Ultimate Guide to the Hiroshima Flower Festival 2024 — Dates, Highlights, and More!

The Hiroshima Flower Festival is a joyful celebration of springtime during Japan’s Golden Week holiday. Held annually since 1977, the festival is a bonanza of musical performances, cultural events, food experiences, and more. It is one of the city’s most popular events and attracts over a million visitors yearly.

Golden Week in Japan refers to four separate national holidays that are observed almost consecutively around the end of April and beginning of May; it’s a popular time of year for domestic travel. The Flower Festival is typically held from May 3 to 5 each year. It brings dazzling color to Peace Memorial Park, one of the most important cultural sites in Hiroshima.

The festival is all the more poignant for being a celebration of life amid a sprawling public space memorializing the victims of the atomic bomb dropped here in 1945.

Hiroshima City is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in the southern part of Japan. It is a major transport hub and can be reached by plane in less than two hours from Tokyo.

The Shinkansen (bullet train) is also a convenient option: nonstop service from Tokyo takes under four hours, while travelers from Osaka can get to Hiroshima in around an hour and a half. From the south, regular Shinkansen service runs to Hiroshima from Kagoshima in around two and a half hours and from Fukuoka in an hour and a half or less.

By car, Hiroshima is a considerable 10-hour drive from Tokyo and about four to five hours from Osaka or Kyoto.

Peace Memorial Park is located in the center of Hiroshima, flanked by the Motoyasu and Honkawa Rivers. The central thoroughfare of Peace Boulevard is easily traversable on foot. The No.24 and Hiroshima Meipuru-pu sightseeing buses have a stop here. You can also take the Hiroshima Electric Railway streetcar to Genbaku Dome-mae or Chuden-mae and reach the park on foot in minutes.

The park and its environs are walkable areas for those who opt to stay in a nearby hotel. Bus and streetcar service are the mainstays of Hiroshima public transit for people lodging in other neighborhoods around the city. Hiroshima is also a great city for cyclists, and some hotels can help arrange bike rentals.

Three principal aims have underpinned the festival since its launch in 1977: to transform Hiroshima into a city “full of music, greenery, and flowers”; to remind everyone of the preciousness of peace; and to share Hiroshima’s culture with the rest of the world.

Parts of the festival are held on Heiwa Odori, also known as Peace Boulevard, near Peace Memorial Park, a serene oasis of more than 120,000 square meters that memorializes the victims of the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima in 1945.

Parades, stage performances, and street vendors combine to make the Hiroshima Flower Festival a lively affair. On the first day, May 3, a dazzling parade with flower-themed floats and thousands of dancers is the main attraction. The procession includes the newly crowned Flower Queen and her entourage.

A Flower Tower is erected on the southern side of Peace Memorial Park each year, its design chosen from submissions by local citizens. Meanwhile, dozens of street vendors selling food, trinkets, and other goods ensure that all visitors are properly fed, hydrated, and entertained. Kids can play games and win prizes, while adults can partake in beer, sake, and other beverages.

Don’t miss local specialties such as Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, a savory Japanese pancake consisting of many delicious ingredients. The local style of okonomiyaki begins with a dough base, atop which are layers of cabbage, bean sprouts, scallions, pork belly, noodles, and egg. You’ll also find standard festival food such as yakitori chicken skewers, kara’age fried chicken, takoyaki octopus poppers, and more.

On May 5, the Yosakoi Dance Parade brings the flower festival to its exciting peak with passionate performances and colorful costumes. Dozens of dance troupes participate in the parade, representing a wide range of ages and backgrounds. Their dances are set to modern music that incorporates traditional Japanese instruments in a thrilling and cheerful spectacle that will etch itself into your heart.

In addition to serving as the venue of the Flower Festival, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is also home to several public spaces and memorials that commemorate the victims of the atomic bomb. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is a powerful history museum that details the horrors of nuclear war and conveys a message of peace to the world.

There is also the Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall, which shares the stories of bomb victims and includes the solemn Hall of Remembrance for education and reflection. The Prayer Fountain, the Flame of Peace, and various other statues and memorials can be found throughout the park.

Beyond the park, Hiroshima has a number of other historical and cultural attractions. The picturesque Hiroshima Castle dates back to the 16th century, though its current form is a reconstruction, as the atomic bomb largely destroyed the former facilities.

Finally, the Hiroshima Museum of Art houses a substantial collection of western masterpieces, including works by Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh, and the like, as well as Japanese art of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Check out more things to do in our guide to Hiroshima.

If you’re looking for a relaxing trip and want to splash out and treat yourself a little, look no further. Hiroshima has plenty of quietly luxurious hotels that are made for just that. Imagine beautiful nature, seaside views, and some of the freshest seafood you’ve ever tasted.

For more hotel options in the area, be sure to check out our guide to the Best Luxury Hotels in Hiroshima. Highlights include Oriental Hotel Hiroshima, a prime choice for anyone looking to be centrally located. It’s right on Heiwa Odori, just 20 minutes on foot from Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.

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Hiroshima is a fascinating city with a unique culture, rich and diverse history, and plenty of stunning scenes to explore. If you’re in town for the festival, make the most of your visit and explore some of the city’s other highlights. For more information, check out our guide to Hiroshima City.