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The San-yo Area is the southern part of the Chugoku Area, facing
the Seto Naikai (Inland Sea). It includes three prefectures: Yamaguchi, Hiroshima
and Okayama (it actually extends to Hyogo Prefecture, which is
covered in the North Kinki section). Although this coastal region is largely industrialised
today, it still has some places of great beauty and historical
interest as well as the city of Hiroshima, famous for more tragic reasons. Hiroshima can be reached in
1 hour 20 minutes from Tokyo by air or 5 hours by San-yo Shinkansen
(bullet train). To Okayama the times are 1 hour 10 minutes and 4 hours respectively.
Yamaguchi | Hiroshima | Okayama || Chugoku Area: San-in
The atomic dome next to the
Motoyasu River in Hiroshima |
The red torii gate at Itsukushima Shrine |
The 5-span wooden Kintaikyo bridge
in Iwakuni |
Yamaguchi
This castle town's heyday was from the 14th to the 16th century,
when it was the home of the warlord Ouchi family. Ouchi-nuri
lacquerware and Ouchi dolls are two famous crafts which carry the name. The family sponsored
the famous sumi-e (ink painting) artist Sesshu in the 15th century,
who designed the lovely garden at the Joeiji temple. They also supported
Francis Xavier, the Jesuit missionary who brought Christianity to Japan in the
16th century. Xavier Memorial Park has a modern Roman Catholic cathedral dedicated to the saint.
The 5-story pagoda of Rurikoji temple was built in 1442 and has been designated as a National
Treasure. The city holds a version of Kyoto's famous Gion Festival in July.
The picturesque castle town of Tsuwano to the west has original
white-walled samurai residences and other structures from feudal
times. Also of interest is Yasaka Shrine, whose sagi-mai
(heron dance) event in July attracts visitors. The town has many
folk crafts, in particular the high-quality sekishu paper.
Hiroshima
Hiroshima is best known for being the first city to suffer an
atomic bomb attack at 8:15am, August 6, 1945. Some 200,000 people
died as a result and the entire city was razed. Only a few concrete
buildings were left standing, though unusable, and one of these
is now a symbol of the city. The Hiroshima Prefecture Industrial
Promotion Hall, the ruins of which are now known as the Atomic Bomb
Dome, was near the epicenter of the blast. It was made a World Heritage
site in 1996. It is located in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial park,
along with a museum, a hall and a cenotaph. The park is on a delta
of the Motoyasu and Hon Rivers. A ceremony held each year on the
anniversary of the bombing attracts thousands of visitors. After
the war, the city was rebuilt and is now the hub of the Chugoku
Area. It is surrounded by mountains on three sides and is a port
on the Inland Sea. It has some nice gardens and parks such as
Shukkeien garden and Hijiyama Park. Kaki (oysters)
and a type of savory pancake called okonomiyaki are specialities of the city.
Hiroshima is a good base for visiting Miyajima island and Iwakuni.
Miyajima, also known as Itsukushima, can be reached in about 20 minutes by train from Hiroshima.
With Mt.Misen at the center, the island is covered in forests
which turn to brilliant colors in the autumn. The island is best
known for Itsukushima Shrine, built on the waterfront. The main hall and several subsidiary
shrines, all connected by bright red passageways, are actually
built over the water so that they seem to float at high tide.
The 16m-high red torii gate built 160m into the bay is the symbol of the shrine. It
is one of the Nihon Sankei, the three most famous views in Japan
(along with Matsushima in Sendai and Amanohashidate in Hyogo Prefecture).
Iwakuni is a further 20 minutes south by train. The site of one
of the United States airbases, it is a mostly industrial city.
Kintaikyo, also known as Soroban-bashi (abacus bridge),
is a bridge across the Nishiki River near Iwakuni Castle.
Originally built in 1673, the 193m bridge is made up of five
wooden arches on stone piers and uses no nails to hold it together
The castle is a modern reconstruction of the 1608 original.
Okayama
Okayama Castle was first built in 1573 but today the modern reconstruction,
known as Ujo (Crow Castle) for its black color, is a side attraction for visitors
to the Korakuen park. One of the three most famous landscape gardens in Japan
(along with Kenrokuen in Kanazawa and Kairakuen in Mito),
it was built in 1702 by the local daimyo (baron) and opened to the public in 1884. The grounds include
teahouses, a noh stage, ponds and waterfalls.
Within easy reach of Okayama, Kurashiki has been a commercial center, especially for the local textile
industry, for centuries. Many old houses and kura (warehouses) have been preserved along the city's tree-lined
canals and the Kurashiki River. Some have been turned into museums and galleries where you can
see examples of folk crafts from the region. 45 minutes by train
on the other side of Okayama, Bizen is famous for its bizen-yaki pottery.
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