Japan Guide
Western Honshū
Also known as Chūgoku, meaning "middle country", Western Honshū used to be at the centre of the Japanese nation, lying between the country's earliest settlements in Kyūshū and the imperial city of Kyoto. The region is split geographically into two distinct areas. The southern San'yō coast is blighted by heavy industry but borders the enchanting Inland Sea, while the rugged and sparsely populated northern San'in coast boasts some delightful small towns and a generally pristine landscape. The southern coast is easy to travel around, with Shinkansen lines, good local railway services and highways, while the northern coast takes more planning to tour by public transport, but easily repays the effort.
Though Western Honshu is rich in history, with burial mounds on both coasts dating from the first century, it's a more contemporary event that brings most visitors to the region. Lying midway along the San'yō coast, Hiroshima, site of the first atom bomb attack and the region's largest city, is the one place you'll want to stop off en route to or from Kyūshū. At the eastern end of the San'yō coast, Okayama has one of Japan's most famous gardens, Kōrakuen, and makes a good base for visiting the beautifully preserved Edo-era town of Kurashiki. The raffishly appealing port of Onomichi, just to the north, is also the jumping-off point for the laid-back island of Ikuchi-jima, home to Japan's most unique temple complex and a lovely art museum.
The one island of the Inland Sea you won't want to miss is verdant Miyajima, just west of Hiroshima and site of the ancient shrine Itsukushima-jinja with its red torii rising straight up from the sea. On the southern coast of neighbouring Yamaguchi-ken, pause to admire the elegant Kintai-kyō bridge at Iwakuni and the spectacular view across the narrow Kanmon Straits to Kyūshū from Hino-yama in the port of Shimonoseki, at the tip of Honshū.
Highlights
1 Washūzan Climb to the summit of Washūzan and watch the sun set over the Seto Ōhashi bridge and the islands of the Inland Sea.
2 Tomonoura This quaint old port town has narrow, twisting streets, liberally sprinkled with picturesque temples and shrines, and a famous view of the Inland Sea.
3 Ikuchi-jima Make a day-trip to the easy-going island for a peek at Japan's craziest temple, Kōsan-ji, before descending to the Valley of Hell, where depictions of ungodly realms will chill your bones.
4 Miyajima Watch the summer fireworks explode over Itsukushima-jinja's magnificent torii, which rises directly out of the sea, or view the island's spectacular autumn foliage.
5 Tsuwano Explore this picturesque old castle town by bicycle, then climb up to the Taikodani Inari-jinja through a tunnel of over a thousand red torii.
6 Adachi Museum of Art The museum is famed for its exquisite gardens, and you can finish your visit with a bowl of green tea made with water heated in a kettle of pure gold, said to aid longevity.