The Besshi Dōzan Festival celebrates the 300-year history of the Besshi Copper Mine, which was once the largest copper mine in Japan and the foundation of the Sumitomo industrial empire. Each spring, participants in Edo-period miner and merchant costumes recreate the vibrant Dōzan-machi townscape through the streets of Niihama. Traditional miners' songs (yama-uta) performed with hand percussion instruments are a moving highlight, as are displays of antique mining tools and ore samples. The festival connects seamlessly with visits to the adjacent Besshi Copper Mine Museum, which preserves the world-class industrial heritage of the site.
- Type
- Festival
- Category
- Culture
- Season
- Spring
- Month
- Late April–Early May
- Region
- Shikoku
- Prefecture
- Ehime
- City
- Niihama
Highlights
- ◆Edo-period miners' and merchants' costume procession
- ◆Traditional yama-uta miners' folk songs with percussion
- ◆Antique copper mining tool exhibitions
- ◆Connection to Besshi Copper Mine Museum visit
- ◆Celebrates Sumitomo industrial legacy and Ehime history