Beyond Miyajima and the Peace Park, Hiroshima Prefecture is full of small towns, quiet islands, and obscure corners that most visitors miss entirely. The hillside temple town of Onomichi has been the muse of Japanese filmmakers for a century. Tomonoura’s Edo-era harbour inspired Studio Ghibli. The 18th-century geisha port of Mitarai is barely on the foreign tourist map. The art island of Ikuchijima draws Japanese travellers but few westerners. This guide is for the second or third visit to Hiroshima — or for the first visit if you want the less-trodden version.
Onomichi (尾道) — The Hillside Temple Town
Onomichi is a small city east of Hiroshima built on the slope between mountain and sea, with twenty-five temples arranged along the hillside and a network of stone-paved alleys connecting them. It has been a favoured location for Japanese cinema since the 1950s — Yasujiro Ozu’s “Tokyo Story” begins here — and the town retains an exceptionally preserved early-Showa atmosphere.
The Temple Walk (古寺巡り)
A 2.5 km marked walking course through twenty-five temples along the hillside. Highlights:
- Senkoji Temple (千光寺) — the cliff-edge temple with panoramic views, reached by ropeway or 30-min walk
- Saikoji Temple — a small, atmospheric mountain temple with stone Buddhas
- Tennei-ji Temple — the famous three-tier pagoda often photographed against the harbour
- Jodoji Temple — National Treasure main hall from 1327, with original Kamakura-period architecture
Cat Alley (猫の細道)
A 200-metre stepped alley running along the hillside, decorated with painted “fortune cat” stones placed by local artist Shunji Sonoyama. Real cats — usually 5–10 — lounge along the route. The alley connects to several galleries, second-hand bookshops, and small cafes.
Where to Eat & Drink
- Onomichi ramen — Hiroshima’s other regional ramen, with a soy-based broth and pork-back-fat surface. Tsutafuji is the most famous shop; queues form at lunch.
- Common Cafe at the harbour — converted warehouse, great cycling-base coffee stop
- Sajiki — modern Japanese tasting menu in a traditional renovated machiya
Getting There
- From Hiroshima: 90 min by JR (¥1,490 one-way)
- From Fukuyama (Shinkansen): 20 min by JR
- Stay: Best as a day trip, or one overnight to absorb the morning light on the harbour
Tomonoura (鞆の浦) — The Ghibli Harbour
The small fishing port of Tomonoura on the Inland Sea was reportedly the principal visual inspiration for Studio Ghibli’s “Ponyo.” The historic harbour — with its stone lighthouse (joyato), Edo-period warehouses, and protected bay — has hosted ships since the 7th century and was the setting for several samurai-era political crises.
Highlights
- Joyato lighthouse — a stone lantern lighthouse built in 1859, still functional, the centrepiece of the harbour
- Iroha-maru Museum — small museum dedicated to the 1867 sinking of Sakamoto Ryoma’s ship just off Tomonoura
- Fukuzenji Temple — Edo-period reception hall with paired tatami views of the islands, used to host Korean diplomatic missions
- Sensui-jima Island — 5-minute ferry from Tomonoura harbour, with hiking and beaches
Atmospheric Visits
The harbour’s Edo-period stone steps and warehouses are particularly evocative at sunrise or just before sunset. The main tourist period is 10:00–15:00; arrive earlier or later for the quiet.
Getting There
- From Hiroshima: Shinkansen to Fukuyama (20 min), then Tomotetsu bus #5 from Fukuyama Station to Tomonoura (30 min)
- Stay: A small handful of ryokan in the harbour — including the famous Migiwatei Ochi Kochi with private waterfront
Mitarai (御手洗) — The Forgotten Geisha Port
On Osakikamijima island, the village of Mitarai was one of the major commercial ports of the Edo period — a stopover for ships waiting for favourable tides, with brothels, geisha houses, and merchant warehouses crowding the waterfront. Its preservation is remarkable; entire streets retain their 18th- and 19th-century appearance.
Highlights
- Wakaebisuya — 17th-century geisha house, now a small museum
- Otomeza — Japan’s oldest still-standing theatre building (1937, on the site of the 1858 original)
- Mitarai retro shopping street — narrow alleys of old apothecaries, tatami workshops, and storefronts with antique signs
- Tide Bell Tower — coastal signal tower from 1830
Getting There
This is the prefecture’s most remote significant site.
