The ultimate guide to Setouchi: Fukuyama and Onomichi

Kick off your day in Fukuyama with a bus ride to the picturesque fishing town of Tomonoura.

Tomotetsu bus from Fukuyama Station to Tomonoura (30 min)

Tomonoura and its narrow alleys lined with traditional merchant homes served as inspiration for Studio Ghibli’s wondrous anime film Ponyo.

Tomotetsu bus from Tomonoura to Fukuyama Station (30 mins)

The ground floor of what was once a huge department store is now a community-focused container for a coworking space plus indie shops and cafés, including trendy grocery Need the Place.

Tomotetsu bus from bus stop no. 6 at Fukuyama Station for Chitosebashi/Abuto/Tsuneishi/Utsuminokyo (on weekdays) or Miroku no Sato (on weekends and holidays), alight at Tenjinyama (30 mins)

Walk (15 mins)

Seek out the vast grounds of Shinshoji Temple to learn about Zen Buddhism first-hand through activities like tea ceremonies, meditation and copying sutras.

Walk (15 mins)

Tomotetsu bus from Tenjinyama bus stop to Fukuyama Station (20 mins)

JR Sanyo Line train from Fukuyama Station, alight at Onomichi Station (30 mins)

Walk (7 mins)

After dinner, retreat to the cosy Hotel Cycle under the same roof, where all rooms are equipped with bike racks and exude a sense of cool calm.

Bus for Shimin Byoin/Higashi-Onomichi Station/Shakomae from Onomichi Station, alight at Nagaeguchi (5 mins)

Senkoji Temple Mountain Ropeway (3 mins)

A monumental viewing platform with spectacular vistas of Onomichi, the Onomichi Bridge and the island-dotted Inland Sea in the distance.

The mostly Onomichi-related art pairs nicely with the views of the city from the picture windows on the second floor of this Tadao Ando-designed museum.

Senkoji claims a 1,200-year history and certainly feels almost as ancient as the many giant boulders its halls and pagodas stand among.

Walk (15 mins)

We love this fermentation-focused portside canteen’s moreish burger patty, doused in a sauce made with low-sodium Fuchu miso. Plant-based options are available, too.

Higashi-Goshocho, Onomichi.

This two-hour, 20-kilometre loop lets you get a taste of the Shimanami Kaido scenery without exhausting your energy reserves.

After returning your bike, recharge with a cup of pure 100-percent juice made from the wide variety of citrus fruits grown on the islands near Onomichi.

At the end of a day of healthy choices, reward yourself with a teppanyaki feast. Ittoku’s speciality, the omelette-like tonpeiyaki, is best washed down with stiff citrus drinks.