Hiroshima November Event 2025: Ultimate Guide to Ebisu Taisai Traditional Festival, Winter Illuminations & Seasonal Nature Events
Hiroshima Prefecture is a regional city with a population of approximately 2.7 million people (as of June 2025). The city center is lined with commercial and office buildings, and the shopping districts are bustling with people. At the same time, you can enjoy tradition and nature. Traditional buildings such as Hiroshima Castle are preserved throughout the area. Additionally, surrounded by mountains in the north and sea in the south, it is extremely rich in nature.
This time, we will introduce Hiroshima events in November 2025, focusing mainly on traditional attractions that you can enjoy during this special month.
November in Hiroshima Features the Traditional "Ebisu Festival" Beloved by Locals
Source:Yahoo! News
The Ebisu Festival is a traditional festival in Hiroshima held every year in mid-November. This festival is packed with highlights including traditional Japanese culture and the authentic festival atmosphere. Here, we will introduce in detail the overview and highlights of this remarkable Hiroshima Event November 2025.
Festival Information
- Dates: November 18-20 annually
- Access: From JR "Hiroshima Station," take the streetcar or bus to "Ebisu-cho" stop
- Admission: Free
- Website: https://ebisujinja.jp/
What is the Ebisu Festival?
The Ebisu Festival is one of Hiroshima's three major festivals and a grand celebration. This traditional festival has a history of about 400 years and is held to pray for business prosperity, family safety, and happiness. It's popular not only with local residents but also with tourists, with 200,000 to 300,000 people visiting annually.
You can enjoy traditional customs, Japanese traditional culture, and food stalls. Additionally, special sales are held at surrounding shopping districts during the festival period, which is one of the reasons this Hiroshima Event November 2025 becomes so exciting.
About Ebisu Shrine
The Ebisu Festival is held at Ebisu Shrine, a shrine with over 400 years of history. The deity enshrined here is Ebisu-sama, known as the "god of business" and "god of fortune (happiness)," who has been watching over the city of Hiroshima for centuries.
The city of Hiroshima has developed greatly around Ebisu Shrine thanks to Ebisu-sama's blessings. Today, one of Hiroshima's premier shopping areas spreads around Ebisu Shrine.
Ebisu-sama always watches over us with a smile. For local residents, Ebisu-sama and Ebisu Shrine are sources of power that help them stay bright and cheerful even during difficult times.
History of the Ebisu Festival
Source:Official website
The Ebisu Festival has a history spanning over 400 years. In 1901, a festival was held to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Ebisu Shrine's establishment. At this time, the sale of kumade (Japanese-style rakes), which can now be considered the main attraction of the current Ebisu Festival, was conducted for the first time and has been preserved as a tradition to this day.
The Ebisu Festival has never been interrupted for over 400 years. Even when the atomic bomb was dropped on August 6, 1945, and Ebisu Shrine was destroyed, a temporary shrine was erected within two months and the festival was held. Even when the COVID-19 pandemic was raging, although the festival was scaled down, it was never canceled.
The Ebisu Festival has been carefully preserved for over 400 years without interruption since its beginning—making it a truly precious tradition for this Hiroshima Event November 2025.
Author's Recommended Attractions and Ways to Enjoy the Ebisu Festival
Visit Ebisu Shrine and Receive Blessings from the God of Business Prosperity
Source:Google Maps
When attending the Ebisu Festival, don't forget to visit Ebisu Shrine. In addition to enjoying the festival, greet the deity and pray for business prosperity and family happiness. After evening, very long lines often form, so we recommend visiting the shrine first before enjoying the festival.
Additionally, you can receive "prayers" by making a reservation. Prayer is when a Shinto priest conveys our wishes to the deity, making it more special and formal than regular worship. This is especially recommended for self-employed individuals and business owners.
