Shimokamagari Festival of Culture and History: Joseon Missions Reenactment Procession

About this event

Shimokamagari Island has flourished since ancient times as a key point on Seto Inland Sea shipping routes, and is also known as the place where the goodwill delegation 'Joseon Missions' was welcomed during the Edo period. When the Joseon Missions visited this area, grand hospitality was extended by the entire feudal domain and the entire island, with the spectacle described as being so lavish that 'the island might sink.' In this event, approximately 250 participants dressed in colorful replicated costumes recreate the scene of that time as a parade. Led by the Tsushima Domain, which served as guides for the Joseon Missions at that time, the reenactment procession starts at Sannose, passes in front of Shotoen Garden, and proceeds to Fukushima Gangi. The procession set against the backdrop of Shotoen Garden is just like slipping back in time to the Edo period. A Chwita military marching band and dance troupe dispatched from South Korea also join the procession to enliven the atmosphere. You can enjoy authentic Korean folk music and magnificent traditional dances. A palanquin carrying the Chief Envoy also appears, and the authentic palanquin recreating that of the era conveys the hard work of the bearers. At Fukushima Gangi, a ship carrying the feudal lord of the Tsushima Domain arrives, and a landing is performed using the stepped landing that was actually used for landing back then. At the event venue at the end of the procession, the exchange of sovereign letters, which was the mission of the envoys, takes place, and you can also see the Chief Envoy and the Shogun exchange a handshake. Held annually, this event is a major whole-island event in Kure City, famous not only within Japan but also in South Korea, attracting many participants from South Korea every year and developing into a large-scale, authentic procession.

Venue

Shimokamagari Civic Center Shimokamagari Branch

2361-7 Shimokamagaricho Sannose, Kure, Hiroshima 737-0301