[Simple and Clear] Why Japanese Festivals, Including Ultra Japan and EDC JAPAN, Take So Long to Announce Their Lineups [Galápagos]

As July begins and the end of the rainy season comes into view, Japan's festival season arrives, from S2O JAPAN to Ultra Japan 2019.

It is nothing new, but EDC JAPAN and Ultra Japan announce their lineups extraordinarily late compared with other countries.

I have actually worked out why, so in this article I want to discuss why Japanese festivals announce lineups late, with plenty of my own opinion.

First, Watch These Videos

Dj SantossVEVO uploaded these two videos, which I've picked out here.

Focus on the answers to the standard question, “Who did you come to see?” as you watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AAoBfm9Hxo

What the Answers to “Who Did You Come to See?” Reveal

The points are as follows.

There is no good or bad judgment attached to this, incidentally. These are simply observable facts.

Let's dig into each one briefly.

1. Many People Hesitate Before Answering

Hesitation probably means either being overwhelmed by too many choices or having no choices at all. In these videos, it is undoubtedly the latter.

If it were the former, even if names did not come to mind immediately, they would eventually reel them off like a machine gun.

It also bothers me that they do not even answer with more specific EDM genres, such as “The bass music is amazing!” or “Big room!”

2. Some Say Everyone, Meaning They Have No Particular DJ in Mind

This corresponds to having no choices at all, discussed under the first point about hesitation.

Claiming to like everyone means the same thing as liking nothing, doesn't it?

3. Nobody Names Two or More International DJs

This is as described in the first point about hesitation.

4. Only Extremely Famous Headliners Are Named

Well, these are EDM festivals, so that is fine, but their popularity does not reflect the global scene.

I would also like to ask, “What exactly do you like about them?”

5. Nobody Names Secondary-Stage DJs (Techno or Tech House)

Again, these are EDM festivals, and the video's editorial approach may play a part, so that is fine, but popularity does not reflect the global scene.

In 2018, the fact that not even one conspicuous person answers “John Digweed and Nicole Moudaber's back-to-back!” feels very much like Japan's scene.

For Many Attendees, Any DJ Will Do

Some may disagree, but I think this is the conclusion.

After all, even on the day of the event, they have no particular act in mind or cannot remember one.

Even when they name the most famous act, I wonder whether they chose it after checking the entire lineup.

When I say this, some people respond, “Talking about DJ names and genres is too intellectual. Isn't having fun enough?” But wanting to know more deeply is a measure of affection.

For example, in a romantic relationship, wanting to know the other person deeply is a desire rooted in love.

However, at Japanese festivals, I think it is inevitable that any DJ will do for many attendees.

That is because most people become adults without being taught to love music. People who devote affection to music are a minority.

*I explain this in the article below, but this is the insurmountable wall between Japan's scene and the scenes of leading dance music countries.

[Graduating From Partying?] The Real Reason Japan's Clubs Are Behind Europe and the US [A Conspiracy in Education] June 23, 2019

Any DJ Will Do = A Late Lineup Announcement Is Fine

Saying it is fine to be late also means its priority can be lowered.

Most people I know through events are unhappy with how late Japanese festival lineups are announced. But that is merely a minority opinion, including mine.

Rather, for the majority, “Will the venue look good on Instagram?” “We need matching outfits!” and “I'm going to let off steam!” are probably far more important.

Do Not Expect the Ideology of Global Festivals from Japanese Festivals

Until recently, I too had the wrong idea…

Festival fans in the minority who devote affection to music should stop expecting Japan's Galápagos festivals and their many attendees to provide a place for music lovers.

Even if you want to transform things to resemble global festivals, the audience's baseline, rooted in education, is different, so it's a game you can't win.

If you want to attend Japan's superficially similar but fundamentally different Galápagos festivals, remember that they are completely different from global festivals.

For example, have you ever eaten Japanese food overseas and thought, “What is this?” That is the difference between the original and an offshoot, which is not easily overcome. Festivals are probably the same.

So I basically do not expect to attend Japan's Galápagos festivals in the future.

I will still use them as subjects for articles, though, because they generate blog pageviews, haha.

ULTRA JAPAN 2019 Event Information

Ultra Japan 2019 takes place on Saturday, September 14 and Sunday, September 15 at the special Odaiba ULTRA PARK venue.

*For accurate information, check the official website below, where everything is listed.

Ticket Trading Sites for Those Who Want Cheaper Festival Tickets

For Ultra Japan, EDC JAPAN, and other popular festivals, using trading sites is one way to buy tickets cheaply.

I introduce recommended sites in the article below, so please use it as a reference if you like.

[Ultra Japan, EDC JAPAN, and More] Three Ticket Trading Sites for “I Want to Go After All,” “I Can No Longer Go,” and “I Want to Go Cheaply” [Use at Your Own Risk] September 10, 2019

If You Agree with My Thinking, Please Sign Up for LINE@!

If you have read this far and agree with my thinking, I would be happy if you signed up for LINE@.

Currently I send columns through LINE@ as a supplement to the blog, but in the future I plan to give away T-shirts and tickets to recommended events at my own expense.

There are currently only 24 subscribers, but I would like to grow that to several hundred or around a thousand, scale up into an online community, and do creative things and hold events.

Sign Up for LINE@ Here

On LINE@, I deliver in-depth secret conversations I cannot share on the blog. I also run surprise giveaways.

Load external image Open source