Discover the best of Onomichi and Ikuchijima on a guided tour. Explore the city's temples, take a scenic ropeway ride, and visit the island of Ikuchijima.
Meet your guide at Shin-Onomichi Station and head to Onomichi. Stroll along the coast and down Kaigan Dori Street. See how Onomichi earned its title of “miniature garden city.”
Walk to Saikokuji Temple. At the entrance of the temple grounds, encounter the unique Niomon Gate, famous for its straw sandals of various sizes. Climb 108 stone steps to reach the Main Hall. Once you reach the top, your guide will provide you with a tour of the temple grounds and explain the history of Japanese Buddhism.
Head to Senkoji mountain, where you will board the ropeway which will take you to the summit.
Once you exit the cabin, your first stop will be the Senkoji Peak Observatory. Here, you will be able to take the best pictures of the Onomichi Channel and city landscape. Walk down the Bungaku no Komichi path, where guests can read passages from various Japanese authors inscribed upon rocks along the way.
The walking trail will lead you to the iconic Senkoji Temple. This stunning temple was founded in the 9th century and is easily recognizable for its vermillion Main Hall located on the hillside. Enshrined within this hall is Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion.
Next, head to the Hondori Shopping Street area to enjoy some free time and lunch. While not particularly big, this street has quaint, antique shops for those looking to purchase some souvenirs. Here, you can try the local specialty, Onomichi Ramen or Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki.
After lunch, head to the Onomichi Port Terminal, where you will board a ferry for a 40-minute boat ride to the island of Ikuchijima. Upon arrival, you will visit temple grounds near the port. Kosanji belongs to the school of True Pure Land Buddhism and the whole temple complex took more than 30 years to be fully constructed.
Kosanji is unique since it is not an ancient temple, but rather an eclectic collection of structures modeled after some of Japan’s most famous religious sites, not all of them Buddhist. For example, its elaborate Koyomon Gate is inspired by the Yomeimon Gate at the well-renowned Nikkō Tōshogū Shinto Shrine.
Another notable structure is the five-storied pagoda modeled after the Buddhist Muroji Temple’s ancient pagoda.
One of these is the “Cave of 1,000 Buddhas,” an underground passage which lies beneath Main Hall area. This cave is filled with approximately one thousand stone Buddha statues, as well as decorated with pictures representing hell and paradise. The experience symbolises a “descent into Buddhist hell” culminating into a reemergence back into the world of the living.
Within Kosanji also lies the “The Hill of Hope,” a marble garden created by Japanese sculptor Itto Kuetani over 16 years.
After finishing the tour of the temple grounds, you will once again board the ferry and head back to Onomichi.
