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[Onomichi] (Onomichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture, former province name: Bingo)



Onomichi is the starting point (and ending point) of the Shimanami Kaido and one of the port cities that represents the Seto Inland Sea. With the so-called "Onomichi Three Mountains" towering behind it, and just 300 meters across the Onomichi Strait, the shipyard and mountain range of Mukaishima can be seen, and it is as if the relationship between the Chugoku and Shikoku regions is condensed in this one corner. It is no wonder that Onomichi's Japan Heritage registration name has been given the title "miniature city".

When you unravel the components of this unique landscape, you will notice that it has accumulated a multi-layered charm that is hard to find in other cities. The most obvious thing is the industry and business that the "port" has created. Onomichi Port was opened in the 12th century as a shipping port for rice tax from nearby manors, and its presence grew as logistics in the Seto Inland Sea flourished. During the Edo period, it was under the jurisdiction of the Hiroshima Domain, which governed the neighboring province of Aki (present-day western Hiroshima Prefecture). It was a port of call on the Nishikigoi route connecting Osaka to the Sea of ​​Japan, and flourished as a trading port, receiving products from faraway northern lands and sending out salt produced in Mukojima on the opposite shore. As this development continued, an urban area was formed around the port, and the small size of the area made it even more lively. The townscape and unique atmosphere are still preserved today, with a long east-west block centered on the "Onomichi Hondori Shopping Street," nostalgic alleyways, and the Shinkai district, which is bustling and lively at night.

As soon as you cross Hondori Shopping Street from Onomichi Port to the north, you will see a mountain range standing upright like a folding screen, and the Sanyo Main Line tracks run east to west, going exactly around the shape of the mountain. There is no doubt that this mountain range, or the "Onomichi Three Mountains," represents the miniature garden landscape of Onomichi, but another point worth mentioning is that it is the basis for the city of faith. The three mountains are commonly known as Mount Daiho, Mount Mani, and Mount Ruri, and even these names suggest that they have a deep connection to Buddhism. In fact, Senkoji Temple (photos 5-8), located on the middle slope of Mount Daiho, is a famous Shingon esoteric Buddhism temple that is said to have been founded in the early Heian period and later rebuilt by Tada Mitsunaka (912-997). The temple grounds are skillfully integrated into the mountainside, and a large rock juts out dynamically. Climbing up the rock using chains, one can see the whole view of Onomichi city, the waterway, Mukaishima and the islands of the Shimanami Kaido. This faith and scenery has attracted many writers since ancient times, and it has become known as a "holy land" of literature. In particular, Shiga Naoya (1883-1971) visited Onomichi in 1912 after a conflict with his father, and was heartbroken. He was attracted by the scenery and spent about six months in a rented house below Senkoji Temple. During that time, he was touched by the carefree smiles and kindness of the people of Onomichi, including his neighbor, whom he describes as the "kind old lady next door," and this inspired him to write his later masterpiece, "Anyakouro." Even after returning to Tokyo, Shiga maintained a deep affection for Onomichi and the people he came into contact with there, and maintained contact with the descendants of Murakami Matsu, the "kind old lady next door," until the end of his life. These achievements had a great influence on cultural figures who admired Shiga, one of whom was the film director Ozu Yasujiro (1903-1963), who shot "Tokyo Story" (1953), a film that would later be recognized worldwide as a milestone in Japanese cinema, in Onomichi. The literary soil of Onomichi became even richer and more mature.
Today, a literary monument to Shiga Naoya stands in Senkoji Park, and a passage from Dark Night's Passage is inscribed on it. As I walked slowly down the hill, savoring the depiction of Onomichi, depicted with his keen observational eye and tranquil writing, a feeling of calm welled up inside me.
“At six o’clock, the bell at Senkoji Temple above rings. As soon as it goes off, another echo comes back from afar. Around that time, the lighthouse on Hyakkanjima, which peaks out between the mountains of Mukojima during the day, begins to glow. It flashes and then goes out again. The fire, which looks like melted copper from a shipyard, is reflected in the water…”

Recommended for solo travelers: ★★★ (There are people, but not many. You can enjoy sightseeing in peace!)

Visit date: Around 2pm on the third Sunday of May

Access: About a 5-minute walk from Senkoji Ropeway “Cho” Station (to Senkoji Temple)

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Post by hanakin_kozakura | Jun 15, 2024

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