but a unique feature of JOIN ALIVE is that you can actually enjoy the rides there as well. This means families can attend without younger children getting bored. Admission is also free for junior high school students and younger, so this event may inspire many children to fall in love with music.

Japan’s number one yakiniku town is hosting a rock festival! Yakiniku and music that bring smiles to people’s faces. The lineup is as sizzling hot as the barbecue itself! Whatever your definition of rock, let’s share a hot and exciting time together! At the venue on the day, there will be a zone where you can enjoy yakiniku empty-handed—just show up and dig in.

This event, held since 2009 under the name KESEN ROCK, wasn’t started by band members or event promoters but by ordinary people. It’s said to be “an event entirely handmade without even knowing what a rock festival is,” and, D.

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