Black Ships Festival Will Take Place Throughout Newport July 17-19th

Black Ships Festival Will Take Place Throughout Newport July 17-19th

The 32nd annual Black Ships Festival will provide an opportunity to see, sample, and experience authentic Japanese arts, cuisine, performances, and traditions from July 17 - 19 throughout Newport.

Signature events include Martial Arts, a Tea Ceremony, the Taiko Drum Festival, Sushi & Sake Sail, Black Ships Gala and Japanese workshops and demonstrations. 

The annual Festival of Drums features Odaiko New England, one of the premier Taiko groups of New England. They will dazzle and mesmerize listeners with their speed, power, dramatic choreography and sound. Prices for the different events at the festival range from zero to $150.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

The Black Ships Festival commemorates the historic achievements of Commodore Matthew C. Perry, USN, of Newport, Rhode Island. Commodore Perry negotiated the Treaty of Kanagawa in 1854, the first treaty between the United States and Japan, thus ending two centuries of Japanese isolationism. The Black Ships Festival celebrates the signing of the treaty, which brought the two countries together as trading partners.

Attracting Crowds From Near & Far

One of the largest Festivals of its kind, the Black Ships Festival attracts over 20,000 people annually.  Attendees include local residents, as well as groups from throughout the Northeast, particularly Boston and New York.  Numerous delegations from Japan also attend, including visitors from Newport’s sister city, Shimoda, and Commodore Perry’s historic ports of call: Ogasawara, Okinawa, Hakodate, Miura, and Yokosuka. 

The Festival’s distinguished invited guests include the Ambassador of Japan, Consul General of Japan, the Governor of Rhode Island, the Mayors of Japanese cities that Commodore Perry visited, Rhode Island delegates, United States Navy Officers and Rhode Island Military Officers.

The Festival is presented by The Japan-America Society & Black Ships Festival of Rhode Island, Inc., a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to developing an understanding and cooperation between the citizens of RI and Japan.