Half Day Afternoon Plan in Ikuchi Island

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.