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April 2020
[CANCELED] Onomichi Port Festival
The construction of Onomichi Port was started in 1740 thanks to the efforts of Kakuzaemon Hirayama and it was this port that became the keystone of Onomichi's development. The Minato Festival (“minato” means “port”), sponsored by the Hirayama Shrine, is one of Onomichi's biggest events of the year and includes a parade and many other events. The highlight is the "E-jan sansa-gari" group dance contest (have a listen to the music they have to dance to here - it sounds…
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 »[Canceled] Kure Port Festival
Every year on April 29 some of the neighboring city of Kure's main streets (centered on Kuramoro-dori St) are closed for parades, stages and, of course, lots of food and drink stalls Kure Minato Matsuri or Kure Port Festival. Two things that jump out are a local beer festival (Kure's navy beer wins many craft beer awards) and a yacht race in the harbor. The parade starts at 14:00.
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] Hiroshima Flower Festival
Hiroshima's biggest annual event, drawing in many more people than even the August 6 memorial day, the annual Flower Festival was inspired by the celebrations that followed the Hiroshima Carp's first championship in 1975. Crowded, noisy, high in kitsch and overtly commercial, it does, however, pull in tens of thousands of people from near and far, and many of them do seem to have a pretty good time. In addition to all the parades, pop bands, tarento celebrities, comedians and…
Find out more »[Canceled] MCAS Iwakuni Friendship Day
In May of every year, the gates of MCAS Iwakuni US Marine base opens up its gates to over 250,000 visitors who come for the entertainment, games, aerial and static displays, car and motorbike show and one of Japan's largest air shows. And, of course, the food. Friendship Day on the website Friendship Day MCAS Iwakuni Facebook Page Visitors who are not Japanese citizens are required to bring either a residence card or passport and to fill a questionnaire prior…
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 »[CANCELED] 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. Photo: Hiroshima Prefecture
Find out more »June 2020
Toukasan Yukata Festival
Hiroshima really comes alive over the three nights of Tōkasan - a festival that really does feel "festive". Join the 300,000 people who will be donning their yukata for the first time this year who take over Chuo-dori and environs to promenade, play festival games like fish scooping, buy strange inflatable novelties and stuff their faces with equally strange stuff on sticks. As well as parades and summer bon dancing, there will be taiko drumming and other performances on stages…
Find out more »[CANCELED] 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 Hachiman Shrine where they are dressed with elaborately decorated saddles and colorful necklaces. They are then led to a field, and…
Find out more »September 2020
Lake Shinji-ko Fireworks, Matsue
This spectacular fireworks display over Shinjiko Lake in Matsue in Shimane Prefercture, silhouettes Yonegashima island against a blaze of color, is part of the annual Suigosai Festival and is usually held in August. This year, it has been rescheduled so as not clash with the Tokyo Olympics. The festival goes all day. Expect quite some congestion if driving.
Find out more »October 2020
Saijo Sake Matsuri
Become a connoisseur of Japanese sake in two days... or just get smashed.
Find out more »November 2020
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 »December 2020
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.
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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