Blast to the Past in Onomichi

Hiroshima Station is the bustling transportation hub of our peaceful city, and one of the principal entertainment hubs as well. All JR lines in the city stop here, and from here, people can take numerous buses and streetcars anywhere in the city, or even out of town. The ekie shopping complex located inside the station building also has no shortage of restaurants and souvenir shops to keep visitors busy for hours.

Jikoji, about a five-minute walk from JR Onomichi Station, is the first temple to be visited on the popular Onomichi Seven Buddhas Tour. The temple is said to be beneficial for prolonging one’s life, and it is said that passing through the stone gate at the entrance of the temple will prolong one’s life. At Jikoji Temple, you can also enjoy the experience of making nigiri-butsu. A nigiri-butsu is a small Buddha statue made by squeezing a piece of clay that can fit in one hand. Each person’s palm is shaped differently, thereby affecting the shape of the statuette, and the nigiri-butsu has a warm and heartwarming appearance.

Admission Fee: ¥300
Nigiri-butsu experience – ¥1,500

Keima Kamaboko is a store on Onomichi Hondori, a short walk from JR Onomichi Station. Kamaboko is a unique Japanese food made by steaming a paste of white fish such as cod or sea bream. Keima Kamaboko sells special kamaboko products made from fresh white fish from the Seto Inland Sea. In addition to kamaboko products, they also sell fish sausages and seasoned fish balls.

Onomichi Hanpu is an Onomichi canvas specialty store located in the Hondori shopping street in Onomichi. Onomichi Canvas is a canvas fabric that has been produced in Onomichi for a long time, and is a specialty of the city. Onomichi Hanpu produces and sells a variety of items such as tote bags and backpacks made from the sturdy canvas that was originally used as sails for sailing ships. The second floor of the store is also an art gallery, where exhibitions and sales events are held.

Cat Alley (Neko no Hosomichi) is a narrow alleyway that stretches about 200 meters from the Ushitora Shrine to the three-story pagoda of Tenneji Temple in Onomichi. It is a tourist attraction nicknamed “Neko no Hosomichi” (the narrow path of cats) as the number of Fukuseki Neko, the works of author Shunji Sonoyama, started to increase in this alley. As the number of these cats increased, the area was nicknamed “Neko no Hosomichi (Cat Alley).”

This is located in a residential area,
so we encourage that you visit
during the daytime.

On Onomichi Hondori, the city’s main shopping street, there is a shop called “Nagae” that specializes in the most famous steamed pork buns in all of Hiroshima Prefecture. From the tried-and-true salt flavor to the original curry flavor, Nagae dishes out a vast array of pork buns for customers to eat on the go.  Because they are small enough to fit entirely in the palm of one’s hand, it’s highly recommended to buy a handful as snacks to munch on while walking around and enjoying Onomichi’s sights (be sure to throw your garbage in a garbage can after eating).

Eemonya is a souvenir store in Onomichi. There are three stores in Onomichi, including “Onomichi Eemonya” on the Hondori shopping street, “Ropeway-mae Eemonya” at the foot of Senkoji ropeway, and “Shin-Onomichi Station Eemonya”  inside Onomichi’s Shinkansen station. The store is operated by the Onomichi Tourist Souvenir Cooperative and is one of the largest souvenir stores in Onomichi. The store sells a wide variety of souvenirs, including instant Onomichi ramen noodles and Kumano makeup brushes that are made one-by-one by craftsmen.