GetHiroshima

Fun for the Young (Young at Heart) in and around Hiroshima

noreply@blogger.com (JJWalsh/Inbound Ambassador) — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 23:40:00 +0000

Hiroshima is a great location to base yourself for a few months (or years) in Japan. There is so much to see and do, especially if you have the energy and enthusiasm to try new things, meet new people and make the effort to visit new places. This collection of links and recommendations is aimed at young travelers and residents of Hiroshima.

Active in Hiroshima
(All year- City Center)
* Cycle, Walk or Jog around the Castle, Traffic-free riverside routes. You can start at the riverside area next to Chuo-koen (Central Park) head to the left (north) and follow the paths for about 30 minutes (15 km) before you have to stop for a light. This route is beautiful and interesting on any good weather day, but especially beautiful in Spring and Autumn when the trees are bursting with color. There are rental bicycles at many hotels and hostels in Hiroshima city, follow the basic cycling rules and wear a helmet- little accidents can be quite serious on a bicycle- better safe than brain damaged!

* Jog or walk around Hiroshima Castle- easy 1.5km (.9 miles) loop with beautiful views any time of day or year. Especially nice in the early morning or at sunset.

-- As Hiroshima city offers easy access to the rivers...
* Rowing, kayak or outrigger along the Otagawa river (Koi area) or at Marina Hop.
* Mid-winter Samurai swimming in front of the A-bomb dome
* Stand up and paddle along the Otagawa with rentals from surf shop Magic Island. Or at Marina Hop or Lazy Bones (Miyajima). Costco also sometimes sells SUP boards, Montbell-Kamiyacho (opposite Sogo in the city center) sells kayaks and canoes as well as outdoor equiptment.

Hiking/Trail running:
* Interesting trails through Mitaki temple/bamboo forest behind and Mitaki-yama, Ushita-yama. See more routes and maps on MapMyRun-Hiroshima.

Festivals
Oyster festival in February is a fun day at Miyajima- Kagura and taiko performances while eating oysters cooked in every way possible.
Setsubun Festival at Gokoku Jinja (next to Hiroshima castle) will be held this year on February 3rd from 3pm~ to dash out the evil spirits, end the hold of winter and eat roasted soy beans for luck.
Flower festival in May (Golden Week)- the streets fill with stalls, parades, dancing troupes and performances of all kinds can be found on multiple stages.
Streetcar festival in June features Hiroshima's many traditional and modern trams. The Tokasan Yukata (summer kimono) festival is also in June.
Fireworks festivals in July and August : Ujina (port) and Miyajima are the most famous.

Ball sports
Futsal courts: it's possible to rent a court at the Futsal Dome Pivox in the Ujina area or opposite Marina Hop in the Mizuno Futsal Plaza.

Tennis/Basketball courts: Public tennis courts and facilities are also available in each ward area of Hiroshima city. Basketball hoops in front of Big Wave (Higashi-ku sports center).

Rugby: The Yokogawa rugby club team "Hiroshima Maple RFC" in the city (near Yokogawa station) welcome new players - students, adults and foreign players are all welcome. They practice every sunday from 10-12.

Spectator Sports
Carp baseball games are a fun experience at the Mazda stadium near Hiroshima's main JR train station. Cheer on Hiroshima's most popular team Japanese style. There are a few star American players on the team too.

San Frecce J-League soccer games are held at the big Arch (Edion stadium) accessible by Astram monorail. Last year, San Frecce won the league championships.

Gyms:
Green arena (pool, small climbing wall and sports facility pay as you go, open to the public), Big Wave. Renaissance, Oasis, YMCA membership based gym/pool facilities.

Skating and BMX
Near Nagisa school in Hatsukaichi, there is the Hatsukaichi Skate Park [ja]: a concrete park and forested loop open to the public. For skateboarders, inline skaters and BMX riders to enjoy. It is open on weekends and most afternoons after 3pm (closed if it rains). Nearest streetcar or JR train station is Itsukaichi station. There are free information and training sessions and days to help out new and young riders by some local experts.

BMX riders will want to see out Freebird. The shop owner is the local expert and great resource on BMX clothing, gear and where to ride. He does training sessions for kids once a month at the Hatsukaichi skate/BMX park [ja].

Inline skaters and skateboarders should enjoy the traffic free routes along the riversides- start from the riverside area next to Chuo (Central) park and keep going north under the bridges for over 10 km without having to stop at a traffic light (don't forget to give pedestrians right of way).

Alice garden (the concrete area in front of the children's museum) is popular with skateboarders and inline skaters as well as the Senda park (next to the Naka-ku sports center) as there is a lot of smooth concrete areas to skate on and areas to practice your grindz.

Hijiyama park (where the Hiroshima museum of contemporary art & manga library is) offers less smooth services but plenty of paved paths and side streets to explore and skate on around the park.

(Winter)
* Ice-skating, ice-hockey, figure skating or speed skating at the Big Wave facility [ja].

Cycling in Hiroshima
Visit Hiroshima lists 3 good cycling routes on the nearby islands that have rental bicycles. Nekomoto bicycle shop offers high end Trek bicycles for sale, parts, clothing and repairs. The wife owner speaks a little English and they are all very helpful. The owner now runs a second shop at the Flex gallery [ja] shopping and dining area near Ujina port.

Dance Studios
Flex Studio [ja] in the city center offers a lot of classes in different styles: Hip-hop, freestyle, breakdance, jazz and other types of classes every week at their studio. There is a membership fee and then you pay for each class. There are quite a few ballet studios in Hiroshima city that practice classical as well as modern ballet, here is a list in Japanese, but if you follow the links to the different websites you could contact them by email or facebook to ask for more information. Many ballet schools and dance studios have English speaking owners as many of them spent time doing dance abroad.

