Your Turn Events

21/12/2024

Christmas Fair fun at

Facepainting by the awesome Matilda's Fancy Faces
Carols by Bunbury Bel Canto Singers
Farm animals from Old Macdonald's Travelling Farms - WA South and Santa visit with the Santa

Simtail a fab day for everyone!!

18/12/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17X4kYZxso/?mibextid=WC7FNe

🎅There's just one week to go until the Christmas Fair comes to Dalyellup Shopping Centre! 🎅
Come down from 11am on Saturday, 21st December to enjoy our cuddly animal farm, carollers and face painting. Plus, there will be a visit from Santa!
The kids can even take part in our craft activity making Christmas cards and baubles.
It is guaranteed to be fun for the whole family!

24/11/2024

The smile says it all and feeling grateful, to be a semi finalist in the category of Diversity & Inclusion and a nominee in the category of being a Local Legend on Friday night
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Being recognised for the work I do, which brings together community celebrating culture, I feel honoured.

I’m passionate in what I do and that shows through what I create. I’m getting better at acknowledging the recognition from others, which keeps me motivated to create more for our community.

A huge thank you to Lauren from we sure do make an ‘A Queen team’! I love working alongside everyone who supports what I do.

Thank you 🙂




South West Development Commission

09/11/2024

Super excited to share with you all, that I’ve been nominated again this year for two categories for the . I’ve been notified that I’m a finalist and semi-finalist and will know the outcome at the Gala Dinner in Perth, on Friday 22 November 2024.

I’m super grateful for the nomination and love bringing events together that bring community together, to learn and embrace different cultures ✨🌸

Looking forward in sharing the occasion with my right hand Queen - Lauren from who has been an integral and supportive women, who is also part of the team for

Can’t wait to frock up and enjoy the evening!

20/09/2024

Workshop fun tomorrow with Sachi’s Japanesey

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Vx4nhedp5oEyoxC/?

🍣 Roll into fun! Join us TOMORROW for a hands-on FREE kids Sushi Making Workshop at Dalyellup Shopping Centre. Let your kids roll, create, and enjoy their own sushi masterpieces with easy-to-follow instructions, and a take home recipe card! PLUS, receive a $5 cockatoo sushi voucher! Perfect for ages! 🎌 See you there from 11am - 1pm! ! 🥢👧👦

18/09/2024

Had the most amazing time with all the community involved with this festival South West Japan Festival a HUGE thank you to Lauren Dixon from Studio42 for sharing the vision with me and created an epic 2 weeks of events around the southwest

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https://www.facebook.com/share/1JcSUMs99TW83Wmy/?mibextid=WC7FNe

A highlight reel of the 2024 South West Japan FestivalVideography and editing: www.studio42.com.auSponsored by: City of Bunbury, Tourism WA, SIMCOA, Your Tur...

17/09/2024

Thank you to everyone who came to this year's South West Japan Festival! Thank you to our organisers, vendors, market holders, volunteers, suppliers, local businesses, performers, entertainers, delegates, and of course, our sponsors.

🌸 Kotoshi no seinan Nihon matsuri ni go raijō itadakimash*ta minasama, makotoni arigatō go zaimash*ta! Shusai-sha, bendā, ichiba kankei-sha, borantia, sapuraiyā, jimoto kigyō, shutsuen-sha, entāteinā, daihyō-sha, sosh*te mochiron suponsā ni kansha shimasu. 🌸

🌸 👉 SURVEY HERE: https://form.typeform.com/to/O0HFf6nK

We had a beautiful closing Matsuri yesterday in Busselton at Origins Market Busselton, which was the perfect way to celebrate the end of two weeks of Japanese events and activities.

This year saw a LOT of changes for the South West Japan Festival, based off feedback we received in 2022 and 2023. Your feedback is important to us, and is taken into consideration during the planning stages for each year's festival.

In 2024 we:
🌸 Combined our two signature events into one Oki Weekend so travellers from outside of Bunbury could enjoy more time in the city and make the most of a full weekend away!

🌸 There was a huge demand for more grassed spaces from our 2023 survey, so we moved our Matsuri location to Queens Gardens - we'd love your feedback on this change!

🌸 This also allowed us to invite more food vendors along to Matsuri Day.

🌸 Matsuri Day is a huge day for families and community in the southwest, and with the amount of feedback we had about Saturday being an inconvenient day for a lot of families with sporting or work commitments, we made the decision to move Matsuri Day to Sunday, and our Floating Lantern Festival to Saturday evening as an opening event for the weekend.

🌸 Moved more of our marketing materials online instead of printed, to minimise waste as much as possible.

🌸 A number of Dunsborough restaurants came on board!

🌸 And Origins Market and the teams involved in the Busselton activities were all incredibly eager to get involved and become a part of this year's program!

If you attended any of our events this year, we'd love to hear your thoughts:
🌸 👉 SURVEY HERE: https://form.typeform.com/to/O0HFf6nK

Every completed survey has the chance to win our randomly drawn prize from Tokyo Underground!

