Red Hot Chili Peppers turn up the heat as Summer Sonic pulls out all the stops ahead of 2020 hiatus
It has always been a mystery why Summer Sonic is not held in the relative cool of June or July, but at the very height of summer, when the August sun beats down upon the festival’s outdoor stages or typhoons power through the country, threatening disruption and cancellations to the event’s packed schedule.
And yet, each year, countless music lovers descend upon the Tokyo and Osaka iterations of the three-day festival, which this year celebrated its 20th anniversary before a planned hiatus for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Though actual celebrations of the anniversary were in short supply on the ground, this year’s lineup was a bumper one, with a plethora of stadium-filling acts on a roster with excellent depth, including international superstars Red Hot Chili Peppers, home favorites Sakanaction, kawaii-metal darlings Babymetal, pop-duo The Chainsmokers and B’z, the best-selling Japanese group in history.
It was the Friday shows that suffered the worst from Typhoon Krosa, with Tokyo’s Beach Stage being canceled due to winds whipping up the sand on the beach into blinding dust storms. For the rest of the weekend, the main difficulty was the heat — a number of attendees were seen fainting with heat-related ailments over the weekend. And with temperatures approaching 37 degrees celsius in the shade, a special mention must go to the sadist who printed this year’s Summer Sonic T-shirt on black.
Highlights of the festival included neo soul and jazz prodigy Robert Glasper’s collaboration with Yasiin Bey (the artist formerly known as Mos Def), which was notable as much for its relentless groove as its juxtaposition with heavy metal outfit Maximum the Hormone, which played to a packed out Marine Stage immediately before Glasper’s enviable quintet; this year’s lineup catered to everyone.
News On Japan - Nov 26
A 29-year-old man has been arrested for meeting an underage teen girl, with sexual intent, after sending her messages, promising to make her "the happiest in the world".
News On Japan - Nov 25
A JR West Japan train conductor has been arrested for secretly filming eight women in the toilet of the express train "Haruka" while on duty.
NHK - Nov 24
Japanese police are investigating a stabbing incident that took place at a music arena in Yokohama City, south of Tokyo, on Thursday.
News On Japan - Nov 23
In the sidestreets of Tokyo's entertainment district, Kabukicho, known as "To-Yoko," there has been rampant abuse of over-the-counter cough medicine by young people wanting to experience 'overdose', that is, being completely incapacitated.
News On Japan - Nov 23
A wild boar that ran riot in a school in northern Japan on Thursday, smashing windows and frightening students and parents, is still on the loose in a residential area in Sendai, with local police receiving about 20 reports.
News On Japan - Nov 22
The first-ever competition to determine the world's best at trash collection has been held, with representatives from 21 countries gathering in Tokyo.
News On Japan - Nov 22
Streets littered with heaps of garbage, even spilling onto the opposite sidewalks, have become a pressing issue in Kamata, Tokyo, where local eateries line the streets.
NHK - Nov 22
The BBC has included a former member of Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force who spoke out about sexual violence within her unit in its annual list of 100 women for 2023.
News On Japan - Nov 21
Sales of the "Year-End Jumbo Lottery," offering 1 billion yen in total prize money, kicked off Tuesday.
News On Japan - Nov 21
Video footage has emerged of a truck engulfed in flames on a highway in Hokkaido, Japan's northern island, after its tire fell off.
News On Japan - Nov 21
Approximately 4 million yen in cash was found in trash at a recycling plant in Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture.
Japanese Comedian Meshida - Nov 20
Now many foreigners come to Japan and enjoy our culture. However, most visitors just see the surface of Japanese culture. To be honest, there are many hidden cultures in Japan. The same as a coin, Japan has different sides.
manilatimes.net - Nov 20
One in four couples who got married in the past year in Japan met through matching apps, the same proportion as those who met at work, a recent survey conducted by Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co. has found.
News On Japan - Nov 19
A far-right activist has been arrested and charged with assault after crashing a car into a barrier near the Israeli Embassy on Thursday, with a riot police officer suffering three broken fingers and a near-severed little finger.
News On Japan - Nov 18
Edogawa Ward in Tokyo, which has the highest incidence of bicycle thefts in the city, announced the installation of 80 surveillance cameras in bicycle parking areas at private condominiums and other locations.
The Japan Reporter - Nov 18
Netorare, 'NTR', is a genre where one person in a relationship gets cucked through adultery. This is very common to see in the Japanese porn and some people worry that makes Japan's cheating culture even worse.