Hatsukaichi

Introduction

Hatsukaichi is a city in Hiroshima Prefecture, in the Chugoku region of western Japan. It spreads across a large area, with a population spread thinly enough that much of the city is open country and hillside rather than dense streetscape.

The source material for this guide is limited, so treat this introduction as a starting point rather than a full portrait of the city.

Before you go

Before you set out, look up the local tourist association's multilingual guide site, which covers the city in several languages. The city government also runs its own guide site; it is written in Japanese, but has machine translation built in, so you can still use it to check details in your own language.

Getting there

Getting around

Hatsukaichi splits into two practical worlds: the mainland strip along Hiroshima Bay and Itsukushima (Miyajima) Island offshore. On the mainland, JR West's San'yō Main Line is the backbone, linking Hatsukaichi, Miyauchikushido, Ajina, Miyajimaguchi, Maezora and Ōnoura with Hiroshima to the east. For most trips, Miyajimaguchi is the station that matters, since it is the gateway to the island ferries and only a six- or seven-minute walk from the JR West Miyajima Ferry Terminal. Hiroshima Electric Railway's Hiroden Miyajima Line parallels the train through stops such as Hiroden-hatsukaichi, Jigozen, Hiroden-ajina and Hiroden-miyajima-guchi, giving you a slower, cheaper ride along the same corridor. If you are already in central Hiroshima, the tram lets you stay seated all the way to the ferry pier without changing trains. Local buses, including the Sakura Bus on the Hara Line, fill in places off the rail corridor; a free shuttle runs from Otake Station to the Shimose Art Museum on weekends and holidays only, with local buses on weekdays. Taxis are the fastest door-to-door option on the mainland and make sense with luggage or in a group.

Two ferry operators, JR Miyajima Ferry and Miyajima Matsudai Kisen, cross from Miyajimaguchi to Miyajima in about ten minutes; note that an island entry fee is payable separately from the ferry fare. Once on the island, you get around on foot: Itsukushima Shrine, the Five-Storied Pagoda, Senjokaku and the Miyajima Natural Botanical Garden cluster in the walkable shrine area, with Mount Misen rising behind. Human-powered wooden boats also operate near the torii, passing through the gate twice on a roughly twenty-minute ride. Fares on the JR line, the Hiroden tram and the ferries are paid individually, though the Japan Rail Pass covers the JR San'yō Main Line and the JR West Miyajima Ferry, and a Miyajima Free Pass is reported to bundle the tram, ferry and shrine admission. To walk out to the torii before the tide comes in, aim to reach JR Miyajimaguchi before 7 am; a return ferry around 4 pm positions you for possible sunset views.

Where to stay

Food & drink

What to see and do

Hatsukaichi's cultural life reaches well beyond its waterfront. At the Sea View Forest Museum, you can wander a collection that runs from medieval to modern Japanese art, with modern Kyoto paintings—chiefly by Takeuchi Seiho—as a centrepiece, alongside thousands of sketches, photographs and other preparatory works. Ukiyo-e lovers will find a strong holding of Utagawa Hiroshige's flower-and-bird prints and a large collection of Chinese prints that shaped the genre, while an unusual assembly of perfume bottles spans antiquity to the present. In spring, a promenade on the grounds is lined with roughly ten varieties of cherry tree.

For something more active, head to Saiki International Archery Land, where you can try field archery by working your way around twelve targets set out across a hill. Instructors brief beginners, so no prior experience is needed. Miyajima, with Itsukushima Shrine and its other sites, is covered in its own article and makes an easy extension of your time here.

Three days in Hatsukaichi

Day one: Start in Hatsukaichi, in Hiroshima Prefecture in the Chugoku region of Japan, and get your bearings before heading for the water. Itsukushima, better known as Miyajima, lies out in Hiroshima Bay, and the classic approach is by train on the JR West San-yo Main Line to Miyajimaguchi, then the JR West Miyajima Ferry from the terminal across to the island. Once you are on Miyajima, make Itsukushima Shrine your first stop, then spend the rest of the day wandering the island on foot.

Day two: Give the mainland side of Hatsukaichi its own day. Ride the Hiroshima Electric Railway, or Hiroden, along the Hiroden Miyajima Line and get off at a stop such as Jigozen or Ajina to see how the city lives away from the ferry crowds. If you want to cover more ground, local buses and taxis fill in the gaps, and the Sakura Bus Hara Line runs from Otake Station. Round the day off with a look at the Shimose Art Museum.

Day three: Use your last day to cross to Miyajima again, this time taking the JR Miyajima Ferry or the Miyajima Matsudai Kisen, and follow the Miyauchikushido path to see the island at a slower pace. Back at Miyajimaguchi, pause at Maezora before catching the train back into Hiroshima. Two ferry operators and two rail lines make the crossings and connections easy to fit around your schedule.