Karate and Self Defense
Bugeido Shotokan Karate Dojo - kids and adult classes taught Sundays in English and Japanese in the city center (opposite Cusco cafe/near YMCA) by Australian certified Karate instructor, Brad Weston.

Outside Hiroshima city center (30~60 minutes away by car, train or bus)
All year
* Hiking- Sandankyo Gorge, Taishakukyo Gorge

Taishakukyo Gorge

Warmer months
* Hanami- flower viewing picnics.
* Beaches- Miyajima, Etajima, Ninoshima, beaches near Kure
* Paddle park - Kayak tours and rentals to Miyajima and surrounding areas.
* Rock climbing- climbing/hiking/outdoor gear shop "Asses Bridge" [ja] in Itsukaichi which has a climbing wall, good variety of gear and lots of information. There are marked out rock climbing routes in Otake

Winter
* Snowboard or Ski in the nearby mountains- bus tours available from Hiroshima station, drive to slopes in about an hour.
* International igloo contest
* Onsen - hot baths. Most famous area is in the town of Yuki.
* Tondo matsuri- huge bonfires held in January after beginning of the year shrine and temple visits.

Fashionable and Modern in the Hiroshima City Center
Department stores:
* Sunmall has modern shops, vintage clothes, and tourist-souvenir shops. Shareo has lots of shops for young women- clothing, nail shops, florists, cafes and access to Astram monorail.
* Sogo and Pacela offer many international shops as well as popular Japanese brands. Pacela has good restaurants and views of the castle.
* Hondori- the covered street filled with shops and restaurants is the main shopping street in the city. Parco is located at the end of Hondori and offers many shops popular with young people.

Game centers and Amusement:
Round 1 game center, bowling, karaoke and more.

Boutiques and specialty shops:
* Little Twitter- handmade leather and jewlery
* Green Coffee- great coffee roasted on the premises and responsibly imported from growers. Castella's coffee supplies many high quality restaurants in Hiroshima city.
* Hair Salons- getting your hair done is a real treat in Hiroshima. Cleo International [ja] new Turkish tile designed salon in Pacela (9F) for a great quality haircut, color or perm in comfortable surroundings. Ippei-san at Laff also speaks English and provides quality cuts, color and perms near the Peace park. Both salons have English speaking staff, and Laff also offers an English telephone number for reservations.

Culture and Tradition
City Center
* Catch a film at Hatchoza- beautiful Japanese design, comfortable boutique theatre experience. A Japanese movie would be interesting, but they also have English films sometimes.
* Shukei-en gardens- tea ceremony, flower gardens, nice place to enjoy a wander, feed the koi and enjoy the quiet. Cultural events most months.
* Cosquerade.com- Cosplay events in and around Hiroshima city usually once a month. Take part or go to observe, chat with the cosplay-ers and take photos (make sure to ask first).
* Peace park and museum- most interesting with a guide the first time, then revisit to enjoy the park. The World Friendship Center offers guided tours and accomodation. The Hiroshima guide association (HIGA) can also organize guided tours and lectures for many places of interest in Hiroshima.
* Hiroshima castle and Gokoku Jinja

Half-day excursions
The Botanical gardens, Asa Zoo and the Transportation museum (don't miss the crazy bikes in back) make for fun half-day excursions.

Day trips
* Miyajima- Giant Tori gate, floating Itsukushima shrine, interesting back streets, walk or cable to top of Mt.Misen, Miyajima Aquarium, interesting Jizo statues, temples and traditions at Daishoin Buddhist temple. Many interesting shrines, pagoda, views of the surrounding islands and interesting shops and eateries too- Miyajima is always interesting no matter how many times you visit. Interesting festivals and events held throughout the year. At the annual Oyster festival (February), you can eat its famous oysters but also enjoy Taiko drumming, Kagura performances.

* Kure- Japan's maritime history on display at the submarine shipyards and Yamato museum, interesting Hondori shopping street, local military flare goods and seafood.

Kumano Brush Festival - GetHiroshima

* Saijo- in Higashi-Hiroshima, home to most of Hiroshima's famous Sake breweries and the Hiroshima university campus.

* Kumano - world famous brushes- 80% of Japan's make-up, calligraphy and painting brushes are made in the small town of Kumano, located 13 km outside of Hiroshima city. Most of the brushes are still made by hand from domestic materials.
Kumano brush festival in Sept.

* Setoda island- Hiramoto museum and Kosanji temple area: colorful, weird & wacky temple with a white marble hillside above it.

* Onomichi- Temple walks, great views of the sea, famous Ramen noodles, starting point for the Shimanami-Kaido cycling route over the
*Iwakuni- Kintaikyo

*Tomo no Ura (Fukuyama)- the scene of Miyazaki's anime Ponyo and the Wolverine movie.

2-3 days trip
*Hagi, Yamaguchi-pottery
* Matsue, Shimane -black castle / Izumo taisha- big shrine
* Tottori- sand dunes, beaches
* Matsuyama, Ehime (Shikoku island) - Dogo onsen, castle, travel by boat- gateway to Shikoku island
- Hiroshima is also a good base for trips all over Japan, you can reach most major spots around the country in 2 hours or less by Shinkansen bullet train (4 hours to Tokyo).

Performances
* Kagura - look out to see chances to see a kagura performance throughout the year. There are regular performances held at Marina Hop outdoor mall. There is also a Kagura-monzen village in the countryside where they do shows and you can enjoy this countryside area and an onsen hot bath.
* Noh theatre, Sumo and other types of traditional performances are also held in Hiroshima- see the event listings for details.

