City of Newport Black Ships Festival

Odaiko New England is very pleased to help celebrate the City of Newport’s weekend-long Black Ships Festival. This year catch our performances through out the day in Touro Park at 1pm, 2pm and 3pm. The festival celebrates the signing of the Treaty of Kanagawa, which opened the Japanese ports of Shimoda and Hakodate to United States trade.  The “Black Ships,” or “Kurofune,” refers to the Japanese term for foreign ships.

Shimoda is now Newport’s sister city and also celebrates this festival.