Credit: Daniel Robson

And what better co-workers than perennial drunkards?

I’ll start off by saying that I’m a festival junkie. A real hopeless case. I just love the bloody things, despite an absolute hatred for camping, and have done ever since I first went to Reading in 1994, shortly after my 15th birthday. Wandering around a vast field, scoffing shit food, making new friends, watching scores of bands, finding new favourites... The magic was quickly sewn, and since then I’ve been to festivals every summer without fail.

These days I have to work pretty hard at festivals, grabbing interviews and reviewing bands, but I still love them to bits. What better workplace than a field full of bands? And what better co-workers than perennial drunkards?

But I tell you what, moving to Japan has really opened my eyes to how a festival can be. This year I went to three Eastern events, plus a day of Reading, and it’s hard to avoid drawing comparisons.

The Glastonbury of Japan: Fuji Rock

Fuji Rock Festival in Naeba kicked off the season in July, and I went for my second time. Although only in its 10th year, it’s Japan’s longest-running rock festival, and is widely considered to be one of the best in the world.

It’s easy to fall in love with Fuji Rock. Set in a ski resort surrounded by mountains (none of which are Mount Fuji), the site is unendingly scenic, a real holiday in paradise. There’s no litter anywhere, and each garbage point is manned, with five or six different bins to divide your recyclables into. It’s carbon-neutral. Smokers stick to the designated spaces and carry their own pocket ashtrays. Punters are quiet, chatting happily rather than shouting “Bollocks”. Beer queues are quick. The food’s amazing, and dirt cheap. The PAs are incredibly loud, as is the norm in Japan. The capacity is smaller than your average British festival, capped at 40,000 per day, so it feels relatively intimate. There are bands from all over the world, big and small, on till 5am each night. No one wants to burgle your tent. And so on.

Despite being modelled on Glastonbury, Fuji Rock is so different from any British festival that you’d barely believe it. And yet... Well, I’m not that keen on Fuji Rock, deep down. Why? I’ll give you three reasons.