EN / JP
All About
Onomichi City
Tucked away in Hiroshima prefecture, Onomichi is a city with a fascinating past and beautiful present.
Embracing its roots in tradition whilst fostering a thriving and exciting regeneration of small business and young artisans may well be the secret to its popularity and growth as a destination for Japanese natives and international tourists alike.
Let us introduce a few of the jewels in Onomichi’s sparkling crown, to give you a little bit of inspiration towards your next adventure in Japan.
Culture and Lifestyle
Onomichi is a unique city that blends a retro feel with modern outlook. Its famous, miles long ‘shotengai’ (shopping street) is something that really screams ‘Only in Japan!’ and is host to not just family run traditional shops but fabulous restaurants, art galleries and cafes. A much more laid back city than bustling Tokyo, Onomichi may center itself on the slower side of things, but that doesn’t mean it’s sleepy!
Deeply rooted in tradition and history, Onomichi is a city that will make you look twice at everything you encounter. Disused homes (like ours!) are often transformed into shops, cafes, hotels and artist studios all whilst retaining the retro charm of the original exterior. The ‘logi’ (narrow pathways) are also strewn across the city and shotengai, and a quick wander down one may lead to a fabulous new finds that you would have overlooked if you stuck to the main trail. A hunger not just for food but for exploration and curiosity are key when visiting!
Take a late night stroll on the moonlit boardwalk towards a cycle themed cafe/ bar, visit movie locations and centuries old shrines on self-led walking tours, browse through antiques and second hand books or meet the famous stray cats of Onomichi on an art trail up the mountain. If you have a hobby, you are sure to find it fulfilled in this surprising little city!
Cycling
Some would argue that what makes this region so special is the incredible cycling path that starts in Onomichi and ends in Shikoku, allowing you to traverse over six islands and take in the view as you go. The Seto Inland Sea is a features sparkling blue water and sandy shores running alongside a well maintained road and accessible bridges, allowing the traveller to comfortably cycle at their own pace by following a clearly marked route on these well maintained main roads.
When visiting Onomichi, you may be surprised by the sheer amount of cycling themed goods and bike rental shops that line the shotengai. For first time visitors, a trip to the fabulous Onomichi U2 is usually a first stop, and upon entering you will begin to understand why so many people from across the world come to visit here; casual and experienced riders and teams alike often flock to this city to experience the unique culture of Setoda’s cycle pathways.
The journey through is not just beautiful- incredible shrines, temples, restaurants and lodging houses are all accessible quickly from the main road by bike too, and will ensure your ride across the Shimanami Kaido is filled with discovery, food and fun.
Art and Design
Onomichi is a place deeply rooted in the Arts. Not only is it a passing point to the world famous Naoshima Art Island, it also fosters a deep passion for craft and design. Famous Japanese film director Ozu set his contemporary epic Tokyo Story here, and the locations remain largely unchanged- on top of that, modern video games, manga and TV dramas are also set in this wonderful little place, making it a pilgrimage spot for many fans of Japanese media.
Beautiful architecture also holds proud in Onomichi and its neighboring islands. The Japan Heritage site of Senkoji Observatory and a 15th century tea house once used by edo-jidai Shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi stand proudly as national treasures within the city. Restored warehouse Onomichi U2 seamlessly blends industrial design with a minimalist aesthetic, and also houses a shop dedicated to locally made lifestyle products as well as clothing and homeware.
For those looking for a unique gift to bring home, our friends at NINES supply carefully selected deadstock Japanese goods as well as in-house designed homeware and perhaps the most fashionable souvenir shirts we’ve ever worn. Antique hunters will also find themselves satiated thanks to regular crafts and vintage fairs held outside the train station, too!
Food and Drink
With an abundance of clear waters and farming land at its fingertips, Onomichi is naturally a city that prides itself on local delicacies as well as catering to people of all backgrounds who come to visit. As well as the traditional fare of Japanese food, Onomichi hosts plenty of international cuisines and food that you may not think would be available in such a remote city.
Many enterprising folk call the shotengai home, including (but certainly not limited to) a hidden soba store, a handmade fishcake shop with an array of their freshly made kamaboko laid out like gemstones, an organic soy donut shop, a cafe specialising in all manner of sweet potato based treats and of course our local coffee-and-sandwich haunt Antenna Coffee, located a few steps away from the house itself. Make sure you beat the lunchtime crowds at least once to taste Onomichi’s specialty- a satisfying regional take on ramen with deeply flavourful soup noodles laden with bamboo, chashu, pork fat and greens.
Add on to that list a number of speakeasy restaurants specialising in surprisingly international delights like Spanish tapas, French gastro-fusion and Indian curry, and you have yourself just a taste of what’s on offer in Onomichi.
Shrines and Temples
Onomichi (and Setoda as a region) is able to thrive as a historical and cultural hub thanks to its relative lack of natural disaster and mild climate in comparison to other areas of rural Japan. Thanks to this, many shrines and temples are still intact and thriving in place around the city.
Perhaps the most famous one in all of the city would be Senkoji temple, which sits atop the mountainside next to the observatory. The stone staircase pathway towards it is shared by us, so it’s technically within walking distance- albeit up a quite gruelling climb! There is also a ropeway connecting the downtown area to Senkoji, and next to that is our own ‘local’ shrine, Ushitora Jinja. In the grounds of this temple is a beautiful tree that is over 900 years old. Speaking of trees, Saikokuji temple has a famous staircase lined with cherry blossom trees that we really do recommend visiting at least once when they are in bloom.
Numerous shrines and temples both big and small are also dotted around the city, often in very unexpected areas. If visiting shrines and temples are your favourite cultural pastime, Onomichi is certainly the place for you.
Explore more
Check out even more information on Onomichi via our website below:
ONOMICHI GOURMET GUIDE
SUPPLEMENTAL READING
Want even more inspiration or ideas on what to see and do in Onomichi during your stay? Pop us an email and we can suggest some places for you to explore based on your hobbies and interests.