Nano-Mugen Festival


Nano-Mugen Festival is a music festival usually held in Yokohama, Japan.
The festival is hosted by Japanese rock band Asian Kung-Fu Generation, who invites various other artists from around Japan and internationally to perform at the festival. From the 2005 edition, the band also started producing a compilation album featuring music of each invited artist for that year's festival.
In 2025, the festival was to be held overseas for the first time, with dates in both Yokohama, Japan and Jakarta, Indonesia. However, the Indonesian leg was cancelled a few days prior to the festival.

Background

The festival started as a band project, with Asian Kung-Fu Generation becoming familiar with artists from outside Japan and had formed an idea to perform together. Gotoh stated that he wanted their music to reach audiences beyond just Japanese listeners, and so the festival was created to "bridge that gap".

Name origin

"Nano" comes from the unit prefix nano, which Gotoh described as the smallest unit he and the band knew at the time. "Mugen" comes from the Japanese word 無限 meaning "infinite" or "eternal". This means that the title is an oxymoron.
According to Gotoh, he had an "image of something expanding endlessly from the smallest point" and therefore is "a title about expanding from the smallest unit to a place beyond measure."

Festival history

NANO-MUGEN FES. (Shinjuku LOFT)

The first Nano-Mugen Fes. was held at Shinjuku LOFT on August 11, 2003. It was a single day festival featuring five total acts.
DateVenueArtists
August 11Shinjuku LOFT

NANO-MUGEN FES. (Yokohama CLUB24)

The second festival was held on December 17, 2003 at Yokohama CLUB24.
DateVenueArtists
December 17Yokohama CLUB24

NANO-MUGEN FES. in Budokan

The third festival was held on July 1, 2004 at Nippon Budokan.
DateVenueArtists
July 1Nippon Budokan

NANO-MUGEN FES. in OSAKA

The fourth festival was held on August 9, 2004 at Osaka Namba Hatch. It is the first edition to feature international acts.
DateVenueArtists
August 9Osaka Namba Hatch

NANO-MUGEN FES. 2005

2005 was the first festival to be held at new permanent venue Yokohama Arena, and the first to feature a compilation album.
DateVenueAreaPerformers
July 9Yokohama ArenaA Stage
July 9Yokohama ArenaB Stage
  • Asian-Kung Fu Generation
  • Farrah
  • Industrial Salt
  • Straightener

    • NANO-MUGEN FES. 2006

    The festival became a two-day event in the 2006 edition.
    DatesVenueAreaPerformers
    July 16Yokohama ArenaBand Stage
    July 16Yokohama ArenaAcoustic&
    DJ Stage
    July 17Yokohama ArenaBand Stage
  • Asian Kung-Fu Generation
  • The Rentals
  • Silver Sun
  • Beat Crusaders
  • Straightener
    • July 17Yokohama ArenaAcoustic&
    DJ Stage

    NANO-MUGEN FES. 2008

    Whilst the organisers received offers from bands wanting to participate in 2007, a decision was ultimately made to postpone the festival so that Asian Kung-Fu Generation could focus on performing at other festivals and events.
    The festival returned to Yokohama Arena in 2008, once again for two days.
    DatesVenuePerformers
    July 20Yokohama Arena
    July 21Yokohama Arena
  • Asian Kung-Fu Generation
  • Ash
  • Space Cowboy
  • Hellogoodbye
  • Third Eye Blind
  • Ellegarden
  • Art-School
  • Special Others

    • NANO-MUGEN FES. 2009

    Welsh band Manic Street Preachers was originally scheduled to appear, however their participation was cancelled due to the sudden illness of bassist Nicky Wire. Refunds were given upon request.
    DatesVenuePerformers
    July 19Yokohama Arena
    July 20Yokohama Arena
  • Asian Kung-fu Generation
  • Manic Street Preachers
  • Nada Surf
  • Ben Folds
  • HARD-Fi
  • The Young Punx
  • Farrah
  • Spitz
  • Unicorn
  • Sakanaction

    • NANO-MUGEN FES. 2009 (pre-event)

    Prior to the main festival, the band also hosted events in Osaka and Nagoya on July 9 and 10, along with a solo show in Tokyo.
    DatesCityVenuePerformers
    July 6TokyoDaikanyama UNITAsian Kung-Fu Generation
    July 9OsakaNamba Hatch
    July 10NagoyaZepp Nagoya
  • Asian Kung-Fu Generation
  • Gregory and the Hawk