Art, Architecture and Design
* Yoshijima waste center- Hiroshima Naka Incineration Plant is one of Hiroshima's most famous modern buildings and is the most beautiful waste disposal facility you have ever seen.
* Hiroshima museum of art (near castle) - go in the week to enjoy famous works of art without crowds, check schedule for interesting exhibits at all the museums. Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum (next to Shukeien) is also worth a visit.
* Hijiyama MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art), adjacent Manga library and park. Also a great place to enjoy walks, views of the city and don't miss a Hanami in spring.
* Look out for the English book and online (PDF) guide for Architecture walks in and around Hiroshima city.
* Hiroshima peace park- T-bridge (look up: Project NOW), bridges designs and cenotaph.
* Bank of Japan building has been converted into an exhibition space- don't miss a chance to see what's on display while you are visiting and don't forget to take a trip downstairs to see the original safes- the doors are impressive.

Eating Out
* Okonomiyaki and Teppan-yaki: Nagataya (Peace Park), and Ichiriki (Tokaichi)- these places are welcoming and friendly, and have English menus. But there are loads of wonderful okonomiyaki shops in Hiroshima to enjoy. Ask for recommendations from people you meet while you are here. Many visitors like to wander through Okonomiyaki-mura (near Parco/Alice Garden) to choose a place to try Hiroshima's famous dish. There are other okonomiyaki cluster shops like the mura version opposite the JR station and around the city.

Looking for gluten free- get oysters, vegetables, meats and other dishes cooked on the grill with butter, garlic and salt. Vegetarian/Vegan diners can enjoy okonomiyaki made without the fish flakes (katsuo-bushi) or bacon easily by asking when ordering: "niku-nashi, katsuobushi nashi, dobutsu abura nashi" Vegans should also ask for no egg: "tamago-nashi" (always add please "kudasai" on the end)

* Buffet dining- great if you can't decide or in a large group. Roan (near Peace park) has shabu-shabu to cook on the tables as well as a good selection in the buffet. Nonobudoh buffet in Pacela offers a range of local, fresh and delicious foods.
* Cinnamon cafe- homemade cakes and filling savory dishes served in this retro style eatery next to a public bath. Run by a friendly, young international couple.
* Organza [ja]- live house bar at night, cafe, avant guard, underground- regularly host various performances and art events. Kissaten (old-fashioned coffee shop) style foods and decor.
* Gelato- Polar Bear is a Hiroshima gelato institution
* Pizza Riva- world class pizza (won a contest in Italy!) served in a bistro in Yokogawa. There is also cheap and fast pizza at Zona Pizza and many quality Italian restaurants in the city in the Mario chain.
* Michelin guide [English] to high quality dining in Hiroshima- most restaurants are in the city center and offer a list of great Japanese, French, and Italian restaurants as well as Teppanyaki and Okonomiyaki eateries as well as Izakaya (Japanese style pubs).

Vegan and Vegetarian: Shanti vegan cafe (vegan) and Maison de Croissant (macrobiotic) are Hiroshima's two most committed meat-free restaurants. The Indian restaurants and Italian restaurants in the city also offer many vegetarian and vegan options to choose from. At other restaurants, you should always ask if there is any meat in a dish (肉 niku) and many times you have to ask more specifically putting two fingers up crossing in front of you while you say "no bacon, no ham, no sausage, no chicken, no beef, no meat, right?" It seems silly but is sometimes necessary.

Gluten-free: Avoid flour (小麦粉 komugiko) and barley (麦 mugi). When ordering say you have a "komugiko to mugi allelergy" (allergic to flour and barley). Stick to plain rice and plain salads, plain grilled meats or fish and carry around your own gluten-free sauces that you like. There are a lot of Indian curry restaurants in Hiroshima to choose from (Japanese curry is not gluten free), edamame (fresh soy beans) and plain tofu and Japanese pickles are always available in Japanese restaurants. If eating at an Okonomiyaki shop, choose dishes cooked on the grill called "teppanyaki", ask the many vegetables, seafoods and meats on offer to be cooked only with oil, butter, garlic and salt. "Ume" pickled plum rice balls are a good staple and available in every convenience store and many Japanese restaurants. If eating sushi, stick to the sashimi, raw fish, as some sushi rice has dashi (stock) containing flour.

The less beaten path
*Ninoshima- Hiroshima has loads of islands, but Ninoshima is particularly easy to get to and navigate around. It is a small island just off the coast of Hiroshima without any modern conveniences. It's a great place to cycle around, go for runs, enjoy the beaches and coastline. Famous for its signature "Aki-no-Fuji" Hiroshima's little (mt.) Fuji mountain as seen in this picture by littleforeigner.

To get a realistic idea of what it's like to cycle round the island, have a look at this fun go-pro youtube video by sr20det808 of his summer day trip around the island.

* Shimanami kaido route over the bridges from Onomichi - interesting towns along the way, beautiful views of the Seto inland sea, also a car route- take turns cycling, riding, walking.
* Okunoshima- rabbit island
* Yacht, ferry and boat cruises of the islands
* Fruit picking, flower viewing in Sera

These are only some of the great places in Hiroshima, we will keep adding our favorites and I hope your adventures in Hiroshima will take you to many more wonderful places.
If you'd like to share your experiences with others, you can earn points for goods or even flights by writing for JapanTravel.com

We would also love to hear any comments or updates you may have and insider knowledge for residents of Hiroshima at GetHiroshima.com (will be back online by February 2014).

