Festivals

Although Hiroshima is famous for its oysters throughout the year, it is during winter, in the coldest month of February that they’re at their best.  Sure you can go to a famous restaurant or oyster bar in Hiroshima to enjoy them, but for something more fun (and certainly cheaper!), why not brave the cold and head to one of the many oyster festivals held along the coast. Perhaps the biggest and most well-known of these is the Miyajima Oyster Festival, held on the second weekend of February every year. Oysters have been farmed in the Seto Inland Sea around for centuries, with the large, succulent shellfish prized as far away as Osaka. So it’s no surprise the festival draws crowds. The stalls are just beyond the Miyajima Ferry Terminal, so you’re already more or less in the thick of things when you exit the building. The lines move fairly quickly, but they can be long, so if waiting isn’t your idea of fun (and you can face the idea of oysters for breakfast) you might want to arrive early; the festival begins at 10 am. Or alternatively, you could just look for the shortest line. Grilled or fried oysters are…