15/09/2024

Floating Lantern Festival
Sat Sep 7 @ Friendship Gardens
Photos by Scarlet

15/09/2024

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14/09/2024

What an amazing two weeks celebrating the Japanese culture and bringing community together to enjoy it 🌸💚
Super grateful ✨

The final weekend of the South West Japan Festival is upon us!
What a fortnight! There are still a number of events happening this weekend, to celebrate the conclusion of the SWJF in style.

Nansei Nihon matsuri mo iyoiyo saigo no shūmatsudesu! Nanto ni-shūkanda! Ima shūmatsu mo SWJF no heimaku o seidai ni iwau ibento ga tasū kaisai sa remasu.

🌸TODAY:

🌸 1000 Crane Project at Origins - an initiative to create 1000 paper cranes with Pavlova’s Garden. Proceeds are being donated to the Busselton Health Campus Hospice Unit and Geographe Bay Centre, supporting bereavement, complementary therapy, home visiting, and carer education programs.

🌸Japanese Kitchen Knives | Kizuna Knife Arts: high quality Japanese knives are available for sale from Merchant & Maker in Dunsborough, at their pop up shop celebrating Japan!

🌸 High Sushi at Tora Sushi Busselton: Ticket holders are in for a treat! Tora Sushi are hosting a range of sushi options, along with matcha lattes.

🌸 Lunch specials at Merchant & Maker and Sora Dunsborough, and Japanese ice cream flavours at Elski

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🌸 SUNDAY (TOMORROW) 🌸

🌸 We conclude the festival with the Busselton Mini Matsuri at Origins Market Busselton!

Join us for 4 hours of:
🌸 Japanese entertainment from Scott Pearce Music
🌸 Delicious desserts from Sachi’s Japanesey
🌸 Premium Matcha in strawberry, vanilla and pistachio flavours from obison_coffee_roasters
🌸 Matcha gelato from SubZero Gelato
🌸 Tonkotsu Ramen special at Tora Sushi Busselton
🌸 Fold a crane for the 1000 Crane Project with Pavlova’s Garden
🌸 Japanese flag rock candy from Sour Boys Candy WA
🌸 ICCC-Immigrants Committee Community Connection Group
🌸 SWJF Merch Stall to get your 2024 t-shirt!
🌸 GOLD Educational Tours South West Stall

The Japanese Mini Matsuri is on from 10am - 2pm, and is proudly sponsored by City of Busselton - Local Government.

For more information on each event, click here: https://www.southwestjapanfestival.com.au/tickets

Photo by Abby Murray Photography

09/09/2024

A beautiful weekend celebrating the and love all the community involved in the festival!

Another week filled with events this week, check out our website for more information!!

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06/09/2024

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05/09/2024

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Our Festival Director, Renee, chats to Triple M Southwest host Michael to discuss the 2024 South West Japan Festival.

30/08/2024

🌸WHAT'S ON FOR THE KIDS AT THIS YEAR'S SWJF? 🌸

Okosama-muke no ibento mo!

The culture, craft, art, food and music of Japan is for everyone, and knows no age! Children, teenagers and adults are all welcome to come and enjoy what the South West Japan Festival has on offer.

We've made it even easier this year for families to attend our key events (the Floating Lantern Festival, Bunbury Matsuri Day, and Japanese Car and Motorbike Matsuri), by holding them all in the same one BIG (Oki) Weekend!

For families with sporting commitments, we've moved the annual South West Japan Festival Matsuri Day 🌸 to SUNDAY the 8th.

There are also drawing workshops (Draw Your Own Chibi Character (Workshop)!) available for children over 7, from our Chibi drawing expert, Jen, as well as the popular Japanese Sweets Making Workshop (selling fast!).

And the Floating Lantern Festival will now be held in the afternoon of SATURDAY the 7th September. For those families who enjoy The Bunbury Markets on a Saturday, we'll have a stand running from 11am demonstrating how to make your own koi kites. Suitable for all ages, but parents may need to assist children with scissors and staples. Koi Kite Workshops at Bunbury Markets

For those parents looking to add new recipes to their dinner repertoire, the Oki Weekend officially begins on FRIDAY the 6th with The Miso Experience | Cooking Demonstration + Tasting from Peko Peko in Busselton.

There's also the Busselton Jetty Sushi Train, with child friendly menu options, and the Busselton Mini Matsuri Day (details to come).

Has your child got an interest in arts and crafts? Why not check out the 1000 Crane Project at Origins? Open to all ages and proceeds go towards a great cause.

For a full list of child friendly activities, check your inbox! We've just sent out a newsletter jam packed with family and child-friendly events.

For tickets and our online program, head here: www.southwestjapanfestival.com.au

17/08/2024

Winter Wonderland Fun today at !

Love the different ones created and the cheeky ones, who had so much fun doing it!

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27/01/2024

So much fun and so much colour 🌈

20/01/2024

We received a phone call this week from the City of Bunbury Mayor’s office, to say that the South West Japan Festival has been nominated for the ‘Event of the Year’! ✨🌸💚

This event holds a very special place in my heart and the joy it brings the community. Absolutely humbled to be nominated and look forward to attending the award ceremony on Thursday!

A HUGE thank you to my team who work super super hard behind the scenes each year to bring this festival to fruition and support me.

Thank you also, to the community (family) who continue to support this event each year as it continues to grow! 🌸