    • NANO-MUGEN CIRCUIT 2010

    In lieu of a full festival in 2010, the band instead hosted a tour with stops in four cities across Japan.
    DatesCityVenuePerformers
    July 21HiroshimaHiroshima Club Quattro
    July 23YokohamaYokohama BLITZ
  • Asian Kung-Fu Generation
  • Ra Ra Riot
    • July 24TokyoZepp Tokyo
  • Asian Kung-Fu Generation
  • Ra Ra Riot
  • Telstar
    • July 27KyotoKBS Hall
  • Asian Kung-Fu Generation
  • Ra Ra Riot
  • Eiko Ishibashi × Achiko
  • DJ Dawa
  • TORA
    • July 28KyotoKBS Hall
  • Asian Kung-Fu Generation
  • Ra Ra Riot
  • DJ Dawa
  • TORA

    • NANO-MUGEN CIRCUIT 2011

    Held in three cities across Japan.
    DatesCityVenuePerformers
    July 4TokyoLiquid Room
    • Asian Kung-Fu Generation
    • Dr. Downer
    • Kenichi Hasegawa
    July 5TokyoStudio Coast
  • Asian Kung-Fu Generation
  • Nada Surf
  • The Koxx
    • July 7OsakaZepp Osaka
  • Asian Kung-Fu Generation
  • Nada Surf
  • The Koxx
    • July 8NagoyaZepp Nagoya
  • Asian Kung-Fu Generation
  • Nada Surf
  • LOSTAGE

    • NANO-MUGEN FES. 2011

    Nano-Mugen returned to Yokohama Arena as a two-day festival.
    DatesVenueAreaPerformers
    July 16Yokohama ArenaBand Stage
    July 16Yokohama ArenaAcoustic Stage
  • The Rentals
    • July 16Yokohama ArenaDJ Stage
  • The Young Punx and Phonat
    • July 17Yokohama ArenaBand Stage
  • Asian Kung-Fu Generation
  • We Are Scientists
  • Manic Street Preachers
  • Motoharu Sano and the Hobo King Band
  • Boom Boom Satellites
  • Straightener
  • mowmowlulugyaban
    • July 17Yokohama ArenaAcoustic Stage
  • The Rentals
  • Gen Hoshino
    • July 17Yokohama ArenaDJ Stage
  • The Young Punx and Phonat

    • NANO-MUGEN CIRCUIT 2012

    Held in four cities across Japan.
    DatesCityVenuePerformers
    June 4HiroshimaHiroshima Club Quattro
    • Asian Kung-Fu Generation
    • Ozma
    • The Cigavettes
    June 5OsakaUmeda Club Quattro
  • Asian Kung-Fu Generation
  • Ozma
    • June 7NagoyaNagoya Club Quattro
  • Asian Kung-Fu Generation
  • Ozma
    • June 8TokyoZepp DiverCity
  • Asian Kung-Fu Generation
  • Ozma
  • Bloodthirsty Butchers

    • NANO-MUGEN FES. 2012

    DatesVenueAreaPerformers
    July 15Yokohama ArenaBand Stage
    July 15Yokohama ArenaDance Stage
  • Space Cowboy
    • July 15Yokohama ArenaAcoustic Stage
  • Motohiro Hata
    • July 15Yokohama Arenakiyoshi's barGUESTReALM
    July 16Yokohama ArenaBand Stage
  • Asian Kung-Fu Generation
  • Fountains of Wayne
  • Mates of State
  • Suede
  • Chara
  • 10-Feet
  • Chatmonchy
  • The Hiatus
    • July 16Yokohama ArenaDance Stage
  • Space Cowboy
    • July 16Yokohama ArenaAcoustic Stage
  • Motion City Soundtrack
    • July 16Yokohama Arenakiyoshi's barGUESTReALM

