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Mantō Mitama Matsurii
Two days of events and commemorations at Hiroshima's shrine to the war dead, Gokuku-jinja, which is decorated with lanterns. Saturday, May 27 18:00 Manto-mitama ceremony in the main Shrine Hall 19:00 Around 100 women dressed as shrine maidens perform Enmusubi-no-miko-odori dances in the forecourt Followed by Miko-mai dance by full time shrine maidens Possibly other performances Lantern lit dances by the maidens for the day finale before things finish at 9pm For more on the Saturday night festivities, photos and…
Find out more »Tomo Bentenjima Fireworks Festival
Tomo Bentenjima Fireworks Festival in the quaint port town of Tomo-no-ura kicks off the summer's fireworks festivals in the Chugoku region. 90min of fireworks over the water silhouetting picturesque Benten Island.
Find out more »Senda Wasshoi Matsuri Flea Market
Relatively large flea market in Higashi Senda-machi Park next to the old Hiroshima University building. There are also food stalls and live bands performing on a little stage, which help to give the event quite a lively atmosphere. Postponed until June 24 in the event of heavy rain. To sign up to sell at the flea market Call (in Japanese) more than one week prior to the event 090-9500-6554 between 10am and 6pm and give your name and the date…
Find out more »Hiroshima Minato Marché
Outdoor market in Ujina held every 1st and 3rd Sunday. Fresh local produce and food stalls.
Find out more »Mibu-no-Hanadaue Traditional Rice Planting Ritual
Mibu-no-hanadaue is a revived rice planting ritual said to have roots in the middle ages that is renacted on the first Sunday of June every year. The event was designated as a UNESCO Intangible Heritage in 2003 and many people now make the trip to Chiyoda in Kita-hiroshima to view it. Bulls are led through the streets to Mibu Shrine where they are dressed with elaborately decorated saddles and colorful necklaces. They are then led to a field, and after…
Find out more »Senda Wasshoi Matsuri Flea Market
Relatively large flea market in Higashi Senda-machi Park next to the old Hiroshima University building. There are also food stalls and live bands performing on a little stage, which help to give the event quite a lively atmosphere. Postponed until June 24 in the event of heavy rain. To sign up to sell at the flea market Call (in Japanese) more than one week prior to the event 090-9500-6554 between 10am and 6pm and give your name and the date…
Find out more »Onomichi Gion Festival
One of Onomichi's three major festivals. Three groups of men dressed in happi coats carrying mikoshi portable shrines make their way, chanting and banging as they go, from Kubo Yasaka Shrine through the narrow city streets to the gathering point at the watabashi ferry landing on Onomichi's waterfront. The three groups them race as fast as they can around a large banner infront of large crowds. Finally all three groups repeat the circling of the banner, but at the same…
Find out more »Senda Wasshoi Matsuri Flea Market
Relatively large flea market in Higashi Senda-machi Park next to the old Hiroshima University building. There are also food stalls and live bands performing on a little stage, which help to give the event quite a lively atmosphere. Postponed until July 16 in the event of heavy rain. To sign up to sell at the flea market Call (in Japanese) more than one week prior to the event 090-9500-6554 between 10am and 6pm and give your name and the date…
Find out more »Senda Wasshoi Matsuri Flea Market
Relatively large flea market in Higashi Senda-machi Park next to the old Hiroshima University building. There are also food stalls and live bands performing on a little stage, which help to give the event quite a lively atmosphere. Postponed until August 26 in the event of heavy rain. To sign up to sell at the flea market Call (in Japanese) more than one week prior to the event 090-9500-6554 between 10am and 6pm and give your name and the date…
Find out more »Miyajima Fireworks Festival
Hiroshima's most well known fireworks festival. 5000 fireworks explode over the sea silhouetting Itsukushima Shrine's O-torii. Worth seeing, but expect huge crowds (300,000 people showed up last year) and you should get there early to avoid a fight for the prime viewing spots. For those relying on the train, a good tip for the return trip on the way back to Hiroshima is to take the first train heading in the opoosite direction (Iwakuni bound) one stop so you can…
Find out more »Senda Wasshoi Matsuri Flea Market
Relatively large flea market in Higashi Senda-machi Park next to the old Hiroshima University building. There are also food stalls and live bands performing on a little stage, which help to give the event quite a lively atmosphere. Postponed until September 24 in the event of heavy rain. To sign up to sell at the flea market Call (in Japanese) more than one week prior to the event 090-9500-6554 between 10am and 6pm and give your name and the date…
Find out more »Senda Wasshoi Matsuri Flea Market
