Meeting Point

Hiroshima JR station (North/Shinkansen Exit) or Onomichi/Fukuyama JR station

Onomichi Hondori-Shopping Street

Onomichi Hondori Shopping Street is a 1.2 km long street stretching east from the Fumiko statue in front of JR Onomichi Station. Hondori Shopping Street is made up of six shopping streets and is lined with nearly 300 stores. It is bustling with many events every month, such as the "Saturday Night Shops" and "Tanabata Decorations" in the summer and the "Onomichi Festival" in the fall.

Ushitora Shrine

Ushitora Shrine is said to be the oldest Shinto shrine in Onomichi. The camphor tree in the grounds, as old as 900 years of age and with a circumference of 7 meters, is designated a Natural Monument. The premises were the setting for the films The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and Chizuko’s Younger Sister, and more recently were featured in the anime TV series Kamichu!

Cat Alley (Noko no Hosomichi)

In 1997 Shunji Sonoyama, a French artist, found inspiration in a few abandoned sloping streets winding their way through Onomichi. The area known as Ihatov is filled with quirky art galleries, garden cafes, sake bars and “fukuishi neko” (lucky stone cats). Shunji Sonoyama hand painted 108 of these stone cats each unique with different expressions. Visitors can find these feline statues on fences, in trees, on roofs and within the cafes. It is believed you will receive good fortune if you stroke their heads 3 times.

Senkoji-Temple

Senkoji Temple is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Onomichi. The temple is located halfway up Mt. Taiho and is said to have been built about 1,200 years ago. The vermilion-lacquered main hall, also known as the “red hall,” is said to be unique in its beauty and has been preserved in many postcards and photographs since ancient times. The Senkoji ropeway, which departs from the foot of the mountain, is a convenient way to get to Senkoji. It takes about three minutes to reach the mountainside where Senkoji Temple is located.

Lunch or Cafe Stop

Onomichi City Museum

Onomichi City Museum opened in Senkō-ji Park in 1980 and it reopened to a design by Tadao Ando in 2003. The museum contains artworks by artists connected to the city, such as Guilin-in Hirata and Wasaku Kobayashi, as well as artworks by well known foreign artists such as French painter Georges Rouault.

Onomichi U2

ONOMICHI U2 opened in March 2014. The building, a former shipping warehouse known as Prefectural Warehouse Uwaya No.2, was fully renovated and given a new lease of life. Based on the design concept of “a small town inside a city,” the facility boasts a hotel, restaurant, bar, café, bakery, lifestyle shop and a cycling store all under one roof. The name U2 comes from combining the ‘U’ and the ‘2’ from the original name of the building.

Ending Point

Hiroshima Station