Fukuyama Rose Festival and Fukuyama Castle: Dates, Access and What to See by the Station

Quick answer: Fukuyama, in eastern Hiroshima Prefecture, calls itself the “City of a Million Roses”. Its Rose Festival is held every year on a weekend in mid-May — in 2026 it was the 59th festival, on 16–17 May. The 2027 dates haven’t been announced yet. Fukuyama Castle stands right behind the station, about 5 minutes’ walk from the North Exit. The keep is a museum (¥500, high school students and younger free, closed Mondays), and the castle grounds are free. Fukuyama is about 23 minutes from Hiroshima by fast Shinkansen.

I live in Tokushima and have family in Hiroshima. I’ve been to the Fukuyama Rose Festival. I’ve seen Fukuyama Castle from outside, but I haven’t been inside the keep, so the museum details here come from my research.

Fukuyama Rose Festival

When is it?

• Every year in mid-May, on a Saturday and Sunday.
• 2026: the 59th festival was held on 16–17 May. The Rose Expo FUKUYAMA 2026 ran on the same days (10:00–17:00, free) at the Fukuyama Tsuun Rose Arena in Midorimachi.
• 2027: dates hadn’t been announced as of late October 2026. Check before you book.
• Roses: the peak bloom lasts roughly two weeks either side of the festival.

Where is it?

The festival is spread across several sites:

• Rose Park (Bara Koen) in Hanazono-cho — the main site
• Hanazono Park
• Midorimachi Park
• Chuo Park
• The central shopping streets

Rose Park is about 20 minutes’ walk from Fukuyama Station, or you can take the Mawa-Rose loop bus.

What’s on?

Events have included a rose stage, a Rose Candle Night, and stalls selling rose goods and sweets. The programme changes each year, so check what’s on before you go.

Why roses?

• In 1956, local people planted 1,000 roses at Rose Park as a wish for recovery after the war.
• The first Rose Festival was held in 1968.
• In 2016, the city reached 1 million roses and became the “City of a Million Roses”.
• In May 2025, Fukuyama hosted the 20th World Rose Convention.

See also the Hiroshima Flower Festival.

Fukuyama Castle

I’ve only seen Fukuyama Castle from outside. It sits right behind the station — about 5 minutes’ walk from the North Exit (Fukuyama-jo-guchi).

A short history

• Built by Mizuno Katsunari and completed in 1622.
• Named a National Treasure in 1931.
• The keep burned down in the air raid of 8 August 1945.
• It was rebuilt in 1966 with donations.

The Reiwa restoration

From 2020 to 2022, the keep’s exterior was restored. The work included iron-plate cladding on the north side — described as the only one in Japan. The north side was the weaker back of the castle, so it needed extra protection. The top-floor windows and gun ports were restored too. The museum reopened on 28 August 2022, exactly 400 years after the castle was completed.

Fushimi-yagura and Sujigane Gomon

• Fushimi-yagura is a turret moved here from Fushimi Castle in Kyoto on the orders of the second shogun, Hidetada. A carving found in 1954 confirmed where it came from. It survived the 1945 air raid and is an Important Cultural Property.
• The inside is closed to the public, except usually on 3 November (Culture Day). Check Fukuyama City’s website for details.
• The Sujigane Gomon gate is also an Important Cultural Property.

Fukuyama Castle Museum (inside the keep)

The museum has an English website (fukuyamajo.jp/en/).

Also near the station

• Fukuyama Museum of Art: about 400 m west of the North Exit, a few minutes on foot. Open 9:30–17:00, closed Mondays (or the next day if Monday is a holiday).
• Uzumi: Fukuyama’s local dish, where the good ingredients — taro, carrot, sea bream, shrimp and shiitake — are hidden under the rice. The usual story is that Edo-period rules against luxury made people hide the good food.

Getting to Fukuyama

See Hiroshima Station Guide and Where to Stay in Hiroshima.

Add Tomonoura

Tomonoura is part of Fukuyama City. In 1619, Mizuno Katsunari landed at Tomonoura before choosing the site for his castle, which links the two. Tomotetsu buses run from Fukuyama Station; check the timetable on their website. See Tomonoura, and for more of the coast, Onomichi and Shimanami Kaido: Bike or Car?.

FAQ

When is the 2027 Fukuyama Rose Festival?
It hadn’t been announced as of late October 2026. It’s usually on a weekend in mid-May.

Can I go inside Fukuyama Castle?
Yes. The keep is a museum, ¥500 for adults (high school students and younger free). It’s closed on Mondays.

How far is the castle from the station?
About 5 minutes’ walk from the North Exit of JR Fukuyama Station.

How do I get to Rose Park?
About 20 minutes’ walk from the station, or take the Mawa-Rose loop bus.

Festival dates, castle hours and fares checked on the Fukuyama Castle Museum website and other sources on 28 October 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.