New Year's Day @ Hiroshima Gokoku Shrine

It is already now at the end of December....
Do you have any plans for New Year's Eve or New Year's Day?

On New Year's Day many Japanese go to the shrine to worship.
If you are coming to Hiroshima for those days, why don't you go to Gokoku Shrine?
Hiroshima Gokoku Shrine（広島護国神社） is a Shinto shrine  next to Hiroshima Castle.Every year many people.... more than 600,000 people visit there in the first three days of the new year for Hatsumode(初詣）,the first visit of the year to a shrine.

This is how we worship at shrines;
1) Ring the bell
2) Throw change gently in the offering box
3) Two bows,
    two claps and one bow
 




Opening Hours
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＊Dec 31st   ～24：00

＊Jan 1st    0：00～23：00
＊Jan 2nd  8：00～22：00
＊Jan 3rd  8：00～22：00
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EVENTS

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◎Dec 31st（大晦日　Oomisoka)

17:00～　大祓式・除夜祭　
　　　　New Year's Eve  Celemony

◎Jan 1st (元旦　Gantan) 

0:00～　初神楽奉奏（巫女舞）　Kagura

10:00～ 歳旦祭　New Year's Day Celemony

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◆Access　Hiroshima Gokoku Shrine
Take a Tram No.2 or 6 to Kamiyacho-Higashi stop from Hiroshima Sta.
Another 8min walk to the shrine

Have a good New Year's holiday!



** Be Careful ! **

The Peace Memorial Museum will be closed 
on Dec 30th and 31st.

Dec.31 (Fri) - Jan.5 (Wed) Itsukushima Shrine New Year Ceremonies

2010 is almost over... How fast time goes by!!

Many ceremonies are held in Miyajima during New Year Holidays.
Please check the informations as below:

Dec 31

　●Chinka-sai Festival

Impressive festival held at Miyajima's Itsukushima Shrine on New Year's Eve to pray for the prevention of fire while seeing the old year out.

For a night to remember (or at least never forget), bundle up and fill those flasks full of warming cheer, and hang around as the crowds build in the run up to midnight as the New Year gets rung in by the temple bells. If you haven't had enough by then, make the early morning trek up to the top of Mt. Misen to catch the first sunrise of the New Year.


Jan 1, 2011

• Shin-i Kenjo-shiki Ceremony (offering new clothes to deities)
• Saitan-sai Festival Ceremony starts at noon.
• Bugaku traditional dance performance starts at 5:30am.

Jan 2

• Futsukasai Ceremony 09:00
• Bugaku performance 13:00

Jan 3

• Genshisai Ceremony 09:00
• Bugaku performance 13:00

Jan 5

• Chikyusai Ceremony and Bugaku performance 05:30
  Includes Batoh (Sunrise Dance) only performed once a year on this day.

We hope everyone had a good year and 2011 will be filled with lots of laughter!

Dec 29(Tue)～Jan 3(Tue) !!! Closed Periods for the New year Holidays !!!!

Peace Memorial Museum Dec. 29 - Jan. 2 広島平和記念資料館 12月29日-1月2日 * The park will be opened all day and you can still see the Atomic Bomb Dome. ＊平和公園は24時間開放されていますので、 原爆ドームは見ることができます。 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shukkei-en Garden Dec. 29. Jan2.Jan. 3 縮景園 ★（Opened) Jan.1　/9：00～17：00 12月29日　1月2日、3日 　　　　　　　 ＊1月1日は通常通り開9：00～17：00 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Prefectual Art Museum Dec. 25 - Jan. 1.Jan.3 広島県立美術館 ★（Opened)Jan.2and 3 /9:00～17:00 12月25日-1月1日 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Contemporary Art Museum Dec. 28 - Jan. 4 広島現代美術館 12月28日-1月4日 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hiroshima Museum of Art Dec. 29 - Jan. 2 ひろしま美術館 12月29日-1月2日 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hiroshima Castle Dec. 29th - Jan. 2nd 広島城 12月29日-1月2日 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mazuda Museum Dec. 26th - Jan. 5th ﾏﾂﾀﾞ　ﾐｭｰｼﾞｱﾑ 12月26日-1月5日 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ☆Post office Chuo Post office （Opened) Dec. 31 （0:05－22:00）- Jan. 1.2.3（0:05－20:00） 中央・十日市郵便局 Toukaichi Post office （Opened) Dec. 31Jan1 （8:00－21:00）- Jan.2.3（9:00－17:00）

The first sunrise of the year

from the top of Mt.Misen