Saitama City Area Guide

Japan loves a seasonal excuse to party, but for the music lovers, summer is where it’s at. As the mercury rises, so do the opportunities to catch a music festival -- here's a list of the best events showcasing acts from Japan and abroad. On top of big-name events like Fuji Rock and Summer Sonic, there are plenty of other opportunities to catch your favorite rock, pop, and anime music artists this summer. Here are our top festivals happening in Japan over the next few months. Also read: International Musicians Touring Japan 1. Fuji Rock Festival July 25–27 Naeba Ski Resort, Niigata General admission tickets – Nature, family-friendly vibes, popular artists, tasty food What to expect Arguably Japan’s most well-known (and often wettest) music festival, Fuji Rock has been a favorite of Japan’s music and nature lovers for nearly 30 years. The 2025 event will see the debut Fuji Rock appearance from king of city pop Yamashita Tatsuro, as well as performances from established international artists like Vampire Weekend, Fred Again, and Vulfpeck, all amongst the trees and mountains of Naeba Ski Resort. Accommodation bookings are usually required months in advance, but camping tickets and one-day tickets are still easy to get your hands on. Getting there Train Shinkansen is the most convenient way to travel to Fuji Rock. The Jōetsu Shinkansen will get you from Tokyo Station to Echigo-Yuzawa Station in around 90 minutes. From there, you’ll jump on a shuttle bus to the festival grounds, which takes around 40 minutes, costs for the round trip, and leaves fairly regularly. Car If you’re driving, you’ll need to buy parking tickets in addition to your festival ticket. Three-day festival ticket holders should take the Tsukiyono Interchange from the Kanetsu expressway to the main S and A parking areas. One-day ticket holders should take the Yuzawa Interchange to the outer parking areas, and catch a free shuttle to the festival grounds. Tour bus packages are also available via the festival website. 2. Summer Sonic Festival August 16–17 ZOZO Marine Stadium and Makuhari Messe (Chiba) and Expo ’70 Commemorative Park (Osaka) General admission tickets – Diverse pop, rock, hip-hop, EDM, and J-pop artists What to expect Next on the list of big-hitting international music festivals in Japan is Summer Sonic. More of an inner-city affair, the Tokyo event is split amongst multiple stages in and around Makuhari Messe and Zozo Marine Stadium in Chiba. In Osaka, Summer Sonic is held over four main stages in Expo ‘70 Commemorative Park. The festival is held concurrently over two days in both cities, with most artists performing one day in each. The event is known for its diverse line-ups, and this year is no different, with headliners Fall Out Boy and Alicia Keys appearing in both cities, and other big names including The Prodigy, Bloc Party, and Babymetal. Getting there Public transport is the best way to go in both cities. A rapid train from Tokyo Station to Kaihin Makuhari Station on the JR Keiyō Line will take you around 30 minutes. In Osaka, catch the monorail to Banpaku-Kinen-Kōen Station, around 45 minutes and one transfer from Shin-Osaka Station. 3. Rising Sun Rock Festival August 15-16 Ishikari Bay New Port, Otaru, Hokkaido General admission – All-night outdoor Japanese rock and pop festival in Hokkaido’s cool summer air What to expect Since 1999, those in the know have made the trek to Ishikari in Hokkaido for the Rising Sun Rock Festival. Japan’s first all-night outdoor rock festival, the event sees a huge line-up of artists perform across five stages right up to Sunday morning’s sunrise. Celebrating the 25th iteration of the event in 2025, organizers have pulled no punches, with a line-up including festival favorites such as Asian Kung-Fu Generation, Mono No Aware, Toe, Shiina Ringo, Satoko Shibata, and DYGL. Camping is available on site, and a range of one- or multi-day admission and camping tickets are on sale. Getting there By car, the festival grounds are around 80 minutes from New Chitose Airport, or 40 minutes from JR Sapporo Station. Public transport and official tour options are also available via the festival website. 4. Tokyo Idol Festival (TIF) August 1–3 Odaiba and Aomi, Koto General admission – The world’s largest celebration of Japanese idol culture What to expect Tokyo Idol Festival returns to Odaiba this summer for its 15th anniversary. First held in Shinagawa in 2010, the festival has been held in Odaiba ever since, consistently attracting up to 200 idol groups and as many as 90,000 attendees. This year’s event will see a special reunion performance from legendary idol group Idoling!!!, showcase performances for up-and-coming acts, meet-and-greet sessions, and heaps more. Advance tickets are now on sale. Getting there The Tokyo Idol Festival takes place over numerous stages in the Odaiba and Aomi area. From Tokyo Station, you can take the JR Yamanote Line to Shimbashi and then take the Yurikamome to Aomi or Tokyo Teleport stations. From Shibuya or Shinjuku, take the JR Saikyo/Rinkai Line directly to Tokyo Teleport Station. The festival area is within walking distance of both stations. 5. Animelo Summer Live (ANISAMA) August 29–31 Saitama Super Arena, Saitama General admission per day The world’s biggest anime song festival What to expect Yet another summer festival celebrating a major milestone in 2025 is the Animelo Summer Live, affectionately known as Anisama. Recognised as the world's biggest anime music festival, Anisama celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, and takes place over three days at Saitama Super Arena. The event will mark a total of over 1 million attendees and 900 artists over its 20-year history, with over 50 artists performing, including LiSA (Sword Art Online, Demon Slayer), Yoko Ishida (Sailor Moon), and FLOW (Naruto). Tickets for those residing in Japan are currently available for lottery application from per day. Cheaper ticket options are available on Saturday and Sunday, but you may have trouble seeing the stage from some seats. This year is also the first time that tickets are available to overseas customers (at a premium), and they're currently available for purchase from per day. Getting there Saitama Super Arena is a roughly 3-minute walk from Saitama Shintoshin Station on the JR Keihin Tohoku, Utsunomiya, and Takasaki lines. It’s a 7-minute walk from Kita-Yono Station on the JR Saikyo Line. 6. Rock in Japan Festival September 13, 14, 15, 20, 21 Soga Sports Park, Chiba General admission per day The largest annual rock event in Japan What to expect Fans of J-Rock, J-Pop, and K-Pop will be heading to Chiba this September for the Rock in Japan Festival, the country’s largest annual rock event. Typically held in August, this year’s event is moving to September to avoid the heat (a bit). Taking place over two weekends, the event centers on both established and emerging Japanese rock and pop artists, and this year's event includes over 100 acts, including familiar names like ME:I, Asian Kung-Fu Generation, IS:SUE, Chilli Beans, Vaundy, LiSA, aiko, and Morning Musume. Single-day general admission tickets are per day, and multi-day discount packages are also available. Getting there Soga Sports Park is an 8-minute walk from JR Soga Station on the Keiyō Line. Shuttle buses will also be available between JR Chiba, JR Chiba Minato, and Keisei Chibadera stations and the venue in the morning and evening. While we do our best to ensure it's correct, information is subject to change.

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