XG, Fujii Kaze and More: 5 Acts from Japan You Can’t Miss at FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL ’26
Categoria: Musica
Here’s a guide to five acts spanning different generations, genres & scales.
Por Billboard | 11/06/2026
It’s shaping up to be one of the strongest years in recent memory for Japanese acts at FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL ’26 . Punk legends Hi-STANDARD returning to Naeba after 27 years, Fujii Kaze with his ever-growing global audience, next-generation act XG making their presence felt on the Billboard charts, among others — the range of what’s on offer is remarkable. Here’s a guide to five acts spanning different generations, genres, and scales, each carving out their own distinct path to international relevance. When you’re putting your timetable together, make room for all five. Hi-STANDARD Friday, July 24 — GREEN STAGE Thirty-five years into their pioneering career, Hi-STANDARD remain the defining name in Japanese punk rock, their position as unshakeable as ever. Founded in 1991, the original trio signed to Fat Wreck Chords in the mid-’90s, toured alongside NOFX, opened for Green Day and The Offspring — building genuine international credibility right at the height of the punk boom. Their 1999 album Making the Road is still widely considered a landmark in melodic hardcore circles across the English-speaking world. Founders of the independent imprint PIZZA OF DEATH RECORDS and a cornerstone of Japan’s DIY punk scene, the band’s return to Fuji Rock’s Naeba site is their first since 1999, 27 years ago. The mass singalong of English-language lyrics that Hi-STANDARD shows are famous for is an experience you simply won’t find anywhere else. This will be a chance to witness firsthand the original landscape of how Japanese rock crossed the ocean, in the days before streaming. ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION Friday, July 24 — WHITE STAGE ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION have spent their career proving that guitar rock sung in Japanese can hold its own on a world stage. The four-man band broke through in 2002 with the indie mini-album Hokai Amplifier , re-released the following year as a major-label debut. Their deep ties to anime, including NARUTO , Fullmetal Alchemist , and Bleach , have steadily broadened their overseas fanbase over the years. 2026 marks their 30th anniversary as a band, and Fuji Rock arrives just at the right moment. For listeners who found their way to Asian Kung-Fu Generation through anime or algorithm, a career-spanning set against the backdrop of the mountains will be a direct encounter with the heart of Japanese rock culture. Fujii Kaze Saturday, July 25 — GREEN STAGE If there’s one Japanese artist right now whose appeal is unambiguously global, it’s Fujii Kaze. The 28-year-old artist has navigated the inward-facing tendencies of J-pop with striking ease — “Shinunoga E-Wa,” released in 2020, became a viral phenomenon in 2022 that spread well beyond Asia into Western markets, rapidly expanding his international audience. In 2025 he released Prema , his first all-English album recorded in Los Angeles, on Republic Records. The project scored his third consecutive No. 1 on Billboard Japan&