If the lackluster response to Fuji Rock Festival's lineup announcements and the closure of at least one of its stages suggests looming trouble for Japan's festival scene, there is one rival that has gone from strength to strength: the domestically focused Rock in Japan.
The festival's parent magazine, Rockin'On Japan, has already seen plenty of rival magazines fall by the wayside, even as the Internet threatens to pull the rug out from under the industry. It has consolidated its position of power and influence at the heart of the rock-branded portion of the music industry with a vertically integrated business model based around the three Ps: production (Jackman Records), promotion (the Rock in Japan and Countdown Japan festivals) and propaganda (Rockin'On and the RO69 website).
In an interview with The Japan Times earlier this month, Rockin'On supremo Yoichi Shibuya was keen to emphasize his work in ensuring the festival is as accessible as possible, smoothing out the kinks that can make other festivals intimidating experiences.
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