Onomichi

Introduction

Onomichi is a city in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. Use this guide as a starting point for planning your time there.

Before you go

Onomichi rewards a little preparation. It has dozens of ancient temples and monuments, linked by two enjoyable walks, and it marks the start of an exceptional bike trail across to Shikoku. The town has been home to several of Japan's better-known authors, including Shiga Naoya, Takahashi Gen'ichirō and Hayashi Fumiko, and it is better preserved than most towns of its kind. Its streets have also served as a setting for films and TV dramas, among them Yasujiro Ozu's 1953 classic Tokyo Story and the 2005 anime series Kamichu!.

Bear in mind that the administrative city stretches out over islands in the Seto Inland Sea, which are destinations in their own right — among them Ikuchijima, known as "Lemon Island". For orientation, there is a tourist information counter on the first floor of Shimanami Kōryū-kan (Teatro Shell-rune), at 10-1 Higashi Gosho-cho by the south exit of JR Onomichi Station, and another in the ropeway station run by the Onomichi Kankō-kyōkai. The local tourist association's guide site is in Japanese only, so plan to pick up maps and advice in person after you arrive.

Getting there

JR Onomichi Station sits in the centre of town on the San'yo Main Line, with Hiroshima to the west and Okayama to the east. If you arrive on the San'yo Shinkansen, you'll stop at Shin-Onomichi Station, which is served only by the all-stops Kodama; from there, buses run to the city centre in 15–20 minutes. A useful alternative is to transfer to the San'yo Main Line at Fukuyama, where all Kodama and Hikari trains stop along with one Nozomi per hour, and finish the journey to JR Onomichi Station on a regular train in about 20 minutes.

Ferries leave from the harbour next to JR Onomichi Station, serving islands in the Seto Inland Sea and crossing to Imabari on Shikoku, which is not far from Matsuyama. Shuttle ferries also cross the strait to Mukaishima in two minutes, with a small extra charge if you bring a bicycle. By road, two daytime buses run from Osaka, and shuttle buses connect the city with Tokyo (Shinjuku), Kobe (Sannomiya), Hiroshima and Hiroshima Airport.

Getting around

Onomichi's compact centre is best covered on foot, but be ready for hills: the town is built on slopes, so moving between temples, the shopping street and the back lanes often means stairs and inclines rather than flat promenades. Plan your day so you aren't repeatedly climbing and descending. When your legs or the weather give out, a local bus shuttles through town with its terminal just outside JR Onomichi Station, and the Senkōji Ropeway connects the station with Senkoji Park on Mt. Senkoji, saving you the climb to the hilltop viewpoints. There's no metro or tram; rail, buses, ferries, taxis and walking cover everything.

Two stations serve the city: JR Onomichi Station on the San'yō Main Line, in the middle of town beside the harbour and ferry piers, and Shin-Onomichi Station on the San'yō Shinkansen, up in the hills a few kilometres north and served only by the all-stops Kodama. A bus links the two in about fifteen minutes, running every fifteen to thirty minutes, while a taxi takes around ten minutes and is handier with luggage. Ferries are part of everyday movement: short, frequent services cross the strait from the harbour next to JR Onomichi Station to Mukaishima Island, with longer lines running to other Shimanami Kaido islands including Setoda Port. Cyclists will find the Shimanami Kaido terminals a short walk from Onomichi Station, with rental counters near the station that open early; in peak season, book bike rental and luggage forwarding a day ahead. IC cards work on the Shinkansen and San'yō Line, but smaller stations often lack recharge machines, so top up at a major hub first.

Where to stay

Onomichi is a practical base mainly if you have a keen interest in Pure Land Buddhism or Japanese literature, or if you want to be on the road early for the Shimanami Kaidō bike-way. Otherwise, many travellers stay in Hiroshima or Okayama and visit Onomichi as a day trip.

• Miyako Ryokan – Pleasant, spare Japanese-style rooms without private baths.
• Green Hill Hotel Onomichi – A good business hotel; if you don't mind paying a little more, ask for a water-side view. There's a restaurant on the second floor.
• Hotel Cycle – A hotel dedicated to cyclists in a renovated warehouse on the seafront, about ten minutes' walk from the station. You can check in with your bike, most rooms have a bike rack, and the building houses a bike maintenance centre and various shops.

Food & drink

Onomichi has its own style of ramen, and it's the thing to eat here. It looks much like the ordinary soy-flavoured noodle soup until you notice the hint of fish paste in the stock and the gobs of melted lard floating on top. The cylindrical restaurant at the top of the Senkō-ji ropeway will serve you a bowl, and so will nearly any restaurant around the station and harbour.

