We have been listing the various kaki-matsuri oyster festivals, held at ports all along Hiroshima’s Inland Sea coast between late January and early March, for years, but had never actually been to one in person. Determined to change that, this year we went to one of the biggest.
Although temperatures in early February may make it hard to believe, Setsubun marks he coming of spring. On February 3, people perform oni harai, put on demon masks and scare the life out of little kids, eat giant sushi rolls, spear stinky fish heads, and fight for lucky bags of snacks.
The ritual firing of the first arrow of the year takes places at Ōmoto Shrine on Miyajima every year on January 20.
Ever wonder what everyone does with all those New Year arrows, rakes, daruma and that they buy at shrines every year?
Here in Hiroshima, after a year of luck-giving, they go up in flames on spectacular bonfires around the second weekend of January, at what is known as tondo.
