Hiroshima · Month comparison

February vs October

October ranks #1 overall vs February at #10. Miyajima Fire Festival in October and early autumn colour makes this a genuinely great month without April's price spike.

Hiroshima February — Shukkeien Japanese Garden winter calm

February

#10 of 12 months

Worth considering

Still the off-season — plum blossoms at Shukkeien Garden arrive late Feb, an early sign of spring before the sakura rush.

  • ↑Plum blossom at Shukkeien Garden (late Feb) — zero crowds, no tripod battles
  • ↑Budget accommodation across the city: hostels ¥2,000, business hotels ¥5,000
Hiroshima October — Itsukushima Shrine wooden torii gate at Miyajima

October

#1 of 12 months

Best match

Miyajima Fire Festival in October and early autumn colour makes this a genuinely great month without April's price spike.

  • ↑Miyajima Fire Festival (Taimatsu Shinji) — torchlit procession to the shrine
  • ↑Early autumn maple colour on Mount Misen and Shukkeien Garden
FactorFebruaryOctober
Weather score
3
8
Value score
9
5
Crowd score
9
5
Events score
2
7
Atmosphere
5
8
Avg high temp10°C23°C
Monthly rain58mm90mm
Daily sunshine4.5hrs6.5hrs

February trade-offs

  • ↓Heaviest rainfall month of winter — ferry to Miyajima can be suspended in high winds
  • ↓Cold and overcast most days — outdoor sightseeing requires layering

October trade-offs

  • ↓Miyajima Fire Festival weekend books hotels weeks ahead
  • ↓Autumn koyo (foliage) season draws crowds back to near-spring levels
See all 12 months for Hiroshima →February in detail →October in detail →
Scores compare months within Hiroshima. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →