Miyajima, Hiroshima, Japanese floating shrine.

©Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

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.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Cenotaph for A-Bomb victims and A-Bomb Dome

    Peace Memorial Park

    Hiroshima

    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…

  • Japan, Sanin Region, Shimane Prefecture, Izumo, Shimenawa at Izumo Taisha Shrine. (Photo by: JTB Photo/UIG via Getty Images)

    Izumo Taisha

    Western Honshū

    Izumo Taisha, also known as Izumo Ōyashiro, is perhaps the oldest Shintō shrine in Japan. This shrine, dedicated to Ōkuninushi, god of marriage and…

  • Koraku-en, Okayama, Okayama, Japan

    Kōraku-en

    Western Honshū

    Kōraku-en draws the crowds with its reputation as one of the three most beautiful gardens in Japan. It has expansive lawns broken up by ponds, teahouses…

  • Japan, Chugoku Region, Hiroshima Prefecture, Miyajima, View of Itsukushima Shrine in autumn. (Photo by: JTB/UIG via Getty Images) (Photo by: JTB Photo/UIG via Getty Images)

    Itsukushima-jinja

    Miyajima

    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…

  • Tottori Sand Dunes in Japan

    Tottori-sakyū (The Dunes)

    Western Honshū

    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…

  • Atomic bomb dome memorial in Hiroshima, Japan

    Atomic Bomb Dome

    Hiroshima

    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…

  • Matsue-jō

    Matsue-jō

    Western Honshū

    Dating from 1611, picturesque Matsue-jō has a wooden interior showcasing treasures belonging to the Matsudaira clan. Known as 'Plover Castle' for the…

  • Art House Project

    Art House Project

    Naoshima

    In Honmura, half a dozen traditional buildings have been turned over to contemporary artists to use as the setting for creative installations, often…

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Slow travel in Japan’s Seto Inland Sea 

Mar 4, 2020 • 5 min read

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