South West Japan Festival

12/09/2026

🌸 EVENT HIGHLIGHT: Floating Lantern Festival and Ceremony 🌸
The quietest, most beautiful event of the festival.

Saturday 19 September, from 3pm until sunset at the Friendship Gardens in Queen's Gardens, Bunbury.

Decorate your own lantern, write a message for someone, and watch it float out across the inlet as the light goes.

A community ceremony for peace and harmony. Try on a kimono, walk through the plum blossoms, browse the stalls, eat well.

Lanterns must be pre-purchased — they always go!
Choose from a lantern to float in the water, or a lantern to take home (not float).

More information and tickets: https://www.southwestjapanfestival.com.au/events/floating-lantern-ceremony-pre-order-1

11/09/2026

Down to our final 10 tickets! Don't miss out on this iconic event in the scenic city of Busselton.

City of Busselton - Local Government
Busselton Jetty

🍱 Busselton Jetty Sushi Train 🍱 All aboard!

One of our most-loved evenings is back! And selling quick...
Busselton Jetty Sushi Train

Ride out along the Busselton Jetty (the longest timber-piled jetty in the southern hemisphere), with fresh sushi served as you go and the sun setting over the water. 1.8km out to sea, and about as lovely as dinner gets!
Return back to Japanese entertainment - dancing, drumming, and dessert.
Perfect for the whole family!

🌸 Saturday 12 September, check in from 4:30pm for a STRICT 5:15 departure. All guests MUST be seated by 5:00pm. No exceptions.
🌸 Busselton Jetty, 17 Foreshore Parade, Busselton
🌸 Tickets are strictly limited and this one sells out every year, so please book early. 🍱

Book at www.southwestjapanfestival.com.au/events/busselton-jetty-sushi-train-6

Busselton Jetty City of Busselton - Local Government Busselton Dunsborough Mail

11/09/2026

11/09/2026

🌸 Floating Lantern Ceremony 🌸
The gentlest afternoon of the festival, and everyone is welcome.

Join us at the Friendship Garden in Queens Gardens for an afternoon of reflection and community at the Bunbury Garden Labyrinth. There's plenty on before sunset, cinluding Japanese music, kimono try-ons, a smoke ceremony, lolly drops from Kite Kinetics, and time to paint and decorate your lantern in the spring sunshine.

As the light goes, we float the lanterns out together to celebrate hope and harmony.
Lanterns must be pre-purchased online as there are limited numbers.

🌸 Saturday 19 September, from 3pm
🌸 Friendship Garden, Queen's Gardens, Bunbury
🌸 Lanterns must be pre-ordered: $25 for a floating lantern, or $15 for a take-home lantern with a stand. Show your ticket to our team on the day and we'll hand yours over.

Pre-order at southwestjapanfestival.com.au/tickets

City of Bunbury Tourism Western Australia Your Turn Events Gold Educational Tours

11/09/2026

SPONSOR SHOUTOUT: GOLD Educational Tours South West
Thank you to Gold Educational Tours South West .

Cultural exchange is the whole point of this festival, and GOLD do it year-round — connecting Australian students with Japan, and Japanese students with places like ours. Their support helps us put young people on the stage and in the workshops, where we can share culture, tradition, language, and more!

Meet our Japanese exchange students at the South West Japan Festival - Youth Showcase Mini Matsuri on 11 September.

Find out more about GOLD Educational Tours here: https://goldeducationaltours.com.au/

10/09/2026

🌟🌸 What's on in Bunbury this weekend 🌟🌸

Grab your dancing shoes, there's music on every corner this weekend 🪩

Tonight, relive the hits at The UK Rod Stewart Show at BREC 🎤 from 7.30pm, or head to Bunbury Museum and Heritage Centre for the History's Mysteries Awards Night 📖, celebrating five years of young writers, from 6pm.

Meanwhile, the South West Japan Festival has kicked off 🎏, with two weeks of culture, workshops, fine dining and festivities across the region, so check the full program to find your favourites. Over at Mojos Bunbury, Midnight Margaritas 🍸 is running all week, with witchy cocktails and food inspired by Practical Magic 2.

Friday night, head to The Prince Of Wales Hotel for Voodoo Sunrise 🎸, a free psychedelic rock tribute to Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream, from 8.30pm, or settle in at Froth Craft Bunbury for Beth Chia's blues 'n' roots sound 🎶, free entry from 6pm.