Let's Help Bring Christmas Cheer to Kids in Rikuzen-Takata

noreply@blogger.com (JJWalsh/Inbound Ambassador) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 11:59:00 +0000

Photos of Rikuzen Takata Devastation @Ikuru Kuwajima

Let’s bring a bit of Christmas cheer to the children of Rikuzentakata, Tohoku!

This area was particularly hard hit by this year's Tsunami devastation on March 11, 2011. The children in the area would be so encouraged and excited to receive a Christmas present to raise their spirits.

The volunteer group, "Aki-Rikuzentakata Dream Support Team" has decided to try and make sure every child in Rikuzentakata city in Iwate gets at least one Christmas present this year, and we’d like your help to achieve this ambitious goal.

According to official figures, there are currently 1043 children in elementary schools, and 601 junior high school students in our adopted sister city and the goal is to collect enough donated Christmas presents to give them all one each. So here is what we are asking people to do: Please buy a gift to the value of up to 1000yen and send it to the address in Hiroshima below. Fresh foods and animals are prohibited by law, but apart from that anything goes.

Size: maximum 10cm x 10cm x 10cm Please wrap the gift yourself but write the following information on a (removable) tag on each gift:

Suitable age range for gift: Choose from: Elementary (6-9yrs old) / 10-12 yrs /12-15 yrs old)
Suitable for Boy/Girl/ Unisex (either boy or girl)
Contents of the package ( toy/book/stationery/candy/clothing etc...)

This information will be removed before the gift is given to the child (it is for the staff who will sort the gifts). If possible, please write this information in Japanese. English is also fine, but please write clearly.

If you would like to add a personal message, please attach a message card for the gift. You can also add your name and address if you like.

All collected gifts will be distributed among the elementary schools and junior high schools of Rikuzentakata city in Iwate Prefecture, which was badly hit by the March 11th Tsunami.

Please mail gifts to arrive by December 15th** to: 〒739-1103 Hiroshima-ken, Akitakata-shi, Koda Shimokobara 12277-1 Takata Concrete Kogyo nai: Aki-Rikuzentakata Yume Oendan Jimukyoku

(address in Japanese) 〒７３９－１１０３広島県安芸高田市甲田町下小原１２７７-１有限会社高田コンクリート工業内　安芸・陸前高田　夢応援団事務局　(*)Tel:０８２６-４５-２６１１

* NOTE The above number is only for shipping invoice purposes, please do not call it for information. For more information in English, please contact Jackie Ikegami 090 7890 9464)

**DEADLINE: December 15th, 2011 (Gifts arriving at the above address after December 15th may not be able to be reach Rikuzentakata in time for Christmas)

Shift in tone by Hiroshima governor Hidehiko Yuzaki on US trip

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 05:54:00 +0000

The tone of the reported remarks made by Hiroshima governor Hidehiko Yuzaki on his current US trip seems to be shifting in a more conciliatory direction that may prove more effective in persuading people overseas to be more open to Hiroshima's message of peace.

In this WSJ piece

“I would like President Obama to come,” said Mr. Yuzaki. He said all world leaders involved in policy on nuclear weapons should visit Hiroshima “to see the actual reality of what happens if they are really used.”

"I'm not asking for apologies... about Hiroshima, but I think the important thing is to have a forward-looking message. Hiroshima is a place of recovery."

And via AFP

"Hiroshima has been known as a place of tragedy but it is also a place of hope"

"A lot of people, especially from countries in conflict, come and see the beauty and prosperity of modern Hiroshima... and feel they can do the same."

Trash Up!! Yokogawa Grindhouse

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 14:18:00 +0000

This event at Yokogawa Cinema would have been perfect for Halloween. Those who have not yet had their fill of ghosts and ghouls, and are in the mood for fountains of blood and gallons of gore might enjoy this international underground/cult film night at Yokogawa Cinema on Saturday, November 12 put together by the people who did organized the Anus30H last week.

The first of three feature films kicks off at 4pm with the Icelandic nautical horror The Reykjavik Whale Watching Massacre (2009) which has dialogue in English, Icelandic, Japanese and French (with Japanese subtitles).

This is followed by the Italian City Of The Living Dead (1980)

Next, after a quick hello from two directors 3 low budget Japanese shorts will be screened (about an hour in total)

Following this, there is a 60 minute panel talk; probably a good time for a break if your Japanese isn't great. The grand finale starting at 9:30pm is original The Texas Chainsaw Massacre from 1974.

Tickets are ¥2500 in advance and ¥3000 on the door (both require a additional ¥500 drink order when you arrive), the seating is free though. Tickets are available from Yokogawa Cinema.

Please note that none of the films will be subtitled in English.

Weekend events November 4-7

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 06:15:00 +0000

Anus30H
Friday November 4- Saturday November 5

30 hours of underground music and performance at MUGEN 5160 featuring Hiroshima Taro and the return of Nekomushi.

Read more about this event here.

Viberation Base
Friday November 4

Drum and bass night at Sacred Spirits (aka Cafe Jamaica)

¥1000

Re:wind
Saturday November 5

Eclectic grown up sounds on a soulful, jazzy tip at Edge.

¥2000 (Adv) ¥2500 (Door)

Dubway
Saturday November 5
Reggae night on the second floor of MUGEN 5160
Korean reggae from Windy City and live set by Hiroshima reggae band Dub Zombies and plenty of nice reggae tunes over the Jah Love Is Sweeter sound system.

Rebirth Age
Saturday November 5

Punk night at Slim Chance Studio in Takanobashi.