Purchase Lucky Charms "Komazarae (Kumade)" as Souvenirs
Source:Google Maps
One of the major highlights of the Ebisu Festival is the kumade (Japanese-style bamboo rakes). The kumade purchased at the Ebisu Festival are not for cleaning purposes but for displaying in your home to attract happiness.
The kumade are lavishly decorated with various happiness-wishing ornaments, including koban (old Japanese coins) symbolizing wealth and ledgers recording fortune, to the point where the rake itself is barely visible. I also have one I purchased last year displayed at home, and every time I see the gorgeous kumade, I think "Let's do our best today."
Watch the Powerful "Kagura" and "Taiko Drum Performances" in the Pedestrian Paradise
Source:Google Maps
The Ebisu Festival is also an excellent opportunity to experience traditional Japanese performing arts. Local teams perform taiko drum music and kagura. Kagura is traditional Japanese dance performed for the gods, dancing to the accompaniment of Japanese traditional instruments. At the Ebisu Festival, kagura performances are presented as theatrical pieces featuring Japanese mythology and stories about Ebisu-sama.
At the Ebisu Festival, you can watch both taiko drums and kagura incredibly close up compared to seeing them in a theater. The impact and emotion are 100 times greater, so please enjoy traditional Japanese performing arts at this Hiroshima Event November 2025.
Enjoy Hiroshima Gourmet at Traditional Japanese Festival "Food Stalls"
Source:Google Maps
Finally, since you're coming to a Japanese festival, you definitely want to enjoy the festival gourmet food available at food stalls. At the Ebisu Festival, you can of course eat standard festival foods like fried chicken, potatoes, and chocolate bananas (bananas topped with chocolate sauce and other toppings).
The food stalls at the Ebisu Festival also serve Hiroshima gourmet specialties. Famous Hiroshima foods like oysters and okonomiyaki can also be easily enjoyed at the stalls.
Freshly made dishes eaten while feeling the hustle and bustle of the festival will undoubtedly create wonderful memories of your Hiroshima Event November 2025 experience.
At night, let a local guide who knows Hiroshima inside and out take you to stores beloved by locals!
The Hiroshima Bar Hopping Food Tour is a 3-hour night tour where you visit 3 restaurants while enjoying Hiroshima's local gourmet food, such as okonomiyaki (a type of Japanese-style pancake) and oysters. What makes it particularly exciting is watching the chef prepare okonomiyaki right in front of you. Additionally, Hiroshima is also famous for producing sake. The pairing of Hiroshima food and alcohol is excellent, so please enjoy them together.
This tour is also attractive because it's guided by friendly local guides. For those who want to enjoy more than just food, such as interacting with locals and learning about Hiroshima's culinary culture, the Hiroshima Bar Hopping Food Tour is recommended.
<Tour Details>
・Meeting point: In front of the Gucci display outside Hiroshima Fukuya dept. store, near Hatchobori station
・Tour Area: Hiroshima
・Start times: 18:00, 19:00
Two Traditional Events to Enjoy Along with the Ebisu Festival - Perfect for Your Hiroshima Event November 2025 Experience
Grand Inoko Festival
Source:Wkipedia
The Grand Inoko Festival is a festival that has been passed down in Hiroshima since ancient times. It encompasses various wishes including prosperity of descendants, business success, health, and bountiful harvests.
The main event of the Grand Inoko Festival involves lifting a massive 1.5-ton stone suspended from 88 bamboo poles by pulling ropes attached to the stone and bamboo. On the second day, festival visitors can also participate in pulling the ropes, so please try participating. The ground-shaking impact is truly spectacular.
Actually, the Grand Inoko Festival was a festival that had been discontinued for a long time. It was revived in 2013 through the efforts of citizens. By participating in the Grand Inoko Festival and experiencing its unique atmosphere, you'll surely understand why people longed for its revival.
