“Hajimemashite,” starts Mumford, wearing his shiny belt buckle with the embossed letter “M.” Maybe it stands for Mumford, or maybe it stands for mountains of Naeba, or for the black and white print backdrop hanging behind them.  Bringing mountain music to the mountains, though just in case there aren’t any real mountains, the guys bring their own. It goes well with their song “Timshel,” too.

Their second song, debut hit single “Little Lion Man” starts in and already it and the four handsome horsemen are a hit with their fans at Fuji Rock. Four fellows up front and no drums as yet, but you don’t miss a percussionist since the song has such a strong drive and string-based rhythm.

Then to fill out the sound, some new fellows come out to assist in the rhythm section drumming and shaking, two fiddlers on “White Blank Page” as well, and before you know it there is a horn section (introduced as Nick, Dave and Rich) popping out of the woodwork for “Winter Winds,” piano on some, and Mumford himself hops on the drums, “C’mon Fuji Rock!” These guys with just two albums under their belts are world-class performers. What energy and intensity, wow.

Romping, foot stomping, raw harmonies, the whole nine, first Skinny Lister and now Mumford and Sons representing in full force and beckoning appraisal of the London folk revival scene as it explodes on stages round the world with new blood, and carrying on centuries old musical traditions with it.

Those holding out for “The Cave” are rewarded, and chant along “I will hold on hope” with reckless abandon.

The intensity of “I Gave You All” and “Thistle and Weeds” sweeps across the crowd and fades into the stoic pine trees beyond, seamless as Mumford and Sons music really fits just right in the mountains.

Consider a moment you don’t understand the poetry-laden lyrics in English and just feel the weight and emotion in these songs, a state in which much of the Japanese audience may very well be, lacking the language skills necessary to grip the literary meanings and metaphors. That said, most tracks off Sigh No More, an album having gone so many times platinum whose songs bear such triumphant overtones, seem to speak volumes to the human soul, regardless what language you speak.

“Roll Away Your Stone” sees a return to the four core members, stage front and evenly spaced, each rocking their own pieces wildly which all fit into the puzzle perfectly.

Next the guys invite some friends to the stage to help sing “Awake My Soul.” HAIM, who played in the Red Marquee come out to share the mic and lend a rich and tender harmony the way only female vocals can. And who knows, maybe we witnessed a little innocent musical match making right before our very eyes? (I am just speculating for the sake of it here, Fuji Rock Express is not a tabloid.)

“Kore wa nihon hajimete totemo tanoshii,” says Mumford in an excellent go at Japanese, as this is in fact the young bands first time here. What a great introduction then on the biggest stage of the biggest festival in the country! Although, I really think their set should have been a lot longer. In hindsight now, I think headliners on the same stage The Cure should have given up thirty minutes or an hour for the four horsemen of Mumford and Sons to get into a gnarly sunset groove.

While Sigh No More is an incredible album, hearing some more new material and giving the guys room to jam out with their folksy bluegrass roots would only have added to the performance; maybe next year?