The highly anticipated South West Japan Festival is in full swing from now until Sunday 15 September.
Now in its seventh year, this popular festival celebrates all things Japanese and is a nod to the City of Bunbury’s Sister City relationship with Setagaya, Japan.
Taking place over two weeks in Bunbury, Busselton and Dunsborough, the South West Japan Festival includes an impressive program of events featuring workshops, artist exhibitions, lantern festivals, food, performances and so much more.
The Stamp Rally returns this year and invites participants to tour the Bunbury CBD and collect stamps from involved retailers. Stamp rallies are popular in Japan and encourage participants to explore new places.
Once the stamp passport is complete, it is dropped off at the Bunbury Museum and Heritage Centre for a chance to win a grand prize!
A festival highlight is the Floating Lantern Festival happening on Saturday 7 September at Queens Gardens. This peaceful family-friendly event includes lantern decorating, food, stalls and music. Lanterns are then floated in the Leschenault Inlet at sunset.
The biggest day of the festival is Matsuri Day on Sunday 8 September at Queens Gardens. This free-to-attend event features Japanese entertainment, Japanese cuisine, workshops, market stalls and demonstrations. There is even an opportunity to take part in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. Cosplay is encouraged at this fun event!
Other highlights over the 14 days include a Japanese Anime Pub Quiz, Bunbury Cosplay Meetup, Koi Kite workshop and Sweets Making workshop.
The South West Japan Festival is proudly supported by the City of Bunbury through its Grant Program.
For more information please visit the event website via the link below.