Experience

Museums & History

Venture into Hiroshima museums and historical spots. Learn about the devastation and recovery from the atomic bomb. Wander historic castle grounds beyond Hiroshima Castle. Wonder at collections of fine art in the city, Satsuma pottery in the mountains, and modern architecture by the sea. Control electricity, play with physics and watch the stars at children’s museums. Our walk-through is your intro course to the best places to expand your mind in Hiroshima.

Onomichi IHATOV・Maneki Neko Museum in Onomichi (尾道イーハトーヴ・招き猫美術館in尾道)

The Onomichi IHATOV is a museum of maneki-neko (beckoning cats) built in a vacant house in Onomichi. A beckoning cat is an ornament of a cat that originated in Japan and is posed to invite people in with its paws. They have been placed in stores and other places in Japan since ancient times to promote business prosperity and ward off evil. In the Onomichi IHATOV, visitors can experience Japan’s proud culture of maneki neko by viewing the thousands of maneki neko in the collection of Mr. Shunji Sonoyama, a painter of good fortune.

Moment of Joy

The attraction of the Onomichi IHATOV is that you can compare different variations of the maneki neko, which are rarely seen in Japan nowadays. In addition to the orthodox white-haired ones, the museum has a wide variety of beckoning cats with different sizes and facial expressions. There are even some historic beckoning cats on display, including one that was given to the museum by the emperor and another that was made long ago.