¥1500 (incl 1 drink)

Green Ground Market
Sunday November 6
10am - 4pm
Organic farmers market and workshops on the grassy riverbank known as Poplar-dori (next to Chuo Park)

http://hirojin.univnet.jp/blog/ggm/ (Japanese)

At The Movies

Fair Game (PG-13)

Showing at Salon Cinema November 5-11 at 11:00, 13:10 and 19:10

The Ghost Writer (PG-13)

Showing at Cine Twin Shintenchi November 5 - December 2 at 11:00, 13:35, 16:10, 19:00 (until November 18 from when showtimes are likely to change).

Hiroshima Taro sings and the return of Nekomushi

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 11:48:00 +0000

At 6pm on Friday, November 4, thirty hours of local underground music and stage shows kicks off at MUGEN 5610. The catchily named Anus30H runs, non-stop, through to midnight on Saturday night/Sunday morning.

You can see the full line up here (scroll down to find the timetable), but one can imagine that the guest everyone is looking forward to seeing whether he shows up is local icon, the hobo known as Hiroshima Taro, who is scheduled to do a karaoke performance at 21:40 on Saturday night.

Japanese freak show band Nekomushi are also back. Kind of.

Some of our readers may remember seeing the shows by unorthodox four piece band, led by Organza proprietess Goto Izumi and featuring GetHiroshima's own Paul Walsh as the "World's Worst Bass Player", before they imploded shortly after returning from a US tour which included appearances at SXSW. Those who did may be interested in seeing what the band would have sounded like if they had had musicians that could actually play, as this isn't a reunion, but a (politely phrased) "cover band". This shouldn't be missed as queen of the Hiroshima underground is sure to make sure that she out avant gards the nouveau avant garders who may have eyes on her crown. Nekomushi are due on stage at 01:10 on Friday night.

Nekomushi back in the day

Anus30H is at MUGEN 5610

Friday, November 4 18:00 - Saturday, November 5 24:00

Tickets

2 Day Ticket: Adv ¥3500 Door ¥4000 (+ one ¥500 drink order on entry)
1 Day Ticket: Adv ¥2500 Door ¥3000 (+ one ¥500 drink order on entry)

http://viii8.net/111104/

Halloween Costume Party @ Club Chinatown 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 08:28:00 +0000

Another good turnout at the Chinatown Halloween costume party last night. I'm sure there are lot of great photos to come from Flo, Rebecca and others, but here are some of the ones I snapped. You can view and download these shots and more at full resolution from our Flickr page here.

Halloween Party Night

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 07:16:00 +0000

A round of up of some of the places holding Halloween shenanigans on Saturday night and the deals they are offering before the big costume party at Club Chinatown.

Club Chinatown
DJs LITTLE FOREIGNER / WINDCHEATER / MISH VAMPIRO / RICHARD (Barcos) and SLEEPYEYE
Costume Contest at midnight with great prizes from local bars, restaurants and businesses, plus spot prizes all night!
Charity photos by Flo with proceeds to UNICEF.
Admission: ¥2000 (incl 1 drink)

Molly Malone's
Get your photo taken and enter their Facebook costume contest. All pics will be uploaded to the Molly Malone’s FB page and whoever gets the most likes wins a Molly’s goodie bag! 3 categories; Scariest, Funniest and Sexiest!

Candy treats for all kids in costume.

Spooky Drinks
Vampire Bite Poisoned Apple, Dragon's Breath, Love at first bite, Brain Haemorrhage All ¥500, or ½ price if you are in costume. Blood red beer too!

Southern Cross
Oct 29th Saturday 6pm-11pm

Wear a costume and win prizes for Scariest Costume, Funniest Costume, Sexiest Costume and All Round Best Costume. Judgement from 10pm to 11pm.

Optional Nomihoudai from 6pm to 10pm for ¥3000. Or just drop in to show off your costume and get ¥100 off drinks (happy hour not included)

The Shack

Saturday Oct 29th 8pm to 4am

No cover charge
All drinks ¥500
DJ Mr Mikami

Midnight Oasis

A free shot to anyone in costume when ordering their first drink!

Weekend Events & Movies October 21-23, 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 01:15:00 +0000

Bon Voyage First Anniversary (Friday, October 21-Sunday, October 23)

Shohei and Co celebrate getting though their first year running Bon Voyage down at the end of Nagarekawa-dori this weekend with 3 days of discount drinks - all alcohol ¥500 and a party on Saturday.

Saturday night party 6:00pm - 4:00am
Admission : ¥1500 (incl 1 Drink & Food)
DJs, band & more

WunderBar Stevie's 13th Anniversary Party (Saturday, October 22)

Soul bar Stevies also celebrates an anniversary this month; its 13th!
Part one takes place this Saturday with an "All You Can Dance !!!!, All You Can Drink !!!!" night from 8pm-3am. Tickets are ¥3000 in davance and ¥3500 on the door.
(All you can drink is 8pm-1am)
DJs
KAMACHI （SKILLHEARTS）
HIDEAKI OKA
JOE （BrownSugar）
IMARU（Discotique a GoGo）
COB
MICHIO
Teddy-KUMA

Live music at Kemby's and Southern Cross

Friday, October 21 at Kemby's
Local Musicians Paul & Chris, Kit, Jamie and Jason
8:30pm - 11:30pm

Saturday, October 22 at Southern Cross
Local Musicians Paul & Chris and Jason are at it again.
Doors Open 6:00pm
Live music starts at 8:30pm

BEGGARS BANQUET (Saturday, October 21)

A bunch of local live bands for the price of drink at PICO - just down the hall from Bon Voyage.

Bands are 酔屋ちどり, 金属バット, EYESCREAM JET SET, Lily

Kanguruwanguru, Usagi Bunny Boy, Circus Sands

At the movies

Cowboys vs Aliens

Playing at 109 Cinemas, Wald 11 and Warner Mycal from Saturday, October 22.

