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October 2019
Sorasaya-jinja Shrine Autumn Festival
Two nights of kagura (starting around 17:30/18:00) and lots of stalls at this riverside shrine just north of the Peace Memorial Park. The Omikoshi parade around the surrounding streets on Sunday is quite impressive - the neighborhood groups carrying the portable shrines should converge on the shrine at around 15:00. Saturday, October 19 Kagura from 18:00 Saturday, October 20 Kagura from 17:30 Photos © Sorasaya Shrine sourced from the Sorasaya Shrine Facebook Page
Find out more »Hiroshima Food Festival
Hundreds of stalls hawking every food product from every part of the prefecture around Hiroshima Castle and in Chuo-koen Park for two days. As I'm sure you know, Japanese people love nothing more than a bit of food tourism, so it can get pretty busy with thousands of people crammed between the tents pumping out mouth-watering smells and the castle moat. There are also boat rides around the castle, a big flea market as well as some live music and…
Find out more »Takehara Shokei-no-michi Candle Festival
The streets of Takehara's beautiful Edo period historic preservation district are illuminated by bamboo candles for two nights. Photos from a previous event and a write up of the event from 2009 here. The Takehara Historic Preservation District is 15 minutes walk from Takehara JR Station The candles are lit 17:00-21:00
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 3 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 »Etajima Fireworks Festival
Etajima's summer fireworks festival has shifted to an autumn festival! Fireworks 18:00-18:30 (2100 blasts)
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
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 December 1 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 Dreamination
2 months of thousands and thousands of sparkly, colored LEDs along Peace Boulevard and around the city center. Very popular with young families and dating couples.
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 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 »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 1 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 »Sugar & Spice
Hiroshima reggae pioneers Big Stone bring a Rae Town Old Hits style Sunday night dance to Centre Point.
Find out more »December 2019
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 »German-style Xmas Market
3 days of mulled wine, beer, sausage, stollen, music and more at the base of the Urban View Grand Tower.
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 »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 »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…
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