Tatsuro Yamashita: Green Stage has never been so crowded, giving evidence to support the idea that much of this year’s sold-out audience came to visit the founder of “City Pop.” Considering his status in Japan’s music industry and the likelihood of healthy streaming royalties, he probably didn’t have to perform. But he did, and we are all the better for it.
And so is Fuji Rock.

Past sell-outs have been associated with the one-two punch of Beastie Boys and Red Hot Chili Peppers. But having a homegrown legend grace the stage drew an older crowd that wouldn’t otherwise attend the festival.It also added cultural significance to the role of Fuji Rock in Japan’s music scene, not only birthing new bands but also honoring legends. In recent years this has grown in importance with tribute acts like Route 17 Rock and Roll Orchestra and the final show of the festival stage, the 1950s Western Caravan Orchestra.

From the first notes of “Donut Song” to the last duet with his wife, Mariya Takeuchi, “Plastic Love,” he brought all of the charm and warmth gleaned over 50 years of performing. All of this was done with a fine voice and no distraction, as cameras were largely trained on him and broadcast his image on giant screens the entire show.

Blue Galaxy: Both a central location and a consistently solid stream of well-curated tunes coming from the vinyl decks made the Blue Galaxy one of the most enjoyable places to hang out at the festival. Rows of snowboards turned into benches accentuated the chill factor at this venue, which was sorely lacking elsewhere.

What started as Jim West’s marathon of 45s (Jim Vinylasium) has morphed into a solid lineup of spinners, or a who’s who of the Tokyo vinyl scene. DJs come dressed and ready, be it the dark hat and colors of Dr. Ihara’s ska-punk curation or the open-shirted reggae of Naoki Ienaga.

While the speaker’s position changed a little this year, and by the end of the festival the ground under the tent had been trampled into mud, this was one of my favorite feel-good places at the festival.If you thought the festival had too much live music and musicians trying just a little too hard to impress, this was the place to unwind and just move to the rhythm.

Parlor Greens: Formed just a year ago, Parlor Greens are on a sublime rocketship to stardom. Funk, soul, and blues is not wasted on this talented trio who take their craft very seriously, refusing to wear in ear monitors and simply listening to each other on stage.

Guitarist Jimmy James is also one of a kind, playing just two guitars much of his life and skipping all effects to plug straight into an amp with a coiled lead. There’s no frills in his set up but his playing is all smoke and fire.

The band were also eager to play the opening party on Thursday, and then walk across the parking lot to Joe’s Garage to hang out with staff and concert goers into the early hours of the evening. James says he’s inspired by all the greats and carries the great tradition of improvise and playing from the soul.

Fuji Staff: It takes a lot of people to run a festival, and everything from the front gate to the security to the sound was spot on this year. I was happy to see the festival relax a little when it came to photographing the performers, as well as further leeway, such as fewer bracelet checks on pathways, which helped make the festival feel a little freer.

Also, sound crews at the festival’s smaller stages really stepped up their game. This includes the Naeba Shokudu stage, which started as a few speakers mounted to the back of a noodle shop but now has a fully functioning live-house sound system. It’s needed, as much as crowds at nearby Red Marquee have doubled in recent years, with audiences stretching as far back as the road.

Sound was uniformly good throughout the festival with little hiccup aside from Fred Again, which was delayed for one hour. But even this delay was announced in advance, with a restart occurring on time. Even with a major scheduling change, Fuji Rock was right on time.