- Route 1: From Hiroshima Station, Shinkansen to Mihara (15 min), then bus + ferry combination (90 min)
- Route 2: Via Shimanami Kaido — Mitarai is reachable from Ikuchijima by ferry
- Day trip: Possible but long; consider an overnight at one of Mitarai’s tiny inns
Ikuchijima (生口島) — The Art Island
The third island along the Shimanami Kaido is also Hiroshima’s understated art destination. Lemon groves cover the hills; small museums and outdoor sculpture installations punctuate the bike route.
Kosanji Temple (耕三寺)
An extraordinary religious complex built by a wealthy industrialist (Kosanji Kozo) over thirty years in honour of his mother. The temple’s structures are full-scale recreations of famous Japanese architecture — its main hall mimics Byodo-in’s Phoenix Hall, other buildings reproduce Nikko’s Tosho-gu, and a 5,000-square-metre Italian marble sculpture garden called the Hill of Hope sits behind. Critics call it kitsch; many visitors find it strangely affecting.
- Cost: ¥1,400
- Allow: 2 hours
Setoda Hill of Hope (未来心の丘)
The marble sculpture garden behind Kosanji — entirely carved from imported Italian Carrara marble — is one of the most photographed contemporary art installations in western Japan.
Hirayama Ikuo Museum
Dedicated to the work of Setoda-born artist Hirayama Ikuo, known for his Silk Road-themed paintings.
Where to Stay
Azumi Setoda — high-design ryokan in a converted historic warehouse on the harbourfront. Often described as the best luxury stay along the Shimanami Kaido.
Akiota & The Northern Mountains
The prefecture’s mountainous north has fewer named attractions but more uninterrupted countryside.
- Sandankyo Gorge — covered in our Nature guide
- Geihoku Kokusai ski resort — small but legitimate winter destination
- Kake-mori-no-yu — quiet onsen valley in northern Hiroshima
- Mibu no Hanadaue — UNESCO-recognised rice-planting ceremony (early June)
Saijo (西条) — Sake Brewing Town
The town of Saijo, 40 minutes east of Hiroshima city by train, is one of Japan’s three great sake brewing regions (alongside Nada in Kobe and Fushimi in Kyoto). Eight breweries cluster around the small train station, several open for free tours and tastings.
- Best breweries to visit: Kamoizumi, Hakubotan, Saijotsuru
- Cost: Tastings free or ¥500–¥1,000 per flight
- Best time: Sake Festival weekend in early October (huge crowds) or any weekday for quiet visits
- Tip: Many breweries close 1–2 weekdays; check before going
Lesser-Known Religious Sites
Mitaki-dera Temple (三瀧寺)
A forest temple at the foot of Mount Mitaki north of Hiroshima city, with three waterfalls running through the grounds. The Tahoto pagoda, relocated here in 1951 after surviving the bombing in a different location, is exceptional. Free entry; reached by 30-min tram + walk combination.
Hofuku-ji Temple (Fukuyama)
A 15th-century Zen temple in Fukuyama with one of Japan’s finest small gardens. Largely missed by tourists. Free entry.
Itsukushima Shrine’s Inner Sanctuaries
The main shrine complex on Miyajima is well-known, but the Misen Shrine at the summit of Mount Misen, and the Reikado Hall with its 1,200-year-old eternal flame, are part of the Itsukushima complex that most day-visitors miss entirely.
Three-Day Hidden Hiroshima Itinerary
Day 1 — Onomichi
- Morning: Senkoji ropeway + temple walk
- Lunch: Tsutafuji ramen
- Afternoon: Cat alley galleries; harbour stroll
- Evening: Sunset at the joyato lighthouse; overnight in Onomichi
Day 2 — Shimanami Kaido + Ikuchijima
- Morning: Rental bike from Onomichi; ride to Ikuchijima
- Lunch: Setoda waterfront restaurant
- Afternoon: Kosanji Temple + Hill of Hope
- Overnight: Azumi Setoda (luxury) or a Setoda guesthouse
Day 3 — Mitarai or Tomonoura
- Option A: Ferry to Osakikamijima for Mitarai
- Option B: Train back via Fukuyama for Tomonoura
- Return to Hiroshima in the evening
Practical Tips
- Rental car: Strongly recommended for Mitarai, Saijo, and northern Hiroshima. Ferry+bus combinations are possible but slow.
- Ferries: The Setouchi area ferry network is dense but schedules thin out in winter — check times in advance
- English information: Tomonoura and Onomichi have reasonable English signage; Mitarai and rural areas have very little
- Cash: Smaller towns and rural restaurants are often cash-only. Withdraw before leaving Hiroshima city
- Combine with Shikoku: Several of these hidden gems are near the Shimanami Kaido — easy to combine with a trip to Imabari, Matsuyama, or Onsen-rich Ehime Prefecture