On the face of it, the lineup for this year's Fuji Rock Festival has not been kind to Japanese artists, with representation on the higher profile stages confined to such stalwarts as melodic punk rocker Ken Yokoyama and dance duo Boom Boom Satellites. The lack of any real challenge to these oldies' dominance is either an indictment of the ambition of the younger generation of musicians, or more likely of an increasingly conservative music industry.
On the other hand, what seems to be happening over recent years is that a growing number of more interesting, experimental or just plain quirky local artists have been able to creep in around the edges of the festival.
Just as youth doesn't necessarily signify energy and vibrancy (Asian Kung-Fu Generation are still in their early 30s, but have sounded middle-aged since they were teenagers), age doesn't have to mean plodding tedium, a fact best exemplified by the marvelous Hikashu.
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