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July 2019
Sumiyoshi-san Summer Festival
Sumiyoshi-san, along with the Tokasan and Ebessan festivals, is one of Hiroshima city's big three annual shrine festivals that have long histories. Sumiyoshi Shrines are dedicated to water gods and Sumiyoshi Shrine is located right next to the river in Sumiyoshi-cho on Route 2. It's a real local festival and the neighborhood streets are lined with the usual festival food and game stalls. Many people visit the shrine over the two days to pray for good health and good fortune.…
Find out more »Miyajima Kangensai
2018 Kangensai events have been CANCELLED due to incoming typhoon #12.
Find out more »Yoshida Isshin Festival
2300 fireworks, taiko drumming, dance performances, bon odori dancing and period reenactments. Fireworks 20:50~ Postponed until the following day in the event of rain. See our guide to all the local fireworks displays over the summer here.
Find out more »An Evening of Kagura
Kagura performances with English explanation, subtitles, Q&A and photo session.
Find out more »English Kagura Experience
Kagura performances with English explanation, subtitles, Q&A and photo session.
Find out more »August 2019
English Kagura Experience
Kagura performances with English explanation, subtitles, Q&A and photo session.
Find out more »A Summer Evening of Prayer & Peace
On the night of August 5, the string of temples and shrines in Futaba-no-sato, originally constructed to protect the castle town of Hiroshima from misfortune that was said to come from the inauspicious northeast direction, are illuminated by candles and decorated with flowers to comfort the souls of the victims of the A-bombing and to wish for peace throughout the world. All are welcome and there is no charge to participate. You can go wander around the shrines and temples…
Find out more »English Kagura Experience
Kagura performances with English explanation, subtitles, Q&A and photo session.
Find out more »Hiroshima Bon Dance
Bon-odori are community dances, usually performed around a tall platform from which music plays and people sometimes play instruments and sing, held during the 0-bon festival of the dead, usually held in the middle of August. It is a little known fact that just a year after the A-bombing of Hiroshima, survivors held a bon-odori on the day after the first anniversary of the bombing. This year, on August 11, the event is to be revived and held for the…
Find out more »English Kagura Experience
Kagura performances with English explanation, subtitles, Q&A and photo session.
Find out more »English Kagura Experience
Kagura performances with English explanation, subtitles, Q&A and photo session.
Find out more »September 2019
English Kagura Experience
Kagura performances with English explanation, subtitles, Q&A and photo session.
Find out more »Kangetsu Moon Viewing Tea Ceremony
The end of September is the time for "moon viewing" or kangetsu in Japan and a moon viewing tea ceremony is held in Shukkei-en Garden annually at this time. ¥800 for the (more formal) tea ceremony in a tea house (honseki) ¥600 to take tea in the gardens (nodate) The garden admission fee is also required (adults ¥260) and the garden is open to until 9pm. The neighboring Prefectural Art Museum where the Da Vinci exhibition is currently showing also has…
Find out more »English Kagura Experience
Kagura performance with English explanation, subtitles, Q&A and photo session.
Find out more »Respect for the aged tea ceremony
Annual keiro-chakai to commemorate Respect for the Aged Day at Shukkei-en Garden in Hiroshima City Center. You're kind of supposed to be a bit on the "experienced" side of things to participate.
Find out more »English Kagura Experience
Kagura performances with English explanation, subtitles, Q&A and photo session.
Find out more »Kagura & Taiko Drums at Kumano Brush Festival Zenyasai
Lively kagura and Japanese taiko drum performances at Sakakiyama Shrine on the eve of the annual Kumano Fude Brush Festival. No parking
Find out more »Kumano Fude Matsuri
It's all about the calligraphy (and, more recently, make up) brushes at this festival which celebrates Kumano's claim to fame. One of our favorite days out in autumn. Read about the Fude Matsuri here. Read about Kumano Fude Matsuri in the JapanTimes here. See photos from the Fude Matsuri here. See videos from the Fude Matsuri here The official Fude Matsuri site is here (Japanese only, but some nice photos). If you are interested in brush manufacture and calligraphy you might…
Find out more »English Kagura Experience
Kagura performances with English explanation, subtitles, Q&A and photo session.
Find out more »October 2019
English Kagura Experience
Kagura performances with English explanation, subtitles, Q&A and photo session.
Find out more »English Kagura Experience
Kagura performances with English explanation, subtitles, Q&A and photo session.
Find out more »Shirakami-san Autumn Festival
Two nights of Hiroshima Kagura performances, street stalls and wishes for good fortune on Peace Boulevard.
Find out more »November 2019
English Kagura Experience
Kagura performances with English explanation, subtitles, Q&A and photo session.
Find out more »Ritual Fire-walking at Daigan-ji Temple, Miyajima
Impressive and elaborate ritual that culminates in priests and members of the public rushing across hot coals in front of Daigan-ji Temple, located at the exit from Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima. For more about and photos and video of this fire-walking ritual click here.
Find out more »English Kagura Experience
Spectacularly entertaining local folk art with English language support and great photo opportunities.
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