One of the largest tall ships in the world is about to dock in Richmond.
The Kaiwo Mara,a 361-foot, four-masted Japanese sail training vessel, is making its first visit to the West Coast since 2017, completing a month-long voyage across the Pacific Ocean before arriving at Garry Point Park in Steveston Village. The City of Richmond is marking the occasion with Ships to Shore, a free two-day maritime festival running from May 2nd to 3rd.
The Ship
The Kaiwo Maru isn’t a replica or a museum piece. It’s an active training vessel operated by the Japan Agency of Maritime Education and Training for Seafarers, based out of Yokohama. Its 140-person complement includes working cadets and crew learning to navigate the open ocean. The ship stretches 361 feet in length, rises 182 feet above the waterline, and carries 36 sails totalling 30,000 square feet. In other words, it’s the kind of thing you don’t forget seeing in person.
When it last visited Richmond, about 75,000 people came out to see it. A limited number of tickets are available for those who want to go aboard and explore the vessel (on sale at shipstoshore.ca). For everyone else, the ship can be viewed from the dock and the surrounding park, where interpretive panels will provide context on the vessel and Richmond’s maritime history.
The Festival
Ships to Shore is built around the ship, but there’s plenty keeping the rest of Garry Point Park busy across both days.
Three stages run throughout the festival. The Neptune Stage headliners include Cookin’ With Brass, known for high-energy takes on top 40, and Coco Project, a seven-piece all-Filipino show band. The Dockside Stage focuses on younger audiences, with performances from award-winning children’s artists Ginalina and Oh Clementine. The Coracle Stage is dedicated to youth and community acts, including Richmond rock band The Buttery Biscuits.
Kid’s Cove offers hands-on workshops for children on both days, including gyotaku, the traditional Japanese art of fish printing dating back to the mid-1800s, as well as Japanese origami and nautical woodcarving. In the Sails in the Sky field, kite professionals and local enthusiasts will be putting on aerial displays, and families can make their own koinobori — the carp streamers used to celebrate Children’s Day in Japan on May 5 — with representatives from Tonarigumi and the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre.
Food trucks, face painting, puppet theatre, roving performers, and local vendors round out the grounds.
Ships to Shore runs May 2–3, 2026 at Garry Point Park, Steveston Village, Richmond. Festival hours are 10am–5pm. For more information, visit shipstoshore.ca.