The steady rhythm of marching shoes echoed through the streets of Shimoda as crowds gathered along the parade route waving American and Japanese flags while music from marching bands carried through the coastal city.
For many, the 87th Black Ship Festival was a celebration of history, friendship and cultural exchange. For me, it was also familiar. Nearly two decades earlier, I marched these same streets as a high school JROTC cadet during the Black Ship Festival in 2005- 2007, long before returning to Japan to document the tradition alongside U.S. Sailors participating in this year’s events.
What began with the arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry in Shimoda in 1854 as a historic moment has evolved into a tradition centered on cultural exchange, community connection and the longstanding friendship between the United States and Japan.
This year, the USS Howard (DDG 83) served as the official visiting ship, bringing Sailors ashore to participate in community outreach events, cultural exchanges and ceremonies throughout the weekend.
The festival began with community visits to local elementary and junior high schools, where Sailors from Howard spent time with students through sports, games and English-language activities. Gymnasiums filled with the sound of bouncing basketballs, laughter and enthusiastic conversations as students and Sailors connected through shared experiences despite language differences.
Later in the evening, the atmosphere shifted from celebration to reflection during a memorial service at Gyokusenji Temple. Surrounded by the scent of ocean air and incense drifting through the temple grounds, visitors gathered to honor the longstanding relationship between the United States and Japan while performances from the U.S. 7th Fleet Band echoed through the hillside overlooking Shimoda Bay. As the sun set along the waterfront, residents and visitors crowded the shoreline for a fireworks display that illuminated the harbor in bursts of red, gold and blue ahead of the weekend’s formal ceremonies.
On day two, under beautiful sunny skies at Shimoda Park, the festival reached its ceremonial centerpiece during the 87th Black Ship Festival Official Ceremony. Distinguished guests included U.S. Ambassador George Glass, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Japan representatives, Shimoda City Mayor Shoichiro Matsuki, Newport, Rhode Island Mayor Charlie Holder and distinguished guests from Newport, Shimoda’s official sister city.
Following the ceremony, local residents, dignitaries and service members filled the streets for the festival’s joint parade through downtown Shimoda. Sailors assigned to the Howard marched shoulder-to-shoulder with the U.S. 7th Fleet Band, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force personnel, Japan Coast Guard members, U.S. Marines, local police, school groups and civic organizations as spectators lined the route applauding and waving from sidewalks and storefronts.
Watching the parade unfold felt strikingly similar to the memories I carried from participating in the festival years earlier as a young cadet. The sounds remained familiar, synchronized footsteps against pavement, whistles from parade coordinators and band music echoing through the city streets, but the perspective had changed. Years ago, I experienced the festival as a military kid and as a DOWEA student living Japan for the first time. One year, I even had the rare opportunity to ride and arrived aboard a participating ship, before joining cultural activities with local Japanese high school students throughout the celebration. Returning now alongside Sailors participating in the same traditions offered a different appreciation for the relationships the festival continues to build across generations and cultures.
The final day brought together teams from the U.S. Navy, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Japan Coast Guard and local schools for community sporting events featuring basketball, volleyball and a large-scale tug-of-war competition. Friendly cheers and laughter carried across the fields as participants and spectators gathered for one final day of camaraderie before the festival concluded.
For many Sailors, the festival represented more than a port visit. It provided an opportunity to engage with the local community and experience Japanese culture firsthand. For the people of Shimoda, the annual tradition continues to symbolize a friendship that began more than 170 years ago and remains rooted in mutual respect, partnership and shared experiences.
For me, returning to Shimoda brought those connections into a sharper focus. What once felt like an exciting opportunity to experience another culture as a student now carried a deeper appreciation for the relationships built through shared traditions, conversations and community.
More than a historical commemoration, the Black Ship Festival continues to serve as a reminder that the alliance between the United States and Japan is strengthened not only through diplomacy and military partnerships, but through the personal connections formed between communities, service members and generations of participants who continue to return to Shimoda year after year.
