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Western Honshū
Travelers to Western Honshū (本州西部) will find a tale of two coastlines. San-yō (literally "sunny side of the mountains"), looking southwards out over the Inland Sea, boasts the bigger cities, the narrow-laned portside and hillside towns, ceramic history and the fast train. This coast holds the region's big name – indelibly scarred but thriving and warm-hearted Hiroshima.
On the other side of the dividing Chūgoku mountain range, San-in (literally "in the shade of the mountains") gazes northwards across the expanse of the Sea of Japan. Up here, it's all about an unhurried pace, onsen (hot spring) villages that see few foreigners, historic sites, wind-battered coastlines and great hospitality.
Head inland for hikes along gorges and through caves, or escape the mainland altogether – you could take a trip to the Inland Sea and its galaxy of islands, or lose yourself in the remote and rugged Oki Islands (Oki-shotō) in the Sea of Japan.
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Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Western Honshū.
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Peace Memorial Park
Hugged by rivers on both sides, Peace Memorial Park is a large, leafy space crisscrossed by walkways and dotted with memorials and tranquil spaces for reflection. Its central feature is the long tree-lined Pond of Peace leading to the cenotaph. This curved concrete monument holds the names of all the known victims of the bomb. Also at the pond is the Flame of Peace, set to burn on until all the world's nuclear weapons are destroyed. Look through the cenotaph down the pond and you'll see it frames the Flame of Peace and the Atomic Bomb Dome across the river – the park was planned so that these features form a straight line, with the Peace Memorial Museum at its southern end. Just north of the road through the park is the Children's Peace Monument, inspired by Sadako Sasaki, who was two years old at the time of the atomic bomb. When Sadako developed leukaemia at 11 years of age, she decided to fold 1000 paper cranes. In Japan, the crane is the symbol of longevity and happiness, and she believed if she achieved that target she would recover. She died before reaching her goal, but her classmates folded the rest. A monument was built in 1958. Sadako's story inspired a nationwide spate of paper-crane folding that continues to this day. Surrounding the monument are strings of thousands of colourful paper cranes, sent here by schoolchildren from around the country and all over the world. Nearby is the Korean Atomic Bomb Victims Memorial. Many Koreans were shipped over to work as slave labour during WWII, and Koreans accounted for more than one in 10 of those killed by the atomic bomb. Just north of this memorial is the Atomic Bomb Memorial Mound – the ashes of thousands of unclaimed or unidentified victims are interred in a vault below. There are other monuments and statues throughout the park, and plenty of benches, including those along the riverside looking across to the Atomic Bomb Dome; they make this a pleasant area to take a break and take it all in.
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Izumo Taisha
Izumo Taisha, also known as Izumo Ōyashiro, is perhaps the oldest Shintō shrine in Japan. This shrine, dedicated to Ōkuninushi, god of marriage and bringer of good fortune, is as old as Japanese recorded history – there are references to Izumo in the Kojiki, Japan's oldest book – and its origins stretch back into the age of the gods. It's second in importance only to Ise-jingū (in Kansai), the home of the sun goddess Amaterasu, and makes a charming day trip from Matsue. Visitors to the shrine summon Ōkuninushi by clapping four times rather than the usual two. According to tradition, the deity ceded control over Izumo to the sun goddess's line – on the condition that a huge temple would be built in his honour, one that would reach as high as the heavens. Impressive as the structure is today, it was once even bigger. Records dating from AD 970 describe the shrine as the tallest building in the country; there is evidence that the shrine towered as high as 48m above the ground during the Heian period (794–1185). It may well have been too high for its own good – the structure collapsed five times between 1061 and 1225, and the roofs today are a more modest 24m high. The current appearance of the main shrine dates from 1744. The main hall underwent one of its periodic rebuildings in 2013, to be repeated in another 60 years. Huge shimenawa (twisted-straw ropes) hang over the entry to the main buildings. Those who can toss and lodge a coin in them are said to be blessed with good fortune. Visitors are not allowed inside the main shrine precinct, most of which is hidden behind huge wooden fences. Ranged along the sides of the compound are the jūku-sha, which are long shelters where Japan's myriad deities stay when they come for their annual conference. When former princess Noriko married the eldest son of the head priest of Izumo Taisha – a 'commoner' – she relinquished her royal status and now lives in a house near the shrine.