Saturday starts fresh with Produce in the Park at Queens Gardens from 8am 🥕🍎, perfect for stocking up on local veggies, fruit and treats, or lace up for Bunbury parkrun at Big Swamp 🏃 if you're after something more energetic.

Later, the Philharmonic South West Orchestra returns with Symphonic Rock: The Ultimate Mix Tape at BREC from 7pm 🎸, teaming orchestra with live rock band for a night of anthems from Nirvana, Metallica and INXS.

Or head to Froth Craft Bunbury for Local Produce Vol. 11 🎤, with three local acts spanning blues, jazz and folk through to country and acoustic rock. Budding DJs can grab the decks at Open Decks at The Rose Hotel 🎧, playing a B2B set alongside DJ Princi from 8pm.

Sunday, it's all about the South West Classic II 💪, as WA's premier natural bodybuilding event takes over BREC from 10.30am. Blues fans can round out the weekend at Froth Craft Bunbury for September Blues Central 🎷, with Micho Lupo and Firewater from 1pm, free entry.

And all weekend, pop into Bunbury Regional Art Gallery 🖼️ for the latest exhibitions, including Christopher Young 31, Billy Missi'n Wakain Thamai, Pasar Malam/Night Market and Iluka Visions 2026.

Got something on this weekend? Share it below 👇

10/09/2026

🌸 Youth Showcase Mini Matsuri 🌸
Come and meet some new friends from Japan!

We're delighted to welcome visiting exchange students from Higashi Fukuoka High School to Origins Market Busselton.

Meet the students, try Japan's festival treat (choc bananas), and have a go at writing Japanese characters. Gentle, hands-on, and a lovely event for kids.

🌸 Friday 11 September, 4pm – 6pm
🌸 Saturday 12 September, 10am - 2pm
🌸 Sunday 13 September, 10am - 2pm
🌸 Origins Market, 86 West St, Busselton
🌸 Free entry, no booking needed - just come along.

More at https://www.southwestjapanfestival.com.au/events/youth-showcase-mini-matsuri-2026-09-11-16-00

10/09/2026

🌸 SPONSOR SHOUTOUT: City of Bunbury 🌸
Thank you to the City of Bunbury for sponsoring the 2026 South West Japan Festival!

The SWJF celebrates, honours, and recognises the thirty-four years of sister city friendship between Setagaya City and BUnbury.
Queen's Gardens and the Friendship Gardens give us the most beautiful home a festival could ask for: lanterns on the inlet at sunset, and Matsuri Day under the trees.

Tickets and full festival program available online: https://www.southwestjapanfestival.com.au

10/09/2026

Opening night at the new space, Hearth of Rèn, launched last night and WOW — what a fun night it was! ✨

A heartfelt thank you to Charmaine & Phylis for their beautiful Welcome to Country and for the meaningful words you shared with us. It was such a special way to open the evening and welcome everyone into the space.

We were also thrilled to welcome special guests who flew in from Tokyo yesterday, bringing with them 80 students from Higashi Fukuoka who will be involved in the festival.

We’re so excited to have them returning to join us and be part of this ongoing special international exchange.

Guests enjoyed local wines from Saint Aidan Wines, delicious sushi from , and beautiful tea served by Hearth of Rèn.

The evening continued with karaoke, piano, plenty of laughter and wonderful energy and connection.

What a beautiful way to celebrate the opening of Hearth of Rèn and the beginning of what promises to be an incredible festival. ✨

09/09/2026

🍱 Busselton Jetty Sushi Train 🍱 All aboard!

One of our most-loved evenings is back! And selling quick...
Busselton Jetty Sushi Train

Ride out along the Busselton Jetty (the longest timber-piled jetty in the southern hemisphere), with fresh sushi served as you go and the sun setting over the water. 1.8km out to sea, and about as lovely as dinner gets!
Return back to Japanese entertainment - dancing, drumming, and dessert.
Perfect for the whole family!

🌸 Saturday 12 September, check in from 4:30pm for a STRICT 5:15 departure. All guests MUST be seated by 5:00pm. No exceptions.
🌸 Busselton Jetty, 17 Foreshore Parade, Busselton
🌸 Tickets are strictly limited and this one sells out every year, so please book early. 🍱

Book at www.southwestjapanfestival.com.au/events/busselton-jetty-sushi-train-6

Busselton Jetty City of Busselton - Local Government Busselton Dunsborough Mail