Join Kure, Japan’s “Minato Festival” in Hiroshima

Every April Kure city, the industrial port of Hiroshima, celebrates the Minato (Port) Festival.300 thousand people fill the city’s streets to join in on the fun and to watch the parades. They enjoy local and international food booths and the live performances on the streets.

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Kure city’s biggest spring festival

On April 29th every year, Kure city celebrates the Minato (Port) Festival as a hope for Kure’s development as an industrial port. Ever since the Kure Naval District was developed in 1889, much of the city’s cultural and industrial development has been strongly influenced by Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. It’s where Japanese battleship “Yamato” was constructed in World War II, and even today there is a large Maritime Self-defence force base located there. In 2018, the festival marked its 61st anniversary.

Every year roughly 300,000 locals, tourists and residents of Japan fill the city’s streets to become enchanted by the different performances that are taking place throughout Minato port. They will also be able to enjoy a wide variety of food, drink and miscellaneous goods from all across the world!

Led by the Japan Mari-time Self Defense Force

Details about the festival are written down on a pamphlet and usually distributed about five days before the festival. Be sure to get one before you start your day so that you can plan your day ahead of time, and not miss out on the events you want to see. It’s a big one-day festival crammed with people so you want to be as organized as possible!

The whole festival area will be full of activities and events on the day. Every year the content is different. Sometimes they have celebrities as guest speakers, and sometimes they have Disney trucks appear in their parade. Although the content may differ, every year the festival usually has four main activities: the parade, indoor stage events, outdoor stage events and the food stalls.

Parade
The parade, led by maritime sailors, is the highlight of the festival. More than 3,000 people such as local brass bands, dance groups, and street performers participate in the parade every year. In recent years, Brazilian samba groups in their traditional outfits have gained a lot of attention. In 2018, the group that ended the parade was the Kure city fire department. They amused the audience by performing on top of a ladder.

Kuramoto street becomes a paradise for tourists and locals alike on the festival day. Usually, the parade is from 2 PM, and lasts for about 2.5 hours. Check your pamphlet for traffic rules and routes of the parade, and make sure you can watch from a good spot when it’s time.

Indoor Stage Events
On stage, you will see lots of local student groups perform. Local students look forward to the festival and take time preparing for their show. You will be able to see what kind of performances (mainly dances) you will see at different time slots on your pamphlet.Outdoor Stage Events
There are several outdoor stages. Usually, the maritime music corps perform on one of them with a variety of local bands, enriching the festive atmosphere. Usually, they have shows directed for young children such as kamen rider shows so if you are traveling with children, make sure you check out what kind of shows will be on play outdoors on the pamphlet.

Food Stalls
There are food and drink stalls everywhere Prepare yourself to have lunch and/or dinner at the festival because usually, they have a variety of food such as yakitori, ramen, and various drinks from sake to juice available. Popular food stalls are those that serve local dishes such as Hiroshima okonomiyaki (the savory version of Japanese pancakes with seafood, meat, vegetables and noodles). Another type that attracts many visitors is ones serving Kure Kaiji Curry, run by the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force. They are all made with the same recipe as the curry that is served to Maritime Self Defense Force sailors so it is a rare opportunity to try a bowl for a very affordable price.

At the international food booth street, there are food booths from representatives of different countries, including Japan. For example, in 2018, the Indian booth served curry, and the Japanese booth served Japanese tea. People at the booths were dressed in their country’s costumes.

The best way to get there is by train as the streets will be packed with people. Also, try to plan your day ahead of time so that you don’t waste any time wondering what to do next.

Parade and other tourist spots in the city

Kure city is known for its warm climate throughout the year, but the best month to visit is in April. If you visit during this month, you will get to experience the Minato (Port) Festival together with some other interesting tourist spots.

The Kure Maritime Museum (or the Yamato Museum), where visitors can learn more about Kure’s history, steel and shipbuilding technology and see a 1:10 scale replica of the “Yamato” battleship. You will also get to view a real Mitsubishi Zero A6M fighter plane.

The JMSDF Kure Museum, where visitors can see, learn, and experience walking inside a real submarine. They have multiple floors with a detailed history of minesweeping operations around Japan (although most descriptions are in Japanese). Admissions are free

If you want to get away from the crowd, Areikarasukojima is a park by the ocean with a great view of the Japanese naval vessels and submarines.

Photos from the Festival

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写真提供：広島県

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写真提供：広島県

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写真提供：広島県

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写真提供：広島県

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写真提供：広島県

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写真提供：広島県

How to visit?

The shortest way to go from Tokyo to Hiroshima is by air (approx.. 90 minutes). Take a domestic flight from Haneda airport to Hiroshima airport and then an airport bus to Kure city (approx. 1 hour). You can also go by train (approx. 6 hours). Take the JR Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen from Tokyo station to Shin-Osaka Station. You will then transfer to Sakura train and arrive in Hiroshima at Hiroshima station. From JR Hiroshima station, ride the Kure Line and get off at JR Kure station (about 30 to 45 minutes)

Address:
4-7-1 Hondori Kure City, Hiroshima 737-0045 ( Kure Tourism Association)
Tel: 81-823-21-8365

5-20 Takaramachi Kure City, Hiroshima 737-0029 (Kure Maritime Museum)
Tel: 81-823-25-3017 (Kure Maritime Museum)