From Psychedelic Traveller

Japan (日本 Nihon or Nippon, officially 日本国 Nippon-koku or Nihon-koku) is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters which make up Japan's name mean "sun-origin", which is why Japan is sometimes identified as the "Land of the Rising Sun".

[2009] The always rising Sun in JAPAN

written by Spliffnik

Japan has long been an epicenter of trance, with its countless parties in beautiful mountains bringing thousands of happy dancers. Although the scene suffered from a string of high-profile crackdowns last year, the worst seems to have died down, and people are once again eagerly awaiting the summer outdoor season.

You can find amazing parties every weekend in the beautiful mountains of Japan, with this year’s highlight being The Total Eclipse Festival in Amami Island of southern Japan. With the logistical challenge of organizing a festival on a small island with limited capacity, the organizers have chosen to focus on showcasing domestic talent, headlined by Masa and Ree.K of Space Gathering, instead of an international lineup. While the music may not be trance-oriented, people will surely enjoy the beautiful location and of course the black diamond gracing the sky on July 22nd. Other highlights include: Mother’s S.O.S. festival, a yearly tradition with its multiple stages, large-scale art installations, and diverse international lineup; BrainBusters and its annual mountaintop party next to a 1000 year-old Shinto shrine; Goa Gil making his usual summer Japan tour with stops in Mount Fuji and Kyoto; God Bless and Psydesuka? in the Kyoto area; and many other parties and festivals.

For information on parties, check out Quintrix Disc Lounge located in hip Shibuya of Tokyo and ask for Kei, the manager and a versatile DJ who is fully tapped into the Tokyo party scene. Posivision publishes a free monthly magazine, and Clubberia and Solstice are good websites for finding parties online.

In addition to the parties, another shining spot in Japan has been the rise of its homegrown artists, who are steadily gaining fame and bookings all over the world. In particular, there has been a host of rising stars in the Darkpsy scene, most notably Savage Scream, Noise Gust, Far East Ghost, Amorphous, Jun, Cognoscenti and Digitalian. Also check out B-55, Slum, and Purepressure - some of the top artists representing Japan with a new flavor.

Finally, discussing the Japan scene without mentioning its labels would be an injustice - Wonkavator Records, whose owner DJ Kotaro released Minusmen from The Delta this year, Phreex Networx represented by DJ Ken who specializes in grooming local up-and-coming artists, and Full Moon Records, owned by Osaka veteran Full Moon Mondo, are all definitely worth checking out.

With an increase in regional parties, local talent, beautiful forests, and the eclipse to top it off, this is finally the year for you to visit with your Japan Rail Pass in hand!! See you on the dancefloor!!