Sanyo

Hagi Castle was erected in 1604 by Mori Terumoto, who also built Hiroshima Castle, and Hagi prospered as a castle town for some 260 years. The streets remain in a classical grid, and the old-style namako walls are almost blindingly white on sunny days. This townscape has earned Hagi a spot as one of the 100 most beautiful streets in Japan.

Regarded as one of the three most beautiful bridges in Japan, this wooden structure spanning the Nishiki River was built by Kikkawa Hiroyoshi, the third lord of Iwakuni Domain. 193.3 meters long and 5 meters wide, the bridge features elaborate woodwork, particularly on the underside of the bridge, and five arches as it crosses the river.

The standard pronunciation of the Japanese word for “blowfish” is fugu, but since this is also a homonym for words meaning “misfortune” and “defect,” the people of Shimonoseki instead call it “fuku.” The whitefish is particularly delicious as sashimi, deep fried, and in hot pot dishes.

This alkaline hot spring, which pours out as much as 2,000 tons of natural hot spring water a day, is known for its benefits to the skin. It is also easy to access as it is conveniently located next to Yamaguchi Station.

Formerly the Hiroshima Prefectural Commercial Exhibition building, this structure is located only 160 meters from the epicenter of the atomic explosion that struck Hiroshima during World War II. It is commonly referred to as the “Atomic Bomb Dome” due to the dome-shaped iron frame that survived the blast and still sits atop the building today. The building has been preserved for future generations as a monument to appeal for the elimination of nuclear weapons.

Hiroshima is home to the longest streetcar lines in Japan which utilize a number of car types including light rail vehicles (LRV) and used cars from other parts of Japan to create a veritable in-use streetcar museum. The streetcars provide quick, easy access to all the major sightseeing spots around the city.

Constructed by Mori Terumoto in 1589, the castle was destroyed by the atomic bomb during World War II. As a testament to its solid construction, many of the stone walls and foundations survived, and the castle was reconstructed in 1958. The rebuilt castle now houses a history museum.

Tsukemen is a dish similar to ramen that features the noodles and toppings separate from the soup, which is used for dipping. Standard Hiroshima-style tsukemen features Chinese noodles with barbecued pork, boiled vegetables, cucumber, green onion, and boiled egg accompanied by a spicy, soy sauce-based dipping soup on the side. Tsukemen became popular around 1985, and there are now about 50 shops located throughout Hiroshima.

One of the Three Great Gardens of Japan, Korakuen was completed after 14 years of construction by Tsuda Nagatada by order of Ikeda Tsunamasa who was the lord of Okayama at the time. Designed to be walked through, it occupies a massive area of 133,000 square meters, and visitors can enjoy not just the beautiful garden itself but Okayama Castle in the background as well.

Opened in 1930 by Magosaburo Ohara, the second president of Kurabo Industries Ltd., the Ohara Museum of Art was the first museum of modern Western art in Japan. It keeps a collection of some 3,000 pieces of top-class artwork, typically exhibiting about 1,500 pieces at any one time.

Created in the 1950-60s, this regional spin on the standard grilled noodle dish of yakisoba is made with ingredients like apples, onions, and ginger mixed with seasonings like miso (Japanese bean paste), sugar, and soy sauce to create a thick, spicy and sweet sauce. The dish also features mature chicken meat and Hiruzen-grown cabbage.