Serial arsonist suspected in Funairi blaze

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 06:59:00 +0000

The Chugoku Shinbun reports that police suspect that a serial arsonist is responsible for a fire Nishi Kawaguchi-cho (Funairi area) early in the morning of October 19. The fire spread from a two story apartment building to a larger condominium building (mansion), destroying a total of 80 square meters of property.

The Fire Department say that of the four buildings affected, three were unoccupied.

It follows another fire on the same block on October 8 which also occurred early in the morning. On that day bicycles and other things were also set fire in a nearby car park.

Local residents are understandably concerned.

Original Japanese article here:

１９日午前０時５５分ごろ、広島市中区西川口町の木造２階建てアパート付近から出火、隣接するマンションや空き家に延焼し、４棟計約８０平方メートルを焼いた。８日未明にもすぐ近くで同じ時間帯に火災が発生しており、広島中央署は連続放火事件の可能性もあるとみている。市消防局によると、４棟のうちアパートを含む３棟は空き家。付近住民が火事に気付いて１１９番した。現場付近では８日午前０時２５分ごろ、アパート西隣のリサイクル店舗兼住宅が全焼。その約１０分前には近くの舟入幸町の雑居ビル駐車場で自転車などが燃える火事があった。広島中央署はいずれも付近に火の気がなく、狭い範囲で集中発生していることなどから、同一犯による連続放火の疑いもあるとみて不審者の目撃情報がないかなどを調べている。現場は戸建てやマンションが立ち並ぶ住宅街。度重なる火災に付近の住民は不安そうな表情を浮かべ、消火作業を見守った。

Harakiri: Death of a Samurai (Ichi-mei)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 05:47:00 +0000

Often controversial film director Takashi Miike tones things down in his remake of Masaki Kobayashi's 1962 classic Seppuku (Harakiri). The "subdued and grown-up" Ichi-mei follows last year's highly entertaining, far more exuberant (and characteristic), redo of Thirteen Assassins, and gets a thumbs up from the Japan Times' Mark Schilling in this review in spite of the 3D bits.

Here is the trailer for the Masaki Kobayashi's original (with English subtitles)

Ichi-mei is playing at Wald 11, Warner Mycal and TOHO Midorii and 109 Cinemas from Saturday, October 15 in Japanese with NO subtitles. Click here for more movies and events this weekend.

Weekend Events & Movies October 14-16, 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 07:54:00 +0000

FRIDGE at Edge (Friday, October 14)

DJs Windcheater, Paul (GetHiroshima), RINN and Jin playing house, UK bass, tech-house from 11pm.

No cover charge

Kids Kagura at Toshogu Shrine (Saturday, October 15)

After 3 years of repairs, the scaffolding has come down from Toshogu Shrine in Futaba-no-sato near the Shinkansen Station. Kids will be performing kagura in the shrine courtyard and there will be food stalls. 2pm-6pm

View Toshogu Shrine [広島東照宮] in a larger map

80s Night at Southern Cross (Saturday, October 15)

Saturday October 15, Saturday from 8pm
Timewarp to the 80s at Southern Cross
80s music, live bands with 80s covers, costume contest and drinks specials

No cover charge

Live Celtic & Blues at KeMBY's (Saturday, October 15)

Sean O'Connor, Japan based Irish musician, brings his own Celtic entertainment. He is joined by virtuoso blues and rock duo King & Hobo, Shin playing old classics, and folk-rock combo Paul Williams & Chris Knobler

7pm-11pm
No cover charge

Malalai Joya lecture (Sunday, October 16)

Malalai Joya, Afghan human rights campaigner and antiwar activist, speaks at Hiroshima-shi Machidukuri Shimin Koryu Plaza (next to Fukuromachi Elementarty School)
Starts at 2pm in Kenshu-shitsu AB
Admission: ¥1000

Captain America: The First Avenger

Playing at 109 Cinemas and Wald 11 from Friday, October 14.

Denjin Zaborgar (Karate-Robo Zaborgar)

"PART MOTORCYCLE, PART KARATE EXPERT, ALL ROBOT! WHEN THE SAFETY OF THE WORLD IS AT STAKE, ZABORGAR WILL SAVE THE DAY!"

Over the top film adaptation of a popular 1970s Japanese TV series, by former porn director Noboru Iguchi who brought the world such gems as Machine Girl and RoboGeisha. Not quite as much blood and severed limbs (though there is some acid diarrhea) but still plenty crazy.

NB This is the international trailer. The version being shown in Hiroshima has no English subtitles.

Playing at Wald 11 from Saturday, October 15.

Denjin Zaborgar on Wikipedia
Karate-Robo Zaborgar on Wikipedia
Review on Variety.com here

Hiroshima Tube Map

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 06:41:00 +0000

by Windcheater

Read more about the iconic London Underground Tube Map at Wikipedia here and see some more maps inspired by it here.

Updated to lastest version (October 13, 10am)

Trace amounts of cesium found in Hiroshima breast milk

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 03:44:00 +0000

According to the Chugoku Shimbun, local group Tsunagarou Hiroshima (Unite Hiroshima) has found trace amounts of radioactive cesium in the breast milk of two mothers. In a very small sample, the breast milk of 4 mothers who relocated from the Kansai area after the March 11 earthquake and 2 mothers who have been resident in Hiroshima Prefecture since before was tested for radioactive substances. Trace amounts of radioactive cesium were found in the breast milk of one of the former and and one of the latter. The paper states that the actual amounts have not been released, but are said to be well below the upper limit set by the Ministry of Health of 200 bequerels/kg.

