Next Stop, Japan

Chugoku Places

Fukuyama City

Fukuyama City (福山市), the rose city, is the second largest city in Hiroshima Prefecture. It is located at the eastern edge of the prefecture's coastline on the Ashida river delta.

Fukuyama City
Hiroshima Prefecture

Hiroshima City

Hiroshima, the city of water and peace, is a modern and culture-rich city. Over 1.1 million people live in the city.

The city is built on the Ota River delta in one of the most sheltered harbors on the Seto Inland Sea. The city enjoys the mild climate provided by its position in the Seto Inland Climate Zone. It is sheltered by the Chugoku Mountains in the north and the Shikoku Mountains in the west from the worst of late summer and winter storms. The average temperature for January is 5.9C and August is 28.1C.

Minami Ward
Hiroshima Prefecture

Hofu City

Hofu City is east of Yamaguchi City and sits in the Hofu Plains which were created by the Saba River. The city is proud of its natural beauty and rich cultural history. The Ohirayama (631 meters) and Migitagadake (426 meters) mountains to the west and east, respectively, enclose the largest plains in the prefecture.

The city's cultural center, Aspirart, is located besides the station.

Hōfu City
Yamaguchi Prefecture

Iwakuni City

Iwakuni City (岩国市) is the eastern-most city in Yamaguchi Prefecture but is often associated more with Hiroshima Prefecture. From Hiroshima City, it’s only a 40 minute (40 km) local train ride south along the coast and over the Oze River which marks the border with Hiroshima Prefecture. Just over 100,000 people live in this densely packed city. The area is famous for its unique white snakes. The city also hosts one of the largest US bases in Japan.

Iwakuni City
Yamaguchi Prefecture

Kamagari

The island of Kamigari (蒲刈) is connected by a toll-free bridge to Shimokamigari Island. It is the second island in a chain which starts at the western edge of Mount Noro in Kawajiri. It is larger and a few more people live on Kamagari than on its sister island Shimokamagari. In all, 2,700 people (2000) live on the island. It is sometimes also called Kamikamagari (上蒲刈) which means upper Kamagari.

Kure City
Hiroshima Prefecture

Kawajiri

Kawajiri is a coastal town in Hiroshima Prefecture that has a remarkable brush making tradition. The town is located on the slopes of Mt. Noro which is part of the Setonaikai National Park. It is located about an hour by train on the Kure Line east of Hiroshima on the coast of the Seto Inland Sea. The town merged into Kure City in March 2004.

Kure City
Hiroshima Prefecture

Kurashiki City

Kurashiki City (倉敷市), the second largest city in Okayama Prefecture, is a popular tourist destination. The town is most famous for its canal district and the Ohara Museum of Art. The city tree is the camphor tree and flower is the wisteria. The city bird is the kingfisher. Over 475,000 people live in Kurashiki.
Kurashiki City
Okayama Prefecture

Kure City

Kure is a large and prosperous city-run region on the Seto Inland Sea in Hiroshima Prefecture. With over 229,000 people, it is the third largest city in Hiroshima Prefecture. Historically, it was just one of many minor rice farming and fishing communities along the coast.

Kure City
Hiroshima Prefecture

Mihara City

Mihara City (三原市) is located at the crossroads of the inland Sanyo route to Hiroshima City to the west and the coastal highway. The west-east coastline jogs north past Mount Fudekage to where the Nuta River meets the ocean in central Mihara. The chain of islands from Onomichi City to the east to Kyushu in the south exceptionally protects this location on the inland sea. The area enjoys an average yearly temperature of 15-16C in the south and 12-13C in the north.

Mihara City
Hiroshima Prefecture

Miyoshi City

Miyoshi City is a largest city in Hiroshima Prefecture which isn't on the Seto Inland Sea. The city is famed for its food and traditional cormorant fishing where fishers use birds instead of rods to catch fish. Fishing season is from mid-June to late August and if you go to a festival during that time there's a good chance you'll see it.

Miyoshi City
Hiroshima Prefecture

Okayama City

Okayama City, the capital of Okayama Prefecture, is famous for Korakuen Garden and Okayama Castle and the legend of Momotarou (Peach Boy). It is located about halfway between Hiroshima and Osaka on Honshu and it is a little over half the size of Hiroshima with a population of over 637,000 people.

Kita Ward
Okayama Prefecture

Onomichi City

Onomichi City was an important port town historically and its recent history has seen it save itself from being just be an unappealing industrial city compressed between the coast and mountains by leveraging this cultural wealth. In the Edo period, the city flourished as a result of its official trading port status.

Onomichi City
Hiroshima Prefecture

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