ONOMICHI DAY TRIP

I’ve often said that any tourist visiting Japan need only spend a week based in Tokyo and another in Kyoto in order to see pretty much everything that the country has to offer, assuming you throw in a couple of day trips out to places like Himeji Castle or the Great Buddha at Kamakura.

Decaying buildings on the hillside of Onomichi.

While I still stand by this, it might also be good to schedule in a visit to a smaller settlement not particularly high up in the attractions chart just to get a sense of perspective. Many people, even those who’ve actually been to Japan, can’t seem to shake the stereotypical view that the country is either big shiny skyscrapers or old temples.

The reality is that much of the country outside of the big urban centres is just small towns with crumbling infastructure, slum-like housing and empty 70s shopping malls, with just a few old people shuffling around as the sole inhabitants. Pretty sad, but it’s just as valid a picture of the place as Shibuya Crossing or Kinkakuji Temple.

At the end of February I went on a day trip to just such a place. These days I’m unable to travel much for various reasons, but I was able to stagger out to Onomichi, a small town on the coast half way between Hiroshima and Fukuyama. It’s quite well-known by the Japanese for its views of the Inland Sea and a hillside path connecting a number of temples, but nobody would claim it as a major attraction. The last time I went there was in 1993, so I thought a return visit was long overdue.

Looking south towards the town of Onomichi and the islands of the Inland Sea.

It took about one and a half hours on the train, having to change once, and there I was, lumbering up the steep hill. Very few others followed me : most of the people on the train headed in the opposite direction, towards the port and the system of bridges that traverse the Inland Sea to Shikoku, the smallest of Japan’s four main islands.

Good luck charms at Senkoji Temple

I got lost, couldn’t find the temple trail and eventually reached the summit of the hill, affording sone nice views. I then found a sign pointing to Senkoji, the most important temple, so I hung around there for a while before descending, passing some more temples and shrines before ending up in the dismal and decayed main shopping street.

Senkoji Temple pagoda

The town is really quite run down, like most of these small coastal places, and although I enjoyed the day out and did get to take a few pics with my old Nikon, I don’t know I’d recommend it unless you were heading from Osaka to Hiroshima and wanted a stop on the way to get a feel for the side of Japan that tourists don’t usually get to see.

Buddhist deity at Senkoji Temple

Looking south towards the Inland Sea

I’m not sure what this temple is called….