The “Hiroshima Castle Oyster Festival 2024,” featuring gourmet delights such as Hiroshima oysters, began on February 24, 2024 (Saturday) within the grounds of Hiroshima Castle Park.
This year, amidst poor oyster cultivation leading to the successive cancellation of popular oyster festivals in Hiroshima Prefecture, the Oyster Festival successfully celebrated its inaugural event.
At the lawn square in front of Gokoku Shrine, the opening ceremony took place at 10:00, with Mayor Matsui and others in attendance.
To mark the end of the ceremony and celebrate the inaugural event, a sake barrel breaking ceremony was conducted, with the cry of “One, Two, Yoisho!” as the barrel was opened.
Within the venue, various oyster dishes such as oyster yakisoba, oyster rice, and fried oysters, as well as diverse gourmet booths offering beef skewers, grilled fish, okonomiyaki, and Onomichi ramen, delighted the visitors.
Booths featuring grilled oysters in their shells were scattered throughout the venue, drawing crowds due to their popularity.
In the Kitabori area, the “First Oyster Gourmet Championship” was held. Among the four gourmet entries, attendees voted for their favorite dish by sampling them. Due to the pre-event buzz, a notably long queue formed in this section.
Adjacent to the Oyster Gourmet Championship, a limited edition of 500 servings of oyster hot pot was introduced. Priced at 300 yen per bowl, it was sold only at 11:00 and 13:00, resulting in the longest queue of the day.
Additionally, stage events featuring Kagura dance and music were held within the precincts of Gokoku Shrine, adding to the festive atmosphere.
The Hiroshima Castle Oyster Festival will continue until the next day, February 25 (Sunday).
