Headliners: Arctic Monkeys, Queen, Robert Plant, Kraftwerk

Considering the partnership of promoter Creativeman with concert juggernaut Live Nation, Summer Sonic seems somehow bereft of the star wattage of recent years’ Metallica, Green Day, Rihanna and the like.

Arctic Monkeys are not the conquering young Britrock lions of yesteryear, and two halves in the form of Robert Plant and Queen (with Adam Lambert doing Freddy Mercury duties) do not make a whole.

Still, sublime German elepop pioneers Kraftwerk will perform twice, on the Friday night Sonicmania pre-party and Sunday at the main stage. And the twin engines of Megadeth and Suicidal Tendencies will have the moshpit in a lather. Those looking for something artier can choose between American indie veterans the Pixies and Japan’s rejuvenated Cibo Matto.

Our recommendation for Summer Sonic is to head for the Beach Stage, where you can get a bit of the outdoor flavor that makes Fuji Rock so much fun. With De La Soul and The Pharcyde heading up the proceedings, Friday night there is looking pretty tasty for old-school hip-hoppers.

Chiba Marine Stadium and Makuhari Messe, Aug 16-17, ¥15,500 (one day), ¥28,500 (both days). www.summersonic.com

Headliners: Saito Kinen Orchestra, Marcus Roberts

This year marks 40 years since the passing of teacher and cellist Hideo Saito, and 23 years since the festival bearing his name was launched, a time in which the Saito Kinen has become Japan’s leading classical music event. Conductor Seiji Ozawa will direct the Saito Kinen Orchestra in performing works including the “Symphonie Fantastique,” while David Kneuss will lead the ensemble through Verdi’s “Falstaff” with a cast featuring Quinn Kelsey, who will sing the title role of Falstaff for the first time. Chamber music concerts are also on the bill in a festival that will stretch to take in the Marcus Roberts Trio led by the eponymous American stride pianist. Concerts are held at the Matsumoto Performing Arts Centre and other halls in and around Matsumoto in Nagano Prefecture. Festival events such as the “Welcome Concert: Harmony at the Castle,” a brass parade that attracts 3,000 participants from Nagano and beyond, and joint performances at the Matsumoto Castle Garden are also becoming memorable annual traditions.

Matsumoto, Aug 10-Sep 6, prices vary for individual events. www.saito-kinen.com

Headliner: Kodo

The primal power of Japan’s taiko drums is the draw at this hallowed event on far-flung Sado Island in the Sea of Japan. Each year for almost three decades, the Kodo drummers have brought people from the world over to their island commune for three nights of concerts and workshops. The supremely disciplined men and women of Kodo work their magic on the crowd at a hilltop park as the sun sets over the trees; days are filled with seaside idylls and arts and crafts, as well as Japanese dance and folk music workshops.

Ogi Town, Sado Island, Niigata Prefecture, Aug 22-24. prices vary for individual events. www.kodo.or.jp/ec

Headliners: Tori Ensemble, Mayra Andrade, Jupiter & Okwess International

Sukiyaki Meets the World is Japan’s largest world music festival. It’s been quietly underway for the last 24 years in Toyama near the Sea of Japan and this year features a three-day Sukiyaki Tokyo component in Shibuya. Each day has a different theme. Day one is titled “Roots of Korea, Shadows of Bali, Asia in Fusion” and boasts among others the hypnotically compelling Tori Ensemble from South Korea. Day two is “Atlantic to Pacific, Warm Voices from the Coast,” and is headlined by lovely, lilting Cape Verdean songstress Mayra Andrade. Sukiyaki Tokyo concludes with “Kinshasa-Joburg: Rumble in the Urban Jungle.” Look for a rumbustious night fueled by, among others, the beats of Congolese group Jupiter & Okwess International.

WWW, Aug 26-28, ¥4,800-5,500 (one day), ¥12,000 (three days). novusaxis.com/st14.html

Tokyo Jazz

Headliners: Herbie Hancock, Hiromi, Jaga Jazzist

This is jazz as repertory music. Organizer NHK takes America’s musical gift to the world out of the smoky clubs and onto the stage of Tokyo’s glossiest concert hall. Heavy-hitters include pianist Herbie Hancock, who helped launch the festival a decade ago, and The Quartet Legend, an all-star assemblage featuring pianist Kenny Barron, saxman Benny Golson, drummer Lenny White and bassist Ron Carter. More progressive additions include Scandinavian electro-jazz juggernaut Jaga Jazzist, whose set was one of the festival highlights a few years ago, and the improvisational ICP (Instant Composers Pool) Orchestra. Japan’s own vibrant jazz scene is represented by piano phenom Hiromi, avant-garde pop songstress UA and the mercurial sax player Naruyoshi Kikuchi among others.

Tokyo International Forum, Sep 5-7. ¥3,800-9,800 (individual concerts), ¥18,600 (one-day pass). tokyo-jazz.com

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