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April 2020
Fire walking ritual at Daishoin Temple
Photo: Lance Cpl. Benjamin Pryer "Hi-watari-shiki" Fire walking ritual takea place at Daishoin Temple on Miyajima twice a year on April 15 and November 15. Readings from the 8000 verse Perfection of Wisdom Sutra begin at 11am and extravagant Saito-goma rituals begin around 1pm in the temple forecourt with a purification offering to the alter and the chanting of sutras. This is followed by two Buddhist monks circling the area with swords and then shooting 7 arrows into the air…
Find out more »[CANCELED] Kintaikyo Bridge Festival
The annual Kintai Bridge Festival in Iwakuni is an excellent way to kick off your Golden Week.
Find out more »May 2020
[Canceled] Takehara Bamboo Festival
Parades and lots of bamboo themed activities and performances in the streets of "bamboo town" Takehara's historical preservation district.
Find out more »[CANCELED] Shinjo no Hayashida Traditional Rice Planting
Shinjo's annual rice planting event is less well known than the Mibu-no-hanadaue event held in the neighboring town of Chiyoda at the beginning of June, but its tradition is just as long. The local Provincial Art PreservationCommittee has been working hard to continue the event since 1928, only ceasing activity during wartime. Known as hayashida, the ritual involves the welcoming of the god of trice fields, sanbai, into the ground. Saotome rice planting maidens plant rice in time to music played on drums and flutes.…
Find out more »August 2020
November 2020
Fire walking ritual at Daishoin Temple
Photo: Lance Cpl. Benjamin Pryer "Hi-watari-shiki" Fire walking ritual takea place at Daishoin Temple on Miyajima twice a year on April 15 and November 15. Readings from the 8000 verse Perfection of Wisdom Sutra begin at 11am and extravagant Saito-goma rituals begin around 1pm in the temple forecourt with a purification offering to the alter and the chanting of sutras. This is followed by two Buddhist monks circling the area with swords and then shooting 7 arrows into the air…
Find out more »Ebisuko Festival
Ebisu Shrine's autumn festival marks the arrival of winter in Hiroshima. Known among locals as Ebessan after the god of commerce, surrounding stores hold sales and buy komazarae bamboo rakes adorned with gold coins and atreasure ship. You might here business owners complain that the whole thing is a racket, but you won't see a shop, restaurant or bar in the area without one. A huge barrel with mouth wide open is placed in front of the shrine to receive offerings. Learn more…
Find out more »January 2021
New Year rituals at Itsukushima Shrine
Jan 1 Shin-i Kenjo-shiki Ceremony (offering new clothes to deities) from midnight Saitan-sai Festival Ceremony Bugaku traditional dance performance starts at 5:30am. Jan 2 Futsukasai Ceremony 09:00 Omatsubayashishinnou Bugaku traditional dance performance 13:00 Jan 3 Genshisai Ceremony 09:00 Bugaku performance 13:00 Jan 5 Chikyusai Ceremony and Bugaku performance 05:30 Includes Batoh (Sunrise Dance) only performed once a year on this day.
Find out more »Dezomeshiki Firefighters Expo
Watch the firefighters display their skill, see their fire engines and helicopters in action.
Find out more »Nanakusa-gayu at Tōshō-gū Shrine
800 bowls of the healthy seven-herb rice porridge traditionally eaten on January 7. Available from 11am until they are all gone (¥300 a bowl). Read more about the Nankusa-no-sekku festival here.
Find out more »Momote-sai
Ritual firing of the first arrow at Omote Shrine on Miyajima is held on January 20 every year. Click here for more info and pics.">Click here for more info and pics.
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