STSceneTrail JapanFind the scene. Discover the town.

Region guide

Chugoku

3 researched towns currently show how stories and practical travel connect here.

How to plan this region

Canal commerce, port culture and the Seto Inland Sea shape the current selection. Rail is useful, but hillside streets, ferries and cycling sections need realistic walking and weather plans.

Fishing boats moored along the working harbor in Sakaiminato, Tottori
Sakai Port, SakaiminatoPhoto: Aimaimyi · CC BY-SA 3.0Changes: Wikimedia 1280px rendition resized to 1200px and converted to WebP; no source crop; CSS may center-crop the visible frame.

Chugoku · Tottori

Sakaiminato

A compact port city where Shigeru Mizuki’s work reshaped the walk between the railway station and the old commercial center.

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Willow trees and historic white-walled buildings along the Kurashiki Canal
Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter, Kurashiki, OkayamaPhoto: Malaiya · CC BY-SA 4.0Changes: Wikimedia rendition resized to 1200px and converted to WebP; no source crop; CSS may center-crop the visible frame.

Chugoku · Okayama

Kurashiki

A canal merchant city where white-walled storehouses, Japan’s first private Western-art museum and modern textile industry form distinct districts.

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Hillside temples, Onomichi city and the Seto Inland Sea viewed from Senkoji Park
View from Senkoji Park, Onomichi, HiroshimaPhoto: Suicasmo · CC BY-SA 4.0Changes: Wikimedia rendition resized to 1200px and converted to WebP; no source crop; CSS may center-crop the visible frame.

Chugoku · Hiroshima

Onomichi

A steep port city where temple paths, ferries, literature, cinema and the Shimanami cycling route meet at sea level and on stone stairs.

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Connect the towns

Routes in Chugoku

Fishing boats moored along the working harbor in Sakaiminato, Tottori
Sakai Port, SakaiminatoPhoto: Aimaimyi · CC BY-SA 3.0Changes: Wikimedia 1280px rendition resized to 1200px and converted to WebP; no source crop; CSS may center-crop the visible frame.
1 day

Yokai trail and working port

Walk from the station to the museum, then continue beyond the character trail to the waterfront and seafood culture.

SakaiminatoOpen route →
Willow trees and historic white-walled buildings along the Kurashiki Canal
Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter, Kurashiki, OkayamaPhoto: Malaiya · CC BY-SA 4.0Changes: Wikimedia rendition resized to 1200px and converted to WebP; no source crop; CSS may center-crop the visible frame.
4 days

Merchant towns to the Seto Inland Sea

Move from Kurashiki’s canal commerce and museums to Onomichi’s hillside temples, ferries and maritime geography.

Kurashiki · OnomichiOpen route →
Hillside temples, Onomichi city and the Seto Inland Sea viewed from Senkoji Park
View from Senkoji Park, Onomichi, HiroshimaPhoto: Suicasmo · CC BY-SA 4.0Changes: Wikimedia rendition resized to 1200px and converted to WebP; no source crop; CSS may center-crop the visible frame.
4–5 days

Onomichi to Matsuyama through the Shimanami islands

Use an island overnight to turn the famous cycling route into a journey, then finish with Matsuyama’s castle, haiku and Dogo Onsen.

Onomichi · MatsuyamaOpen route →