Onsen In and Around Hiroshima
Nov 27, 2018 By Matt Mangham
Hot springs, or ‘onsen,’ are a great idea any time of year, but there’s something about being outside and up to your chin in hot water that just really appeals in the depths of winter. Fortunately, you don’t need to book a room at one of the famous Kyushu hot...[ Click to read more ]
Buying a Christmas Tree in Hiroshima 2019
Nov 19, 2018 By Admin
If you are in the market for a Christmas Tree to liven up your holiday season you with trim and presents, you are in luck. Stocks are very limited so, don't delay! The trees are a bit shorter than you might get used to but they have very nice shapes and I am...[ Click to read more ]
Hiroshima’s Ebisuko Festival 2018
Oct 29, 2018 By Matt Mangham
Across Japan, Ebisu is one of Shinto’s most popular deities. Deaf and lame, and always laughing (hence the Japanese term ‘ebisugao’ for a smiling face) Ebisu is the god of fishermen and good fortune. The old tenth lunar month was called ‘kannazuki,’ or the month without gods because the entire...[ Click to read more ]
Firewalking at Miyajima 2018
By Matt Mangham
Japan has a slew of fire rituals, the most famous of which being Kyoto’s famous Daimonji Festival. These festivals, leveraging ancient notions of purification and renewal, continue to draw people even in the modern world. In Hiroshima, November offers two chances for visitors to experience ‘Hiwatari,’ or firewalking. The first...[ Click to read more ]
Hiroshima Grand Inoko Festival
By Matt Mangham
Inoko Festivals are a familiar feature of autumn across western Japan. Hiroshima has been running its own Grand Inoko festival since 1990, although there was a 17-year hiatus prior to 2013. This means the 2023 festival marks the 10th anniversary and so should be extra special. What Are Inoko Festivals?...[ Click to read more ]
Saijo Sake Festival in Higashi Hiroshima
Sep 27, 2018 By Matt Mangham
In early October of every year, Hiroshima Prefecture’s Saijo town (part of Higashi-Hiroshima) lets its hair down for a massive, two-day block party. One of Japan’s three premier sake-brewing locales, Saijo is proud of its history. About thirty kilometers east of Hiroshima City, the town’s brewing industry claims roots reaching...[ Click to read more ]
Takehara Shokei-no-michi Candle Festival near Hiroshima
Sep 26, 2018 By Matt Mangham
If you missed the Onomichi Lantern Festival on the 13th, or you were blown away by it and wanted more, the Takehara Shokei-no-michi Candle Festival may be just what you’re seeking. These autumn lantern and candle festivals are increasingly popular around western Japan since they’re such an excellent way to...[ Click to read more ]
Onomichi Lantern Festival Near Hiroshima
By Matt Mangham
Onomichi’s Lantern Festival (Onomichi Akari Matsuri) makes for a perfect way to see this jewel of a small city and its historic temple district. Some 30,000 paper lanterns light the way along a path which carries you past some of the town’s best sights, laid out (according to the website)...[ Click to read more ]
Full Moon Tea Ceremony at Shukkei-en in Hiroshima
Aug 28, 2018 By Matt Mangham
Tsukimi, or Moon Viewing, is a Japanese tradition going back to the Heian period, when portions of the old Chinese mid-Autumn festivals blended with local practices to create one more reason for the aristocracy of Kyoto to stay up all night. The classic portrayal of the Heian Moon Viewing Party...[ Click to read more ]
WoodEgg Okonomiyaki Museum Hiroshima
By Matt Mangham
I regularly meet people traveling through Hiroshima. And because my wife has suggested I be friendlier, I ask them what they’ve seen and enjoyed. Most of the answers are unsurprising, but recently a number of tourists have been especially enthusiastic about the WoodEgg Okonomiyaki Museum. The WoodEgg (yes, one word)...[ Click to read more ]