<Information>
- Dates: November 1st (Saturday) and 2nd (Sunday), 2025
- Access: About 5 minutes walk from Hiroden streetcar "Fukuromachi" stop
- Admission: Free
- Website: http://www.cetra.jp/ooinoko/index.html
Fire Walking Ceremony at Daisho-in
The Fire Walking Ceremony is an event held at Daisho-in, with origins said to date back to around 900 AD. The Fire Walking Ceremony is a monk's training practice where sacred fire, said to have been burning continuously for over 1,200 years, is transferred to fresh hinoki cypress leaves, and once the fire settles down, participants walk over the smoldering embers.
After the monks finish crossing, general visitors can also experience it, so I participated myself. By the time it's the general visitors' turn, it's not that hot anymore, so I think even people who aren't particularly resistant to heat or pain can make it across. If you cross while making a wish, your wish might come true, so if you're interested, please try participating.
<Information>
- Dates: April 15th and November 15th every year
- Access: From Miyajimaguchi Pier (6 minutes walk from JR Sanyo Main Line Miyajimaguchi Station), take JR Miyajima Ferry or Miyajima Matsudai Tourist Ferry to Miyajima. About 30 minutes walk from Miyajima Pier.
- Admission: Free
- Website: https://miyajima.or.jp/event/event_shiwatari.html
Illumination Events Starting in November in Hiroshima - Eagerly Awaited by Locals and Perfect for Any Hiroshima Event November 2025 Itinerary
Hiroshima Dreamination
Source:Official website
Hiroshima Dreamination is an event held right near Hiroshima's city center, where entire streets are covered with illuminations.
The most attractive point of Hiroshima Dreamination is the illuminations you can enter. I was particularly impressed by the castle made of illuminations. Being surrounded by light 360° was very fantastical, as if I had entered a fairy tale world. I also have good memories of taking photos while riding illuminations shaped like trains and carriages.
The attractive point of Hiroshima Dreamination is that you can not only enjoy illuminations as scenery but also experience them.
<Information>
- Dates: November 17th, 2025 - January 3rd, 2026
- Access: 2 minutes walk from Hiroshima Electric Railway Fukuromachi stop
- Admission: Free
- Website: https://www.dreamination.com/
Bihoku Hillside Park Winter Illumination
Source:Official website
At Bihoku Hillside Park, the entire park shines with illuminations during winter nights. You can enjoy the illuminations while strolling through the park at night.
The attractive point of Bihoku Hillside Park's illuminations is that you can enjoy collaborations with fireworks. Both the LED-lit ground and the flame-lit sky are very beautiful.
You can also ride a train decorated with illuminations to tour the park. Viewing illuminations while feeling the cold winter wind is very pleasant. Also, riding on the brilliantly lit train makes you feel like you've become part of the illuminations, which is very enjoyable.
<Information>
- Dates: To be determined (2024-2025 period was November 9th, 2024 to January 13th, 2025)
- Access: About 30 minutes walk from JR Geibi Line Bingo-Shobara Station
- Admission: Adults 450 yen
Ages 65 and over 210 yen
Elementary school age and under Free
- Website: https://www.bihokupark.jp/special/winter (2024-2025)
For Nature Lovers, "Sea of Clouds from Mt. Arataniyama" is Also Highly Recommended
Source:Google Maps
Among all the scenery I've seen in Hiroshima, the most unforgettable was the sea of clouds viewed from Mt. Arataniyama. A sea of clouds refers to clouds spreading like an ocean or carpet, which can be viewed looking down from high places such as mountaintops. The sight of the sun rising from below the clouds, illuminating the sea of clouds in orange, was so beautiful that I forgot to take photos and just stared in amazement.
Actually, the sea of clouds can only be seen in the early morning from early autumn to early winter. Moreover, weather conditions including temperature and humidity are extremely strict. By the way, the best conditions are days with large temperature differences from the previous day, clear weather, and high humidity.
Because it's such a rarely seen landscape, the emotion you feel when you do see it exceeds your imagination.
