The Black Ship Festival: Shimoda

85th Annual Black Ship Festival

Spring is in the air and that means that it’s once again time for the Shimoda black ship festival!! Celebrating the reopening of Japan to the west after several hundred years of isolation, the festival takes place the third weekend of May every year and this year marks it’s 85th anniversary.

Banner at Shimoda train station

It’s a great time to drive along the Izu Peninsula, to check out the waterfalls and even have some time on the beach. The weather has been a little bit crazy but this weekend is the most weekends in May with a perfect opportunity to enjoy time exploring your temporary or soon to be permanent home.

Starting on Friday there will be fireworks, a parade, food stalls, theater shows, festival food stands and more!! It’s a great opportunity to explore a new area of Japan.

If you’re not military or Navy affiliated or adjacent, the #seventhfleetband will be there as part of the parade

as well as ships parked in the harbor that may or may not be doing tours (last year high winds prevented the ships from docking).

Make sure to walk down to the bay and see the statue commemorating the landing of Commodore Perry and his black ships.

Commemorating stone

There are several ways to get down to #Shimoda:

  • You can drive and it is a very scenic route
  • You can take the train down
  • You can take a highway bus

With the drive down the last 10 to 20 miles is similar to the road to #Hakone, so if anything happens it will be a long trip. Make sure to have cash in the car as the last part of the highway does not take etc cards for the tolls.

This week the beautiful spring weather means it’s a perfect opportunity to break out your new jinbeis and yukatas and blend in with the locals as many will be dressed similarly throughout the town.

Folks from all over will be there and it’s an overall relaxed and fun filled weekend. If you don’t want to stay, it can easily be a day trip leaning Saturday morning and returning that night!!

If you’re in to collecting #goshuin make sure to bring your goshuincho and stop in for a stamp at the museum. Also check out the reenactment of Commodore Perry’s landing. Though all in Japanese it’s easy to follow along.

Have you been to the Black Ship Festival? Are you planning on going this year? Let us know in the comments what you thought if you’ve been or you’re going and what your favorite part was!!

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