The group says that this indicates that even those who have been resident in Hiroshima since before the Fukushima crisis began may be absorbing radioactive material from food, and call for the government to set up facilities of the testing of breast milk and urine to monitor amounts of radioactive substances in foodstuffs.

An alternative (better?) translation of the Chugoku Shinbun article with original Japanese text can be found <a href="skf.blogspot.com/2011/10/radioactive-cesium-from-breast-milk.html">here</a>.

Event: International Conference: Effects of Radiation on the Human Body"

noreply@blogger.com (JJWalsh/Inbound Ambassador) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 01:15:00 +0000

HICARE (Hiroshima International

Council for Health Care of the Radiation-exposed), which supports
medical care of A-bomb suvivors and other radiation-exposed people,
is holding an international symposium on November 23 & 24 this year at the
International Conference Center Hiroshima.

The theme is "Effects of radiation on the human body".

A top official from the IAEA will be giving a lecture, and we'll have some
other lectures to be done by a Hiroshima University Hospital professor, and other doctors.

Nov. 23 is free and open to public (everyone is welcome).

There will be simultaneous interpretation on the 23rd. The 24th is only for people working in medicine.

We have just put information on our website: in English is http://www.hicare.jp/en/16/symposiumpage1_en.html

"Creation of Freedom" at Border, Sunday October 9

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 04:46:00 +0000

If you like your music loud, fast and played with feeling, you might like the kine up at Border tonight. Personally, I'm not much of a punk fan, but I think the THE ROOM'S are quite something. Music starts at 6:30pm and it's ¥1500 on the door (plus a ¥500 drink order).

Ace In The Hole

Kiwotsukero

Never Again

The ROOM'S

HDR Hiroshima City

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:29:00 +0000

Great shot by Freedom II Photography posted to Flickr.

Long weekend events October 8-10

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:05:00 +0000

Saijo Sake Matsuri (Saturday and Sunday, October 8-9)

200,000 people flood the streets of Saijo in Higashi-Hiroshima City for this two-day annual festival. The big sake breweries (kura) open their doors to the public and there are bands, parades, street stalls and more all over the small town. The big draw for many, however, is the chance to "appreciate" some of the 900 kinds of sake from all over the country on offer in the "Sake Hiroba".

Tickets for the Sake Hiroba are ¥1500 in advance and ¥1800 on the day (open 11am-8pm on Saturday and 10am-5pm on Sunday. Last admission 30min before closing)

The Sake Matsuri homepage is here sakematsuri.com but they seem to have given up on providing any English information.

If you are still up for it after you get back to town Southern Cross are offering a free sake if you show your cup from the festival (until it runs out).

Hiroshima Umeshu Festival (Monday, October 10)

If sake is a but strong for you, or like a sweeter tipple, why not head down to Alice garden (the concrete park behind PARCO in the city center) for on Monday, October 10. For ¥1000 (Adv) or ¥1500 (At the event) you can sample as many of the 130 or so varieties as you can stomach. The event runs 12pm-6pm.

Onomichi Akari Matsuri (Saturday, October 8)

If you are looking for something quieter and more contemplative, head to Onomichi for their candle light event on Saturday night 6pm-8pm (cancelled if it rains). No English on this homepage either (you can find some English info here however).

Early Halloween Party at Sacred Spirits (Sunday, October 9)

Dance Music Connection 3 (Sunday, October 9)

Loads of DJs spinning in four venues for one all-inclusive price.

Movies

Get in the mood for the early Halloween party with The Last Exorcism which starts at Wald 11 (Soleil Mall) from Saturday, October 8, or the latest Planet of The Apes at from Friday, October 7 Wald 11, Warner Mycal and TOHO Midorii.

Cosplay event at the Former Bank of Japan Building (Sunday, October 9)

Join in or just go along to take some pics (though it's advisable to read the guidelines on the website <a href="http://cosquerade.com/2011/09/472/">here</a>).

ETJ Hiroshima Expo (Sunday, October 9)
Mini conference for ELT professionals and those interested in English language learning and teaching 9:30am-6pm at Hiroshima Kogyo University downtown campus. More details here.

World Cup Rugby Quarter Finals (October 8-9)

Live on screen at Southern Cross and Molly Malone's

Saturday October 8th
Ireland vs Wales from 2:00pm
England vs France from 4:30pm

Sunday October 9th
South Africa vs Australia from 2:00pm
New Zealand vs Argentina from 4:30pm

Hiroshima Carp vs Yokohama Baystars (October 10-12)

The Carp take on the Yokohama Baystars in three night games starting at 6pm at Mazda Stadium starting on Monday, October 10.

Know of anything else going on this weekend? Share the info by popping it in the comments below.

Downtown Sake Festival, Saturday October 1st

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:57:00 +0000

Apparently, the first day of October is Japanese Sake Day and to commemorate this auspicious occasion the Hiroshima Prefecture Sake Association is holding an event in Alice Garden (the Legoland-looking park behind PARCO).

40 varieties of Hiroshima sake will be on offer. The event runs from 5pm to 8pm and its ¥1000 all-you-can-appreciate or ¥500 for 5 cups. Not a bad deal at all.

GetHiroshima dot Gone

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 08:47:00 +0000

If you came here looking for the full, though long-wounded, GetHiroshima site. You are likely wondering where the heck it has gone.

It's dead.

The site had been living on borrowed time for a while. The half of with magazine pretensions was frozen in time for over two years. The forums had gone long before; a victim of legal wrangling. And the labor of hate that was the cinema listings succumbed to the cries of our other, human, babies.

