Best things to do in Onomichi

Onomichi Essentials

Onomichi spans the hillside slopes overlooking the Seto Inland Sea, characterized by its narrow alleys and the historic Temple Walk. This selection covers the region’s architectural diversity, from the vivid, multi-styled Kousanji Temple on Ikuchijima to the industrial-chic ONOMICHI U2 warehouse. The list highlights the city’s cinematic heritage at Cinema Onomichi, traditional Nihonga art at the Ikuo Hirayama Museum, and panoramic vistas from the Senkoji Park observation platforms. It also includes key sites along the Shimanami Kaido cycling route.

Onomichi Essentials — Map

Kamakura-period artist / Public domain

A

Kousanji Temple

Kōsan-ji is a Hongan-ji school Jōdo Shinshū temple on the island of Ikuchijima in Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.

Oos / CC BY-SA 3.0

B

平山郁夫美術館

Museum dedicated to Nihonga painter Ikuo Hirayama, featuring his sketches and large-scale works depicting the Silk Road and his birthplace in Setoda.

C

尾道城

A concrete castle replica built in 1964. While not a historic fortification, the structure serves as a landmark overlooking the Onomichi Channel.

Kana Natsuno / CC BY 2.0

D

ONOMICHI U2

A renovated maritime warehouse containing a boutique hotel, cycle shop, and restaurant. The facility is designed specifically to support cyclists on the Shimanami Kaido.

E

Observation Platform

The primary observation deck at the summit of Senkoji Park, offering 360-degree views of the Seto Inland Sea and the Shimanami Kaido bridges.

伊部リコ / CC BY 3.0

F

向上寺

A Zen temple on Ikuchijima Island featuring a National Treasure vermilion three-story pagoda that overlooks the port of Setoda.

melvil / CC BY-SA 4.0

G

高根大橋

An orange steel arch bridge connecting Ikuchijima and Koneshima islands over the Seto Inland Sea.

663highland / CC BY 2.5

H

Kenkichi_Nakamura

The former residence of Tanka poet Kenkichi Nakamura, preserved as a museum showcasing traditional Japanese architecture and literary history.

京浜にけ / CC BY-SA 3.0

I

シネマ尾道

An independent, single-screen arthouse cinema established in 2008 to preserve the city's long-standing cinematic culture.

J

西展望台

A viewpoint in Senkoji Park providing perspectives of Onomichi's hillside residential architecture and the western reaches of the Seto Inland Sea.

Arisen / CC BY-SA 4.0

K

福善寺

A Jodo Shinshu sect temple located along the historic Temple Walk, featuring a traditional wooden main hall and cemetery.

L

福山大学マリンバイオセンター水族館

A research-focused aquarium on Innoshima Island operated by Fukuyama University, displaying fish and marine life native to the Seto Inland Sea.