Information
- Schedule: Around September to November
- Access: 3.5 hours walk from Chōrakuji Station (you can also drive close by car)
- Admission fee: Free
- Website: https://dive-hiroshima.com/explore/3461/
Beautiful Nature Events You Can Enjoy in Hiroshima in November - Hiroshima Event November 2025
Autumn Green Fair 2025
Source:Official website
The Hiroshima Botanical Garden is a large botanical garden where you can see approximately 10,000 varieties and 203,000 plants. You can encounter various plants from popular plants from around the world to rare species. You can enjoy it in various ways - being overwhelmed by large plants or feeling the delicate beauty of small flowers.
The time when The Hiroshima Botanical Garden becomes even more enjoyable is during the Autumn Green Fair. Various events are held including workshops on arrangements and gardening experiences, stage programs featuring music, kitchen cars, and flea markets.
Since you can enjoyably interact with plants, it's also recommended for families with children.
Information
- Schedule: October 25 (Sat) November 3 (Mon/Holiday), 2025
- Access: Direct bus from Hiroshima Bus Center, JR Hiroden Itsukaichi Station North Exit
- Admission fee: Free
- Website: http://www.hiroshima-bot.jp/info/秋のグリーンフェア2025/
Hiroshima Botanical Garden Cosmos Week
Source:Official Blog
In November at The Hiroshima Botanical Garden, cosmos flowers also reach their peak season, with approximately 2,100 cosmos plants blooming magnificently across the hills. The sight of various shades of pink and white flowers blooming in profusion looks just like a painting. Taking a walk while breathing the beautiful air of this nature-rich place is very pleasant.
There are pathways between the flower beds, so you can take photos as if you're standing in the middle of a flower field. I really love the photos I took surrounded by cosmos flowers and use them as my Instagram icon.
Since this period partially overlaps with the Autumn Green Fair I mentioned earlier, I recommend visiting both at the same time.
Information
- Schedule: October 18 (Sat) November 8 (Sat)
- Access: Direct bus from Hiroshima Bus Center, JR Hiroden Itsukaichi Station North Exit
- Admission fee: Adults (18-64 years old) 510 yen
High school students 170 yen
Seniors (65 years and older, official ID required) 170 yen
Junior high school students and younger: Free
Free during Autumn Green Fair period
- Website: http://www.hiroshima-bot.jp/info/コスモスウィーク/
If You Want to Deeply Enjoy Hiroshima's Tourist Attractions and Culture, It's Recommended to Tour with Local Guide Commentary
The Miyajima Half-day Trip Historical Walking Tour allows you to learn about the fascinating aspects of Miyajima, famous for its torii gate standing in the sea, through various elements including faith and nature.
Also, Hiroshima suffered great damage when an atomic bomb was dropped during World War II. The Hiroshima Peace (Heiwa) Walking Tour at World Heritage Sites helps you think about war and peace by learning about the damage of war and understanding how Hiroshima is now sending messages of peace.
Both tours are full of information that you can only learn because local guides show you around. Tours are recommended for people who want to know more deeply about Hiroshima and enjoy Hiroshima more fully - making these perfect additions to any Hiroshima Event November 2025 itinerary.
Miyajima Half-day Trip Historical Walking Tour
Tour Details:
- Meeting point: In front of Coin Operated Locker at outside of JR Miyajimaguchi Station
- Tour area: Miyajima
- Start time: 9:30, 10:00
(https://www.magical-trip.com/product/0fb1fffa-5656-476c-8560-3360271b16e4)
Hiroshima Peace (Heiwa) Walking Tour at World Heritage Sites
Tour Details:
- Meeting point: In front of the mont-bell store near Nishi Kamiyacho Station
- Tour area: Hiroshima
- Start time: 9:00, 10:00
(https://www.magical-trip.com/product/4b8953b7-b5d8-46b9-b6b0-3b0f10942a68)