    NANO-MUGEN CIRCUIT 2013

    Held in six cities across Japan.
    DatesCityVenuePerformers
    June 14KyotoKBS Hall
    June 15KyotoKBS Hall
  • Asian Kung-Fu Generation
  • The chef cooks me
  • Phonotones
  • Turntable Films
    • June 17MatsuyamaMatsuyama City Community Center
  • Asian Kung-Fu Generation
  • Radical Dads
  • Straightener
  • Dr. Downer
    • June 19KumamotoDrum Be-9 V1
  • Asian Kung-fu Generation
  • Radical Dads
  • Ai Iwasaki
  • Now the bear man
    • June 24NiigataNiigata LOTS
  • Asian Kung-Fu Generation
  • Radical Dads
  • Cero
    • June 26SendaiSendai Rensa
  • Asian Kung-fu Generation
  • Radical Dads
  • Umi-no-te
    • June 28TokyoTokyo Dome City Hall
  • Asian Kung-Fu Generation
  • Radical Dads
  • The chef cooks me
  • Shamcats

    • NANO-MUGEN FES. 2014

    2014 was to be the final annual Nano-Mugen Festival, and the most recently released compilation album.
    DatesVenueAreaPerformers
    July 12Yokohama ArenaBand Stage
    July 12Yokohama ArenaElectric Stage
  • The Young Punx
  • It's a Musical
    • July 12Yokohama ArenaKen's Cafe
  • 猪股 and the guitar
  • Ai Iwasaki
    • July 12Yokohama Arenakiyoshi's barGUESTReALM
    • Arisa Safu
    • Hi, how are you?
    July 13Yokohama ArenaBand Stage
  • Asian Kung-Fu Generation
  • The chef cooks me
  • The Hiatus
  • Nico Touches the Walls
  • Owl City
  • The Rentals
  • Tegan and Sara
  • Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra
  • Unicorn
    • July 13Yokohama ArenaElectric Stage
  • The Young Punx
  • It's a Musical
    • July 13Yokohama ArenaKen's Cafe
  • Rina Katahira
  • Riki Kinoshita
    • July 13Yokohama Arenakiyoshi's barGUESTReALM

    NANO-MUGEN FES. 2025

    After an 11 year hiatus, Nano-Mugen Festival is due to return in May and June 2025 and held across two cities in Japan and Indonesia.
    The first wave of artists to appear was revealed on 3 February 2025. The second wave was announced on 10 March 2025, along with the first wave of artists to appear in Jakarta.
    On 19 May, festival organisers announced the cancellation of the Indonesian leg of the festival.
    DatesCityVenuePerformers
    May 24 Jakarta, IndonesiaEcopark Ancol
    May 25 Jakarta, IndonesiaEcopark Ancol
  • Asian Kung-Fu Generation
  • Beck
  • Quruli
    • May 31Yokohama, JapanK-Arena Yokohama
  • Asian Kung-Fu Generation
  • Ellegarden
  • Straightener
  • Voice of Baceprot
  • Special Others
  • Fountains of Wayne
  • Hovvdy
  • Nick Moon
  • The Young Punx
    • June 1Yokohama, JapanK-Arena Yokohama
  • Asian Kung-Fu Generation
  • Beck
  • The Adams
  • Quruli
  • YeYe
  • Fountains of Wayne
  • Hovvdy
  • Nick Moon
  • The Young Punx

    • NANO-MUGEN CIRCUIT 2025

    On the first day of Nano-Mugen Fes. 2025 in Yokohama, it was revealed that Nano-Mugen Circuit would return, this time as a "split tour" between ASH and Asian Kung-Fu Generation.
    DatesCityVenuePerformersGuest acts
    October 14FukuokaZepp Fukuoka
    • Asian Kung-Fu Generation
    • ASH
    		Regallily
    October 16OsakaZepp Osaka Bayside
  • Asian Kung-Fu Generation
  • ASH
    • October 17NagoyaZepp Nagoya
  • Asian Kung-Fu Generation
  • ASH
    		• KANA-BOON
    October 20SendaiSENDAI GIGS
  • Asian Kung-Fu Generation
  • ASH
    		• Homecomings
    October 21YokohamaKT Zepp Yokohama
  • Asian Kung-Fu Generation
  • ASH
    		• yubiori

    ARABAKI ROCK FEST. 26 MICHINOKU PEACE SESSION

    On 23 December 2025, Arabaki Rock Fest. announced Asian Kung-Fu Generation would host "MICHINOKU PEACE SESSION" at the 2026 edition of the festival, under the Nano-Mugen banner; officially "ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION NANO-MUGEN at ARABAKI". The session will celebrate the band's 30th anniversary and feature various guests.
    The festival is scheduled for the weekend of 25 and 26 April, at Michinoku Lakeside National Government Park in Miyagi.