The first IOCHI NO MATSURI was held over eight days from the 1st to the 8th of August, 1988, at a ski field overlooking the Yatsugatake mountain range in Nagano prefecture. This festival became a groundbreaking event for the vibrant outdoor music festival scene that has since blossomed in Japan. The festival witnessed the gathering of approximately 10,000 people from every part of Japan and beyond, who set up a weeklong camp not only to enjoy a rich line-up of live music, but also engage in dialogue and interact with exhibits under the core theme of “No Nukes, One Love.”

The festival encompassed a myriad of talk sessions and workshops, including those covering environmental issues, organic farming, macrobiotic cooking, and renewable energy. On the main stage, a prayer was offered by a Native American medicine man, and during the opening ceremony, Shinto deities of the Earth were summoned as part of a sacred music and dance dedication and offering.

For Japan’s counterculture scene, it was an historic gathering that sought to offer an alternative to the prevailing, unsustainable consumption-driven culture. It provided opportunities for the cross pollination of ideas, and became a showcase for alternative lifestyles. For a brief moment, the utopian vision of “One Love” took center stage.

Subsequently, smaller gatherings were held under the INOCHI NO MATSURI banner in 1990 (Daisen, Tottori), 1991 (Rokkasho, Aomori), as well as in 1999 and 2002 (Chiang Mai, Thailand). Full-scale INOCHI NO MATSURI festivals were held in 2000 (Nagano) and 2012 (Shizuoka).

This history spawned a legendary festival that happens just once every 12 years coinciding with the year of the dragon according to the Chinese zodiac cycle. At the same time, “INOCHI NO MATSURI” became synonymous with Japan’s counterculture.

This year, 2024, is once again the year of the dragon. People from diverse cultures and regions representing differing interests and genres will come together, drawn from festivals all over Japan. Many of the generation who gathered in 1988 are now in their seventies, while some of those attending their first INOCHI O MATSURI are in their twenties or younger. Like a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis, the festival is being reborn. Inspired by this history, let’s gather in a celebration of life.

 

All Tribes Are Welcome.
Let’s celebrate life!