Also known as Chugoku , meaning "middle country",
Western Honshu used to be at the centre of the Japanese
nation, lying between the country's earliest settlements in Kyushu
and the imperial city of Kyoto. The region is split geographically
into two distinct areas, with the southern San-yo coast
being blighted by heavy industry but bordering 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 Chugoku 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-yo coast, Hiroshima , site of the world's first atom
bomb and the region's largest city, is the one place you'll want to
stop off en route to or from Kyushu. If you only have a few days,
you should also aim to take in the old towns of Kurashiki and
Matsue, as well as the island Miya-jima . In a couple of
weeks, you could make a circuit of both coasts taking in most of
the region's highlights.
At the eastern end of the San-yo coast, Okayama has one
of Japan's top gardens, Korakuen , and makes a good base for
visiting the beautifully preserved Edo-era town of Kurashiki
. One of the best things about travelling around Okayama-ken is a
stay in its International Villas, unique to the prefecture and
dotted around some of its more remote parts, generally in beautiful
locations. Heading west along the coast, one of the treasures of
Hiroshima-ken is the timeless fishing village of Tomo-no-Ura
with its gorgeous views across the Inland Sea. The raffishly
appealing port of Onomichi , just to the north, is also the
jumping-off point for the laid-back island, Ikuchi-jima ,
home to Japan's wackiest temple complex and a lovely art
museum.
The one island of the Inland Sea you won't want to miss is
verdant Miya-jima, just west of Hiroshima, site of the ancient
shrine Itsukushima-jinja with its water-bound red
torii . On the southern coast of neighbouring Yamaguchi-ken,
the only prefecture to span Chugoku, pause to admire the elegant
bridge Kintai-kyo at Iwakuni and the spectacular view across
the narrow Kanmon Straits to Kyushu from Hino-yama in
Shimonoseki , the port at the tip of Honshu. Inland, the
highlights of the prefecture's small capital, Yamaguchi ,
are an impressive pagoda and classic Zen rock and moss garden.
East along the frequently deserted San'in coast, Hagi ,
an old castle town and hot-bed of pre-Meiji-era revolt, boasts a
lovely cluster of old samurai houses and atmospheric temples.
Perhaps even more beautiful is Tsuwano , another small
castle town nestling in a tranquil valley, further east in
Shimane-ken. This prefecture is the heartland of Japan's eight
million Shinto deities, who gather each year in October at the
venerable shrine Izumo Taisha, near the appealing waterbound
capital of Matsue . Roughly mid-point along the San'in
coast, Matsue has the region's only original castle tower as well
as some old samurai houses and interesting museums. The sand spit
Amanohashidate , at the far eastern reaches of the region,
marks the end of the San-in coast, and provides some of Japan's
most scenic views.
A regular JR Rail Pass is the most convenient way of getting
around the region, but if you plan to stick only to the San-yo
coast consider the cheaper JR West San-yo Area Pass ,
covering all Shinkansen and local rail routes between Osaka and
Fukuoka. For quicker access to the region there are several
airports , including two near Hiroshima, Okayama, Ube close
to Shimonoseki, and Yonago near the San-in city of Matsue. If time
isn't an issue, then don't miss out on a leisurely ferry
ride across the Inland Sea
. Renting a car is a good idea, especially if you're
planning to tour the quieter San'in coast, as the fast Chugoku
Expressway , which threads its way through the region's central
mountainous spine, from where you can branch off to sights on
either coast.
If you're going to be travelling in Hiroshima-ken and
Yamaguchi-ken in Western Honshu, and Ehime-ken in Shikoku
, make sure you get a Seto Inland Sea Welcome Card . This
free card, which lasts a year, provides discounts of up to twenty
percent at over 300 hotels, restaurants and tourist facilities in
these three prefectures bordering the western end of the Inland
Sea. To qualify for the card you need to be an overseas visitor who
has been in Japan for less than a year, or a foreign student. The
cards are available from the TICs in Tokyo, Narita and Kansai
International airports, as well as at the TICs and international
centres in the three prefectures. You'll need to take along your
passport or alien registration card, plus student ID if you're a
full-time student. The card comes with a useful booklet in English,
Chinese and Korean outlining all the participating organizations
and businesses.
As in other areas of Japan, Chugoku has it's own distinct
styles of cuisine . Along the San-yo coast, fish,
unsurprisingly, is the thing to eat, with oysters being especially
popular around Hiroshima, and the notorious fugu (blowfish)
being Shimonoseki's top dish. Hiroshima also has a special way of
preparing okonomiyaki , a delicious Japanese batter pancake,
while both Iwakuni and Kurashiki make their own varieties of sushi.
On the San'in coast, Matsue is renowned for its kyodo ryori
, seven dishes made with fish and seafood from Lake Shinji-ko. It's
worth a look at the plates you're eating off, too: both Hagi, at
the far western end of the San-in coast, and Imbe, east of Okayama,
are famous for their distinctive pottery - Hagi-yaki and
Bizen-yakim respectively.