Grand Inoko Matsuri

A community-organized festival, the Grand Inoko Matsuri is a modern interpretation of a medieval rite to safeguard health and prosperity, melded with contemporary music, dance and performance art which also take their inspiration from traditional art forms.

The focus of event is the raising of a huge rock, which, once aloft, is supported by a ring of 88 bamboo trees transplanted in Fukuromachi Park. After dark, the ring is the stage for a variety of performances and viewers vie for a chance to ride the rock. The event was revived in 2013 after a 17 year hiatus. Below are some photos and video from 2013 and 2014. See details about the 2017 festival here.

Paul Walsh

Paul arrived in Hiroshima "for a few months" back in 1996. He is the co-founder of GetHiroshima.com and loves running in the mountains.