Japan Guide
Western Honshū
Onomichi
Twenty kilometres west of Fukuyama lies the enchanting port of ONOMICHI, overlooked by the houses and temples that tumble down the steep face of the wooded hill, Senkōji-san. Many Japanese come here to linger along the town's vertiginous byways, imagining scenes from their favourite movies by local director Ōbayashi Nobuhiko.
There's a pleasant temple walk from Onomichi Station past most of the town's 25 temples; to complete the full course takes the better part of a day, by which time you'll be sick of temples, so skip those at the start by hopping on the regular bus from stand 1 outside Onomichi Station and heading east for five minutes to the Nagaeguchi stop (¥140). From here, you can catch the ropeway (daily 9am–5.15pm; ¥280 one way, ¥440 return) up to Senkō-ji-kōen park, which blooms with cherry blossom and azaleas each spring. The views from its hilltop observatory across the town and narrow sea channel to the nearest island Mukai-shima are impressive.
The most colourful temple on the hill is the scarlet-painted Senkō-ji, packed with jizō statues and doing a lively trade in devotional trinkets. Heading back downhill from here, you can follow the section of the temple walk known as the "literary path", so called because famous writers' words are inscribed on stone monuments along the way.
Don't get too hung up on Onomichi's temples to miss pottering around the evocative waterfront and shopping arcade near the train station. Here you'll find remnants of old Asia rare in squeaky-clean modern Japan, including a shrinking crescent of shacks by the seat.
Trains on the JR San'yō line stop at Onomichi Station, a minute's walk from the waterfront. The closest Shinkansen station, Shin-Onomichi, is 3km north of the town; from here a regular bus takes fifteen minutes to reach Onomichi Station (¥180).
The cheapest accommodation options are business hotels, of which there are several immediately west of the station, including the Alpha-1 ( 
0848/25-5600; Price: ¥10000-15000). Being a port, fresh seafood is the thing to go for, especially at the sushi restaurants clustered along the harbour front east of the station.