Japan Heritage story
Onomichi: a hillside port town of temples and lanes
尾道水道が紡いだ中世からの箱庭的都市
Onomichi squeezes temples, houses and gardens between three hills and a narrow strait. Its maze of stone lanes and steps has drawn travellers and writers since the Middle Ages.
Key facts
- Theme
- Sea and waterside, Forests and timber, Festivals and rituals
- Era
- Kamakura, Edo
- Region
- Chugoku
- Official name in Japanese
- 尾道水道が紡いだ中世からの箱庭的都市
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 広島県（尾道市）
The story
The Onomichi Channel runs between the town and the island of Mukaishima like a river of seawater. Sheltered and handy for ships, it made Onomichi one of the best ports on the Seto Inland Sea from the Middle Ages. Wealth and people poured in, temples rose on the slopes of the three hills behind the town, and houses filled every gap between them.
The result is a miniature city built of stone. Steps, paving and walls were all cut from the rocky hills. Wells were built on two levels so homes above and below a slope could share them. The novelist Shiga Naoya lived here and wrote of hearing the stonecutters across the water and the echo of Senkoji's bell.
What to see
- The temple walk: 25 temples dating back to the Middle Ages within about 2 km along the foot of the hills.
- The slopes: lanes, stone steps, shrines and wells, with sudden views over the channel.
- From the water: a short ferry across the channel shows the whole town, its three hills and medieval pagodas at once.
See the Hiroshima prefecture guide for the rest of your trip, and more shrines and temples.
Good to know
- Wear shoes with grip: the lanes are mostly stone steps and slopes.
- Getting lost is part of the fun. Turn around often; the best views are behind you.
- Onomichi also features in the story of the Murakami pirates of the islands offshore.
Questions travellers ask
What is the Onomichi Channel?
The narrow strait between Onomichi and Mukaishima island. It works like a river of seawater and made Onomichi a major port.
How many temples are in Onomichi?
Along the foot of the hills there are 25 temples with roots in the Middle Ages, within about 2 km.
Where it comes from
More heritage stories from the same area
- Fukiya: the birthplace of Japan Red
- Iwami kagura: gods and demons dance the old myths
- Kitamaebune: the merchant ships that made Japan's port towns rich
- The Murakami Kaizoku: sea lords of the Geiyo Islands
- Tomonoura: Japan's best-kept Edo-era port town
- Yokosuka, Kure, Sasebo and Maizuru: Japan's naval port cities
Local foods from the same area
Crafts from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.