Hiroshima 1 Day Itinerary (Onomichi & Ikuchi Island)

Along with the old-fashioned houses on the mountain, you can enjoy the ancient hills and the picturesque Seto Inland Sea scenery. It has become popular since it has been used as the settings for famous Japanese films and anime. Take a walk as you enjoy the hill roads, temples and cuisine. Finding out about the local tourism is easy since there is a tourist information office at Onomichi Station.

Senkō-ji is a temple representing Onomichi on top of a small hill. From the temple grounds, there is a commanding view of Onomichi, the Seto Inland Sea and its islands. After visiting the temple, take a walk through Senkō-ji Park. You can take the ropeway to head up to the temple and come down gradually by walking down the slope so that you can enjoy the feeling of Onomichi as the “town of slopes”.

Neko no Hosomichi is a lane that stretches from the east of Ushitora Shrine to the three-floor pagoda of Tennei-ji Temple. Scattered along the alley are adorable fukuishi-neko (lucky stone cats). You can view this Onomichi-esque scene that is said to have a lot of cats. The area also has the small Maneki-neko Museum so if you have some time, why don’t you drop in?

Senkō-ji Shinmichi has come to symbolize Onomichi, a town of slopes that has been the setting for many movies. Old houses line this narrow hill road where the former residences of literary masters remain, so take a walk here while touring the famous sites and temples. After coming down the hill, head for Onomichi Station and have lunch around the station.

The famous dish of Onomichi ramen has a light-tasting soup that makes use of the seafood from the Seto Inland Sea. Lots of ramen shops can be found in the Onomichi Station area where the dish can be found easily so lunch is recommended here.

Head for Ikuchi Island which is on the Seto Inland Sea which takes 40 minutes by ferry from Onomichi Station. You will want to take in the island environment and have a nice stroll through places such as the beautiful temple and an art museum. There are relatively few runs on the ferry so while enjoying your tour, please be careful about the time for leaving the island.

This art museum has the precious collection of painter Ikuo Hirayama and is known for its great house of Japanese paintings. The museum is located in the town of Setoda where Hirayama was born and spent his early years, and it is a place where you can view his famous works while getting an idea of his painting background.

This Buddhist temple was constructed by an Osakan industrialist in memory of his deceased mother. On its wide grounds, there are splendid buildings modeled after famous architecture from all over the country. From the marble art work Miraishin-no-Oka, the tranquil view of the Seto Inland Sea spreads out. A café is also located in the area so it is a good place to take a break.

An island shopping street that has retained the flavor of an old-fashioned townscape. Along the street that spans 600m from Kōsan-ji Temple to Setoda Port, there are cafés, restaurants and souvenir shops. It’s nice to take a walk in the neighborhood and sample some of the local dishes until it’s time to board the ferry. The 5 o’clock ferry will take you back to Onomichi.