Most bands opt for the T-shirt and jeans fashion at Fuji Rock

Before you start packing your wheelie bag or Igloo cooler, first ask yourself “what type of Fujirocker do I wanna be”. Thinking long and hard about this will eliminate some of the ballast from your belongings and maximize your chance of hanging with like minded people. Here are some of the regular looks we see each year.

Party-Rocker
This dude or dudette knows that to have a good time you just need a wrist band, a garbage bag poncho, and a jug of Jinro soju. As for attire, jeans and t-shirt are de rigeur as well as a pair of flip-flops. My mate is a 15-year veteran of this look but by festival’s end, he’s not a pretty sight – an all over sunburn accented by a few bruises from stumbling into someone else’s tent.

Pros Most bands wear this.
Cons So do people outside Heineken tend.
Where they congregate: First Aid Station

Hotel Guest
If you’re arriving at the festival via a cab from Shinjuku, you might as well cram as much crap as humanly possible into your wheelie bag. If you really care about what you look like at the festival, you are gonna need a minimum of 3 outfits a day. The first is something cute to pair with your floppy hat and sunflower when prancing around the Gypsy Avalon area. Later, you need something functional to withstand rain for headliner at Green Stage, and finally a fresh frock for dancing at All Night Fuji. Gonna be tough to look fantastic all weekend, so bring a lot of lip gloss and eyeliner, and don’t forget the bug spray.

Pros Why get stuck in just one look.
Cons Few people care this much about fashion.
Where they congregate: Prince Hotel Lobby

World Music Wannabe
You will need to start on the dreads or extensions a few weeks before the festival starts. You can accentuate with some colorful clothing like the throw covers which your granny kept on her couch. Who knew crochet could still be so popular after all these years. A little dab of patchouli oil on your wrist and you are now one with the tribe. These folks resplendent in hemp and other organic threads feed off of multi-hour sets by jam bands.
Pros Downtrodden and threadbare is only a state of mind.
Cons Hairshirts aren’t actually that comfortable nor waterproof.
Where they congregate: Coffee shops at Field of Heaven

Your Camping Masses
We know. Camping sounded like a good idea until that downpour came and ruined everything in your tent. Did you put your wallet and cell phone in a ziplock bag? Total rookie mistake to get everything soaked on the first night. Now your simply on the lookout for some place dry! What a shame. But the riverside rocks are a good place to dry out your socks. If the sun don’t come out, the only thing you will be wearing is your rain gear and a little baby powder will protect the skin on rubber chafe, and keep the smell down a little bit as well.

Pro Communal spirit
Cons Communal showers and toilets
Where they hang out Campsite of course!

Keeping it real basic with T-shirt, jeans, and bottle of whisky!

Sub-Genres

Anime Comic Sans Laffer
I know one fella who after a big Izikaya meal went to Don Quixote and bought the biggest, dumbest animal costume he could find. It turned out to be a baby blue teddy bear head. He wore this damn thing all weekend, and by the end of it boy did it smell. It offered some protection from the rain and the cold, and it started more than a few conversations. He seemed pleased with his purchase and the attention it generated.

Pros Easy to stand out
Cons Pretty much the same conversation all weekend.
Where they congregate Running on the path between stages

Baller
Toss on the throw-back jersey and just see what happens. For some, this is their party gear regardless. It will be tough protecting the Jordans but with Post-Malone and Kendrick Lamar fronting this year’s festival, it may be a noble sacrifice. Be prepared to see all sorts of jerseys like Lakers, Celtics, Bucks, Spurs and Cavs. They all cool.

Pros Mostly water resistant
Cons Can get smelly and sunburned
Where they hang out Front of Green Stage

Text by Sean. Photo by Sean