Bakan Festival 2024

Held to celebrate the end of summer, the Bakan Festival in Shimonoseki is Yamaguchi's largest annual festival. The event started in 1978, and has attracted crowds of almost half a million people in recent years.

One of the festival's highlights is the Heike Odori, a traditional folk dance which features participant numbers in the thousands. For history buffs, there is also a re-enactment of the Korean envoys' procession, a diplomatic mission sent by the Joseon dynasty to Japan. The envoys visited Shimonoseki during their journey from Hanyang (present-day Seoul) to Edo (present-day Tokyo).

In addition, around 200 food stalls are set to line the streets, offering a variety of regional specialties and traditional snacks for attendees to enjoy. There is no admission fee to enjoy the event's festivities, but bring some yen if you plan on purchasing food or drinks.