In Internet time, the code with which the GetHiroshima built is ancient, and, after 10 years, the powers that served the site were getting increasingly cranky. Earlier this month, they decided that enough was enough, and pulled the plug.

A new version of GetHiroshima.com has actually been in the works for a few years now. In fact, two versions. However, reality caught up with both of the developers who were so kind to offer their services pro bono, and they had to quit their projects before completion.

So, what next?

For a few days Joy and I did mull over the idea that, after over a decade, this might be a sign that it was time to call it a day and move on to something else. The thought of that 10 years' work just disappearing started to eat at us, however, and we turned our minds to what realistic steps two people with very little (read none) coding ability could take to salvage as much as we could.

The current plan is to put up a replacement site using what knowledge we have. It will host place reviews, rudimentary event listings and features. We will also launch a new classified ads page.

We had hoped that GetHiroshima 2.0 would blow everyone away. Now, that isn't going to happen, but it should at least be fully functional, which we see as an improvement. In theory, this will be a stopgap measure while we work on a better replacement (though we would advise against holding your breath).

We are making progress, but it will be a little while longer before we can launch the new stuff. In the meantime we will endeavor to keep the info flowing through this blog, our Facebook Page and Twitter feed. Keep an eye on any of these pages for news of the new site.

Cheers and thanks for your patience,

Paul

Monsters

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 23:29:00 +0000

Monsters is a 2010 low budget British Sci-Fi film edited on a laptop. It has been very well received and described as a breathe of fresh air by those on the verge of a Hollywood blockbuster over3Dose.

The film is showing at Cine Twin Shintenchi at 16:50 daily until this Friday (September 30).

Review in the UK Guardian here and reviews at Rotten Tomatoes here.

Kumano Fude Matsuri

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 05:31:00 +0000

Tomorrow is the annual Kumano Fude Matsuri, one our favorite local festivals of the year. We highly recommend checking it out at least once while you are in the area.

Review by Sofie Ivan Andersen from 2008 here.

Photos

Videos

Pecha Kucha is coming to Hiroshima

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 11:12:00 +0000

PechaKucha Night was started in Tokyo back in February 2003 as an event for young designers to meet, network, and show their work in public. The name comes from the Japanese expression used to convey the sound of 'chit-chat', and PechaKucha Nights use an interesting formula for turning often dry slide presentations into simple, fun, and (perhaps most importantly) short performances.

The format is simple,

Presenters talk while 20 preselected slides forward automatically every 20 seconds.

The event has grown from a small gathering in Tokyo into a worldwide movement.

Hiroshima's first PechaKucha night is taking place at Southern Cross on Wednesday, October 12 and the organizers are looking for presenters. You can contact them <a href="http://pechakuchahiroshima.jimdo.com/contact-us/">here</a>. For those who prefer just to watch, things kick off at 7:30pm and there is a ¥1000 admission charge.

Miyajima kayaking with Paddle Park

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 04:08:00 +0000

After picking up a flier and checking out their website months ago, we finally got down to Paddle Park near Miyajima to try out one of their short sea kayak tours. We did a 3 hour paddle from their store on Route 2 just past the Aki Grand Hotel to the giant torii gate in front of Itsukushima Shrine and back. We set out at low tide so we weren't able to paddle right under the torii gate as you can at high tide (as a rough guide, around the full moon mornings are best, and around half moon, afternoons). Even on a grey day and some light rain on the return leg, we had a great afternoon. It's a completely different way to experience Miyajima, and good exercise too.

We hauled the kayaks up onto the bright green seaweed covered mud in front of the torii gate, leaving them to be watched over by the many people out digging for clams while we headed up the beach for a warming cup of tea at the very friendly Kiyomori Cafe.

Kubota-san offers half day and full day guided tours as well as overnight trips which include sleeping on some of Miyajima's beaches inaccessible other than by boat. During the summer, Paddle Park also offer shorter sessons for kids at the Tsutsumigaura Beach Park. As the weather is milder during the year we highly recommend trying it out.

New Places on the Homepage

noreply@blogger.com (JJWalsh/Inbound Ambassador) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 22:31:00 +0000

Summer is still lingering, still a good time to have some summer fun- here are GetHiroshima's latest recommendations:

Miyajima's Remodeled Aquarium is having a special "Trick Art" exhibit in the month of October (free entry as a part of entry to the aquarium). The new version of the aquarium has the famous finless dolphins, penguins, piranhas and many more wonderful varieties of fish to view and enjoy. * If you have kids, join us here on October 2nd for a playdate
Still warm enough to swim: check out Bayside Beach Saka for a quick dip not far from the city center.
Need to get out of the lingering heat of summer? Always wonderful finds at the Hiroshima Museum of Art the permanent exhibits include the greats: Picasso, Renoir and more!
Tida- Okinawan style foods in a reasonably priced buffet can be found at the back of the Chisun hotel- good value, great, fresh food.
Always a fun spot to share some drinks and tapas at Zucchini- across the bridge from the Peace park before the covered Hondori.

Recent Customer Reviews:

Rave for Roopali: "great indian food"

KAJAL - Wed Aug 2011
I visit roopali last week i like the way they treat a guest/coustmer . They make great indian food.next when I will go back in india I will tell my friends if you will go to hiroshima please visit ROOPALI INDIAN RESTAURANT.

Positive reviews for Namaste Indian & Nepali Restaurant in Asse Department store (Hiroshima JR station)

"perfect and superb"

ashish - Fri Aug 2011
i highly recommand this place if you love real taste.

"healthy and spicy"
jack - Fri Aug 2011
I went to the resturant it was awesome the way it looks. Delicious food and great environment for a family lunch.like it