25.07.29.Today News : Controversy Over Japanese Festival Held Around Korea’s Liberation Day

Controversy Over Japanese Festival Held Around Korea’s Liberation Day

• Japanese cultural festival in Dongducheon draws backlash for including Liberation Day in its schedule

A Japanese traditional cultural festival scheduled to take place in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province, around Korea’s Liberation Day is drawing public criticism. The timing and symbolism of the event, which features Japanese themes, are being questioned for their insensitivity to national sentiment.

A festival that puts traditional Japanese culture front and center around the Liberation Day holiday is set to take place in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi-do.

The “Nijimori Studio Natsumatsuri Summer Festival,” set to run from July 26 to August 17 in Dongducheon, has come under fire for its controversial scheduling. Promoted as a modern reinterpretation of traditional Japanese summer culture, the festival includes samurai performance battles, nightly DJ parties, mikoshi (portable shrine) parades, fireworks displays, and wish lantern ceremonies.

The most contentious issue is that the festival's only public holiday falls on August 15—Korea’s Liberation Day. Admission is set at 20,000 won on weekdays and 25,000 won on weekends and holidays, meaning attendees must pay a premium on a day that commemorates Korea’s independence from Japanese colonial rule.

On Liberation Day itself, the schedule features samurai water battles, a Japanese beer-chugging contest, a kimono and cosplay competition, and a fireworks show capped off with floating wish lanterns. Critics argue this creates a paradoxical scene, with overt Japanese cultural imagery dominating a day meant to celebrate Korea's sovereignty.

Liberation Day is a symbolic and historic day marking the end of Japanese colonial rule in 1945. Many argue that holding a Japanese-themed festival during this period is tone-deaf and disregards the nation’s historical trauma.

Adding fuel to the controversy, the festival was also listed on “Visit Korea,” an official platform operated by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO). In response, KTO stated, “Our website introduces all festivals held in Korea. Listings are based on materials submitted by event organizers and reviewed internally,” adding, “We did not intend to promote any specific event.” The organization also noted that the festival’s listing will be removed after July 31, in line with internal policy updates starting August 1.

Despite growing public backlash, the event’s organizers have not issued any formal response. Critics continue to question the appropriateness of both the timing and content of the festival, citing a lack of historical awareness in its planning.

One-line summary : A Japanese-themed festival scheduled around Korea’s Liberation Day is drawing criticism for its insensitivity to national sentiment and historical symbolism.