Small town by the sea

About an hour’s drive east of Hiroshima lies Onomichi, an old port town that straddles the Onomichisuido Strait. Once a thriving centre of trade, both regionally and internationally, it is now most famous for its picturesque setting that has been the backdrop for several notable Japanese films.

When we were doing our group research for this trip, the decision to do a day trip to Onomichi was made based on the views alone, particularly from the Senko-ji Temple heights. The urban landscape seemed to wend around and in between and even up the hills that fence in the town on all sides.

Upon arrival, we promptly took the ropeway up towards Senkoji Park and the famed Temple Walk, which connects 25 temples situated in the hills around the northern shore of Onomichi. During the town’s heyday, when it controlled much of the regional rice trade, the growing wealth of the city’s elite led to a proliferation of religious expression in a distinctly architectural manner. A number of these are now part of the Chūgoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage route.

To be honest, after years of traveling around Asia I’m a bit temple’d out, but I loved the seeing the town from on high as we crept up along the ropeway.

Temple Walk

The Senkoji Park Observatory is a lovely space at the top of the hill offering a wide view of the town and the waterway below. Linking up with the Temple Walk path from there is a straightforward matter, and even if you’re not one for temples the journey is pleasant enough. The route has a neighbourhood-y feel as you make your way slowly back towards sea level, with cute shops and bakeries along the way to grab a snack as and when required.

At the base of the path is a train track running parallel to the town, so of course Miles wanted to stick around and wait for his beloved Japanese locomotives to make an appearance. Here we were very thankful for the patient aunties and uncles that waited with him until that moment came. And then later on going back to the train track after lunch to see another one.

Journey’s end

Onomichi is one of those towns you could probably spend a very leisurely day exploring, taking your time to check out all the little alleyways and hidden paths leading to who knows where. Ashley and I have spent full days in far smaller towns. But alas, having two young kids means there’s always a timer counting down to meltdown zone. Actually this feature comes with some adults too. So in the early afternoon, after a great lunch at Sumiyoshi and an excellent dessert from Yamaneko down the street, we piled into our rental cars and headed back to Hiroshima.