Relatively large flea market in Higashi Senda-machi Park next to the old Hiroshima University building. There are also food stalls and live bands performing on a little stage, which help to give the event quite a lively atmosphere. Postponed until September 24 in the event of heavy rain. To sign up to sell at the flea market Call (in Japanese) more than one week prior to the event 090-9500-6554 between 10am and 6pm and give your name and the date…
Find out more »Senda Wasshoi Matsuri Flea Market
Relatively large flea market in Higashi Senda-machi Park next to the old Hiroshima University building. There are also food stalls and live bands performing on a little stage, which help to give the event quite a lively atmosphere. Postponed until October 8 in the event of heavy rain. To sign up to sell at the flea market Call (in Japanese) more than one week prior to the event 090-9500-6554 between 10am and 6pm and give your name and the date…
Find out more »Senda Wasshoi Matsuri Flea Market
Relatively large flea market in Higashi Senda-machi Park next to the old Hiroshima University building. There are also food stalls and live bands performing on a little stage, which help to give the event quite a lively atmosphere. Postponed until October 28 in the event of heavy rain. To sign up to sell at the flea market Call (in Japanese) more than one week prior to the event 090-9500-6554 between 10am and 6pm and give your name and the date…
Find out more »Onomichi Betcha Festival
When, in 1808, plague was sweeping through the porttown of Onomichi, the lord in control at the time ordered local shrines to perform purification rights in an attempt to ward of the disease. The rights were to be performed over 3 days and two nights and, in addition, an omokoshi portable shrine was carried through the streets with young men dressed a lion and three demons named beta, shouki and soba at the head of the procession. Today, a…
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 »Senda Wasshoi Matsuri Flea Market
Relatively large flea market in Higashi Senda-machi Park next to the old Hiroshima University building. There are also food stalls and live bands performing on a little stage, which help to give the event quite a lively atmosphere. Postponed until November 25 in the event of heavy rain. To sign up to sell at the flea market Call (in Japanese) more than one week prior to the event 090-9500-6554 between 10am and 6pm and give your name and the date…
Find out more »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 komazadare 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 »Senda Wasshoi Matsuri Flea Market
Relatively large flea market in Higashi Senda-machi Park next to the old Hiroshima University building. There are also food stalls and live bands performing on a little stage, which help to give the event quite a lively atmosphere. Postponed until November 25 in the event of heavy rain. To sign up to sell at the flea market Call (in Japanese) more than one week prior to the event 090-9500-6554 between 10am and 6pm and give your name and the date…
Find out more »Senda Wasshoi Matsuri Flea Market
Relatively large flea market in Higashi Senda-machi Park next to the old Hiroshima University building. There are also food stalls and live bands performing on a little stage, which help to give the event quite a lively atmosphere. Postponed until December 23 in the event of heavy rain. To sign up to sell at the flea market Call (in Japanese) more than one week prior to the event 090-9500-6554 between 10am and 6pm and give your name and the date…
Find out more »Senda Wasshoi Matsuri Flea Market
Relatively large flea market in Higashi Senda-machi Park next to the old Hiroshima University building. There are also food stalls and live bands performing on a little stage, which help to give the event quite a lively atmosphere. Postponed until December 23 in the event of heavy rain. To sign up to sell at the flea market Call (in Japanese) more than one week prior to the event 090-9500-6554 between 10am and 6pm and give your name and the date…
Find out more »Handel’s Messiah
The annual performance of Handel's Messiah at Jogakuin High School is a rare chance to see a classical concert without charge. Child care is provided too!
Find out more »New Year at Gokoku Shrine
December 31 From 17:00 Ooharae-shiki (purification ceremony) & Joya-sai (seeing out the old year festival) From just after 11pm the bell in the main shrine building opens for clanging and the ceremonial sake starts to be served to the first of the over half a million people who will visit over the next few days. 24:00 Shrine maidens dance to welcome the new year. January 1 10:00 Saitansai is a Shinto ritual to mark the beginning of New Year, followed…
Find out more »Chinkasai Fire Festival
With most people living in the wooden houses, closely clustered together along narrow streets for centuries, fear of calamitous fires is deeply ingrained in the Japanese psyche. The Chinkasai on Miyajima is an impressive fire appeasing festival held on New Year's Eve. Read more about the Chinkasai Fire Festival here.
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