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Itsukushima-jinja
With origins as far back as the late 6th century, Itsukushima-jinja gives Miyajima its real name. The shrine's unique and attractive pier-like construction is a result of the island's sacred status: commoners were not allowed to set foot on the island and had to approach by boat through the torii (shrine gate) in the bay. Much of the time, though, the shrine and torii are surrounded by mud. Note that the torii is undergoing repairs from June 2019, expected to last 2–3 years. The shrine's present form dates from 1168, when it was rebuilt under the patronage of Taira no Kiyomori, head of the doomed Heike clan. On one side of the shrine is a floating nō stage, built by local lord Asano Tsunanaga in 1680 and still used for nō (stylised dance-drama) performances every year from 16 to 18 April, as part of the Toka-sai Festival.
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Tottori-sakyū (The Dunes)
Used as the location for Teshigahara Hiroshi's classic 1964 film, Woman in the Dunes, the Tottori sand dunes are on the coast about 5km from the city. There's a viewing point on a hillside overlooking the dunes, along with parking and the usual array of tourist schlock. You can even get a 'Lawrence of Arabia' photo of yourself accompanied by a camel. Pick up maps at the Sand Pal Tottori Information Centre. The dunes stretch over 10km along the coast and, at some points, can be about 2km wide. Buses to the dunes also stop at the Sakyū-Sentā (砂丘センター; Dunes Centre) on the hillside, from where you can take a cable car (one way/return ¥200/300) across roads down to the entrance to the dunes. Otherwise it's an easy five-minute walk, or simply stay on the bus to the dunes.
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Atomic Bomb Dome
Perhaps the starkest reminder of the destruction visited upon Hiroshima in WWII is the Atomic Bomb Dome. Built by a Czech architect in 1915, it was the Industrial Promotion Hall until the bomb exploded almost directly above it. Everyone inside was killed, but the building was one of very few left standing near the epicentre. A decision was taken after the war to preserve the shell as a memorial. The building has since become a haunting symbol of the city, and was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1996. Try to wander past in the evening when it's quiet and the propped-up ruins are floodlit.
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Art House Project
In Honmura, half a dozen traditional buildings have been turned over to contemporary artists to use as the setting for creative installations, often incorporating local history. Highlights include Shinro Ohtake's shack-like Haisha, its Statue of Liberty sculpture rising up through the levels of the house; James Turrell's experiment with light in Minamidera, where you enter in total darkness...and wait; and Hiroshi Sugimoto's play on the traditional Go'o Shrine, with a glass staircase and narrow underground 'Stone Chamber'. The sites are within walking distance of each other. Take the Naoshima bus to the Nōkyō-mae stop to start exploring. Buy a ticket at the tourist counter in the Miyanoura ferry terminal, at Honmura Lounge, or at the tobacco shop near the bus stop.
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Sensui-jima
The island of Sensui-jima is just five minutes across the water from Tomo-no-ura town, though vastly different for its rugged natural beauty, as there are no residential homes. There's a walking path that hugs the coast, passing interesting volcanic rock formations, and offers lovely sunset views across the water. After a stroll or swim at the clear-water beach, drop into Kokuminshukusha Sensui-jima, where nonguests can soak in a range of baths for ¥540 (from 10am to 9pm). The ferry that shuttles passengers across to the island is modelled on the Edo-era steamboat Iroha Maru. There are no English signs on the island, so check with the tourist office in Tomo-no-ura town if you have specific questions on where to go. The ferry (return ¥240) runs to the island every 20 minutes (7.10am to 9.35pm).
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Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
The main building of Hiroshima's premier museum houses a collection of items salvaged from the aftermath of the atomic bomb. The displays are confronting and personal – ragged clothes, a child's melted lunchbox, a watch stopped at 8.15am – and there are some grim photographs. While upsetting, it's a must-see in Hiroshima. The east building presents a history of Hiroshima and of the development and destructive power of nuclear weapons. At the exit, don't miss the first-person video accounts and guestbook of world-leader visitors – including the first visit by a sitting US president, Barack Obama in 2016, who gifted origami cranes.
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Taikodani-Inari-jinja
Within walking distance of town, this thriving shrine, built in 1773 by the seventh lord Kamei Norisada, is one of the five major Inari shrines in Japan. Walk up the hillside to it through a tunnel created by hundreds of torii, which are lit up at night, creating a beautiful sight from the town. At the top is a grand shrine complex, and fabulous views of the valley and mountains. To get here, take Tonomachi Road and turn right before the river bridge, then follow the signs. The steps should take between 10 and 20 minutes to climb; or you can drive and park on-site.