Hiroshima Oysters: Where and How to Eat Them (and What’s Happening in 2026)

Quick answer: Hiroshima oyster season normally runs from autumn to spring, at its best from November to March. Eat them grilled in the shell on Miyajima, as kaki-fry in the city, in a dote-nabe miso hotpot, over rice as kaki-meshi, on okonomiyaki, or grill your own at an oyster hut. But be aware: 2026 is the second bad year in a row — many farms have lost most of their oysters, shipping starts later than usual (from early November), and some events are cancelled. Oysters are still served, but check before you travel for them.

Hiroshima produces more farmed oysters than anywhere else in Japan — about 60% of the country’s total. My family is from Hiroshima, and I’ve eaten oysters here in many ways: grilled on Miyajima’s main street, fried in the city, at oyster huts where you grill them yourself, and on okonomiyaki.

The 2026 situation (read this first)

• In 2025, oysters across the Seto Inland Sea died in huge numbers before harvest — 70–90% in many areas, compared with a normal 30–50%. Hiroshima’s harvest fell to 57% of a normal year, and prices rose.
• 2026 is happening again. Farmers agreed to start shipping on 2 November or later, about a month later than usual, and in October co-ops reported deaths of around 60–70% at some sites.
• The cause isn’t confirmed; long periods of high water temperature, high salinity and low oxygen are suspected.
• The Miyajima Oyster Festival has been cancelled three years running (2024–2026).

What this means for you: oysters are still on menus, but supplies are tighter and prices higher. If oysters are the main reason for your trip, check the restaurant or oyster hut before you go.

How to eat Hiroshima oysters

Grilled on Miyajima

The street stalls on Miyajima’s Omotesando shopping street grill oysters in the shell. It’s the classic way, and the first one I’d recommend. For example, the restaurant Kakiya serves two grilled oysters for about ¥750. See Miyajima.

Kaki-fry (fried oysters)

Breaded and deep-fried, often with tartar sauce. You’ll find them on set-meal menus all over the city — a good, easy first taste.

Dote-nabe and kaki-meshi

• Dote-nabe: a hotpot where the rim of the pot is lined with miso that slowly melts into the broth with the oysters and vegetables. Perfect on a cold evening.
• Kaki-meshi: rice cooked with oysters and soy-based stock.

Both are worth seeking out if you see them on a menu.

On okonomiyaki

In season, many okonomiyaki shops offer oysters as a topping — my own recommendation for the best of both. See Hiroshima okonomiyaki. For an evening out with oysters and a drink, see Hiroshima Nightlife.

Oyster huts (kaki-goya)

At an oyster hut you buy oysters by the basket and grill them yourself on your table — messy, fun and good value. Huts are seasonal:

• Milky Tetsuo’s Kaki-goya, Ujina (Hiroshima city) opened for the 2026–27 season on 10 October and runs into spring; closed Wednesdays.
• Another hut in the Kusatsu area plans to open in mid-November.

Opening dates and prices depend on supply, so check before you go this year.

Raw oysters: what the labels mean

Oysters sold “for eating raw” (生食用) and “for cooking” (加熱調理用) are equally fresh. The difference is where they were farmed and how they were treated: raw-eating oysters come from designated waters, are purified and tested. If you eat oysters raw, choose a restaurant that serves them that way, and be aware that raw shellfish always carries some risk of food poisoning.

Oyster rafts

You’ll see oyster rafts floating in Hiroshima Bay from the Miyajima ferry and along the coast. Some local farms offer raft tours, mainly in Japanese.

When to go

• Best: November to March.
• In 2026: from early to mid-November, once shipping starts.
• Combine with winter in the region: see Winter in Setouchi.

FAQ

Are Hiroshima oysters available in 2026?
Yes, but in smaller quantities, and shipping starts from early November.

Is it safe to eat raw oysters?
Eat them raw only where they’re sold as raw-eating oysters. Cooked oysters are the safer choice.

Is the Miyajima Oyster Festival on in 2027?
No date has been announced, and it was cancelled in 2024–2026.

Kaz

Tokushima local with family roots in Hiroshima

I live in Tokushima and my family is from Hiroshima, where I also used to live. I still go back several times a year. The guides here come from places I have actually been. Where I haven't tried something myself, I say so.