• Miyachi, on Tsuchi-dō, is a good, cheap bowl with fewer crowds thanks to its slightly out-of-the-way location; if you tire of ramen, it also does tempura and soba.
• Shu in Toyohimoto-machi is the most famous Onomichi ramen shop and has drawn lines since the craze began, with only around twenty seats inside.
• Tsutafuji, also on Tsuchi-dō, serves good ramen and beer.

Nightlife is limited. Several ramen shops serve beer, and otherwise you can do as locals do: pick something up at a convenience store and take a bench by the harbour. For a local drink, Chai Salon Dragon on Tsuchi-dō serves "chaider", a tea-flavoured cider created in Onomichi; the owner speaks English and German and is a good source of local information.

What to see and do

Onomichi is best known for two walks, and they connect: start with the Path of Literature, which winds downhill through woods, temples and shrines from Senkōji Park back to the city, marked by stones carved with quotes from Japanese authors linked to Onomichi. The inscriptions are in Japanese, but the stroll is pleasant regardless. At the bottom of the hill the path merges with the well-signposted Old Temple Loop, a 2km east-west route linking 25 of the city's better-known temples. The western end starts near the train station at the stone gate of Jikōji; for the eastern end, take the bus to Jodoji-shita and head to Kairyūji.

• Senkōji Park, reached by the Mt. Senkoji Ropeway or the Nagae-guchi bus, is the starting point for the Path of Literature and is known for its cherry blossoms in season, with views over the Seto Inland Sea and the shipyards below.
• Senkōji, halfway down the Path of Literature, is the largest temple on the hill and stop seven on the loop; look for the grinning Niko Niko Jizō dolls and the Kyō-onrō bell tower, which rings in the New Year.
• Jikōji, first stop on the loop, is notable for its imposing stone gate and for the chance to make your own nigiri botoke — a miniature Buddha squeezed from a lump of clay in your fist, which the temple fires and mails to you.
• Tenneiji, stop six, has an impressive hall of 500 Rakan statues; next door is an unconnected Maneki-Neko Museum packed with Lucky Cat figures.
• Saikokuji, stop 17, has huge straw sandals hanging from its Niōmon Gate and a striking red pagoda designated a National Treasure.
• Jōdoji, stop 23, is believed to have been founded by Prince Shōtoku; its main hall and pagoda are National Treasures, and despite the name it belongs to the Shingon sect.
• The Onomichi City Museum of Art in Senkōji Park holds a modest collection of Chinese, Japanese and Western art, but draws most attention for Tadao Ando's redesign of the building.

For bathing, there are a handful of onsen in the vicinity of the city and at least one sentō in a downtown hotel. Poppo no yu, reachable by bus toward the hospital or on foot, offers several baths at different temperatures and water types, an outdoor bath and a sauna, with men's and women's areas separated; you can eat there too.

When to go

Onomichi has a humid subtropical climate, so your timing mostly comes down to how you handle heat and rain. Winters are cool to mild, with January the coldest month on average; this is the least hot time to walk the temple slopes and waterfront, though occasional cold snaps are possible, so pack layers.

Summers are hot and humid, peaking in August, the warmest month on average. July is typically the wettest month, so rain is a real feature of a summer visit — plan around it if you go then.

Three days in Onomichi

Day one: Arrive at JR Onomichi Station and get your bearings in this small city in Hiroshima Prefecture, then take the ropeway up to the hillside temple district and wander the lanes of Higashi Gosho, where literary figures such as Shiga Naoya, Takahashi Gen and Hayashi Fumiko are commemorated. Look out over the Seto Inland Sea and the shipyards below, and in the evening settle into a local eatery for Onomichi ramen.

• JR Onomichi Station
• Higashi Gosho
• Seto Inland Sea

Day two: Follow the city's film heritage, which centres on Yasujiro Ozu and Tokyo Story, and keep an eye out for references to Kamichu. In the afternoon take a ferry across to Ikuchijima, known as Lemon Island, and visit the Teatro Shell, a striking shell-shaped hall. Return to Onomichi for the evening.

• Ikuchijima
• Teatro Shell
• Tokyo Story

Day three: Cross the Shimanami Kōryō, the island-hopping route that links Onomichi with Imabari on Shikoku, by bicycle or bus, stopping on the islands along the way. If you are heading onward by rail, note that the San'yō Main Line connects Onomichi with Hiroshima and Okayama, and Shinkansen services such as Kodama, Hikari and Nozomi stop at Shin-Onomichi Station or nearby Fukuyama.

• Shimanami Kōryō
• Imabari
• Shin-Onomichi Station