Chinkasai Fire Festival

Living in wooden houses, closely clustered together along narrow streets, for centuries, fear of calamitous fires is deeply ingrained in

Gokoku-jinja Shrine in Hiroshima at New Year

New Year at Gokoku Shrine

New Year rituals at Gokoku Shrine, next to Hiroshima Castle.

Arts & Entertainment Features Festivals

Chinkasai Fire Festival

December 28, 2021January 14, 2022 Paul Walsh 5384 Views 0 Comment Miyajima, New Year, Winter

Miyajima’s chinkasai is an impressive fire prevention festival held on New Year’s Eve. From midnight on December 31st, through the

Dezomeshiki Firefighters Expo [CANCELED]

Watch the firefighters display their skill, see their fire engines and helicopters in action.

tondo bonfire festival at gokuku shrine hiroshima japan

Features Festivals

Tondo Matsuri

January 5, 2021January 15, 2022 jjwalsh 10528 Views 0 Comment New Year, tondo, Winter

Huge bonfires snap, crackle and pop around Hiroshima in the middle of January, sending the hope and dreams embodied in the past year’s votive goods and new year decorations up to the heavens.

Lifestyle Snow resorts

Megahira Hot Spring Snow Resort

January 3, 2021January 4, 2021 Paul Walsh 10969 Views 1 Comment Family-friendly, Skiing, Snow, Snowboarding, Winter

Megahira is the nearest snow resort to Hiroshima city, is very family-friendly and has a big hot spring perfect for those who like to keep their pants on.

Features Photos & Video

Setsubun at Gokoku Shrine 2020: Photo and Video

February 12, 2020February 13, 2020 jjwalsh 1860 Views 0 Comment New Year, Winter

“Oni wa Soto, Fuku wa Uchi” – images from a spectacle of demons and lucky beans at Hiroshima’s Gokoku-jinja.

Arts & Entertainment Features Festivals

New Year In Hiroshima

December 27, 2019December 30, 2020 Paul Walsh 12637 Views 4 Comments New Year, Winter

See out the old, ring in the new; Hiroshima style.

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!

Arts & Entertainment Features

Christmas in Hiroshima

December 2, 2019December 27, 2019 Paul Walsh 2740 Views 0 Comment Christmas, Winter

Christmas is big in Japan. Kind of.

Features Festivals

Winter Illuminations in Hiroshima 2021

October 22, 2019January 15, 2022 Paul Walsh 17414 Views 0 Comment Illuminations, Winter

Large scale illuminations have become a new winter tradition in Japan. Held all over the country, they certainly brighten up

Osorakan Vertical Race

Lung-busting vertical race in the snow!

Firewalking ritual at Saikoku-ji Temple, Onomichi

Goma Ritual burning of cedar sticks followed by fire walking. Members of the public set themselves up for a fortuitous

Lifestyle Sport & Fitness

Big Wave Ice Rink

December 1, 2018December 1, 2018 Paul Walsh 9896 Views 0 Comment Winter

Every winter, between November and April the Olympic-sized swimming pool at ‘Big Wave’ in Ushita is drained and transformed into

World Igloo Building Championships

Creative and speed building divisions in this fun, but quite hard day at Osorakan Ski Resort. See pictures and read

Arts & Entertainment Features Festivals

Setsubun: demons, beans, fish heads, sushi and screaming children

February 1, 2018February 13, 2020 Paul Walsh 8931 Views 1 Comment Setsubun, Winter

Although temperatures in early February may make it hard to believe, Setsubun marks the coming of spring. On February 3,

Arts & Entertainment Features Festivals Food and drink

Nanakusa-no-sekku

December 5, 2017January 6, 2021 Paul Walsh 7072 Views 0 Comment New Year, Winter

“The feast of seven herbs” is a day on which people in Japan customarily eat a healthy seven-herb rice porridge to ensure give the stomach a break from the indulgences of New Year.