I went to COUNTDOWN JAPAN 09/10!
This year was brutally busy at work, so I went in with the spirit of leaving it all behind.
The order I saw them:
PUFFY → Perfume → UNCHAIN → TRICERATOPS → Kimura Kaela → Gospellers → Sakamoto Ryuichi → Quruli → Unicorn
This was my second festival, after Summer Sonic.
The first time I was figuring everything out as I went. This time I felt comfortable enough to let go and just enjoy it.
Dancing along with the choreography, feeling that shared energy with everyone around me — it was genuinely good.
The artists felt much closer here than at Summer Sonic — you could actually see their faces clearly.
No photos of the stage — performances are obviously off-limits for rights reasons. Only a few non-spoiler shots from inside.
Loco moco eaten at what was basically a snack-time hour.
The music is one of the main reasons to come to a festival, but the food stalls are genuinely part of the appeal too.
Hope the photo conveys how good it was.
I also picked up some merch this time.
The towel quality was a bit disappointing — it’s already starting to fray. For a keepsake, I’d want something a bit more durable.
But yes — I came away feeling like I’ll definitely be going to more festivals next year.
If you’re going on the 29th, 30th, or 31st — enjoy it!