This premier world music festival in Japan is held within the picturesque surrounds of the sparsely populated town of Nanto, some 400km west of Tokyo. Since its inception in 1991, Sukiyaki Meets the World has attracted musicians from Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe, turning this into a sort of social gathering for cultural exchange as much as a musical festival. This year, for the first time in the festival history, you can even expect a band from the Golan Heights.
Japanese act to watch: The band Menyo Crusaders have a unique sound that marries Japanese folk songs with Latin rhythms.