Onomichi, Hiroshima

Onomichi 尾道市
City
Flag of Onomichi Flag
Location of Onomichi in Hiroshima Prefecture Location of Onomichi in Hiroshima Prefecture
Onomichi Location in Japan
Coordinates:
Country	Japan
Region	Chūgoku (San'yō)
Prefecture	Hiroshima Prefecture
Government
• Mayor	Yuko Hiratani
Area
• Total	284.85 km2 (109.98 sq mi)
Population (January 2008)
• Total	148,085
• Density	520/km2 (1,300/sq mi)
Symbols
• Tree	Sakura
• Flower	Sakura
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City Hall Address	1-15-1 Kubo, Onomichi-shi, Hiroshima-ken 722-8501
Website	www.city.onomichi.hiroshima.jp

Onomichi (尾道市, Onomichi-shi) is a city located in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, facing the Inland Sea. The city was founded on April 1, 1898.

As of January 1, 2008, the city has an estimated population of 148,085 and a population density of 520 persons per km². The total area is 284.85 km².

History

• 1168: The city's port opened and for the next 500 years served as a rice shipment center and port for all trades with foreign countries. Its commercial significance somewhat wavered during the Tokugawa era.
• 1898: Onomichi Town in Mitsugi District becomes the second city in Hiroshima Prefecture.
• 1935: The RMS Adriatic was scrapped in Onomichi.
• 1937: The town of Kurihara and the village of Yoshiwa, both in Mitsugi District incorporated.
• 1939: The village of Sanba from Numakuma District incorporated.
• 1951: The village of Fukada from Mitsugi District incorporated.
• 1954: Three villages from Mitsugi District incorporated.
• 1955: Three villages from Numakuma District incorporated.
• 1957: The village of Urasaki from Numakuma District incorporated.
• 1970: The town of Mukaihigashi from Mitsugi District incorporated.
• March 28, 2005: The towns of Mitsugi and Mukaishima (both from Mitsugi District) were merged into Onomichi.
• January 10, 2006: The towns of Innoshima and Setoda (both from Toyota District) were merged into Onomichi.

Tourism

The city is known for its many temples such as the Buddhist Senkō-ji Temple (founded in the 9th century), has a shipbuilding yard and a motor factory. It offers a steamship service to ports of northern Shikoku and islands in the Inland Sea.

x177px

A panoramic view of Onomichi

Temples

• Senkō-ji – Chūgoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage No. 10
• Kōmyō-ji
• Tennei-ji
• Jōdo-ji – Chūgoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage No. 9
• Saigō-ji
• Saikoku-ji – Chūgoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage
• Kongō-ji
• Kōsan-ji in Setoda, Hiroshima
• Kōjō-ji in Setoda – Chūgoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage No.11
• Jikō-ji
• Kaifuku-ji
• Jōsen-ji
• Syōjyu-in
• Jikan-ji
• Myōsen-ji
• Taisan-ji

Shrines

• Misode-tenman-gū
• Ushitora Shrine – the oldest shrine in Onomichi
• Kubohachiman Shrine

Castles

• Innoshima Suigun Castle
• Onomichi Castle
• Fukuyama Domain Bansho Ato

Parks and gardens

• Senkoji Park on Mt. Senkoji – connected by Senkōji Ropeway from Onomichi Station
• Senkoji Park Green Land (1965–2007)
• Bingo Regional Sports Park
  • Onomichi Shimanami Baseball Stadium – NPB game held twice a year as Hiroshima Carp home game.
• Mukaishima Orchid Center
• Innoshima Flower Center
• Citrus Park Setoda
• Innoshima Ohashi Memorial Park
• Mt. Takami National Park
• Tachibana Nature Village
• The Island's Blooms – The Pyrethrum
• Hyakka Park
• Souraiken Garden
• Mitsugi Greenland
• Marine Youth Center
• Mitsugi Softball Ballpark
• Chojabara Sports Center
• Mukaishima Sports Park
• Innoshima Sports Park
• Innoshima Amenity Pool
• Kaibutsu-en Ato (The remains of Kaibutsu-en) – The garden of the House of Tomishima (Tenmaya)

Museums

• Onomichi City Museum of Art
• Ikuo Hirayama Museum of Art – by named after Ikuo Hirayama
• Musee Nakata
• Onomichi Literature Museum
• Entsuba Katsuzo Sculpture Museum
• Honinbo Shusaku Igo Memorial Museum – by named after Honinbo Shusaku
• Museum of Setoda History and Folklore
• Onomichi Historical Museum
• Innoshima History Museum
• Island-Wide Art Museum
• Onomichi Motion Picture Museum

Beaches

• Shimanami Beach
• Ohamasaki Camp Site
• Setoda Sunset Beach
• Setoda B & G Marine Center
• Tachibana Beach
• Iwashijima Beach on Iwashijima Island

Hot springs

• Natural Spa Onomichi Fureai no Sato
• Mitsugi Yu Yu-Kan
• Harada-cho Yujin Hot spring
• Yoro onsen

Others

• Literature Path
• Nishiseto Expressway – "Shimanami Expressway" connects Onomichi and Imabari, Ehime
• Innoshima Suigun Skyline
• Kaneyoshi Bus Stop
• Statue of Fumiko Hayashi
• Onomichi City Library
• Tsureshio Stone Monuments
• Shimanami Koryu-kan – "Teatro Shell-rune"
• Bel Canto Hall
• Crossroad Mitsugi

Festivals

• Onomichi Minato Matsuri – the Port Festival – April
• Onomichi Sumiyoshi Hanabi Matsuri – Fireworks – the last Sunday of July
• Innoshima Suigun Matsuri – at Suigun Castle – August
• Onomichi Betcha Matsuri – November 1–3

Economy

Manufacturing

Shipbuilding

• Naikai Shipbuilding
• Mukaishima Dock
• Onomichi Dockyard
• Universal Shipbuilding Onomichi dock
• Hitachi Zosen Corporation Onomichi dock
• JFE Shoji Trade Shipbuilding

Metalworking

• Press Kogyo
• Union Plate Onomichi plant

Chemistry

• Nitto Denko Onomichi plant
• Yokohama Rubber Company Onomichi plant

Agriculture

• Mikan, Grape, Juncus effusus, Scallion

Fishery

• Kamaboko, Stockfish, Tsukudani

Media

• Onomichi FM
• Onomichi Cable Television

Bookselling

• Keibunsha

Crime and safety

The Kyodo-kai yakuza syndicate is based in Onomichi. The Kyodo-kai is the second largest yakuza group in the Chugoku region after the Hiroshima-based Kyosei-kai.

Onomichi in media

The city is featured in the classic Japanese film Tokyo Story. It is the setting for the fantasy 2005 anime series Kamichu! which faithfully depicts many of the city's features and landmarks. Events of the Blue Drop series also happen in this city. It is also the setting of the romantic manga Pastel by Toshihiko Kobayashi.

Books

• A Dark Night's Passing (1921) by Naoya Shiga
• Horoki (1930) by Fumiko Hayashi
• Akumyo (1961) by Toko Kon

Films

• Tokyo Story by Yasujirō Ozu (1953)
• Films by Kaneto Shindō
  • Kanashimi wa onna dakeni (1958)
  • The Naked Island (1960)
• Akumyo series by Tokuzo Tanaka, Kazuo Mori, Kimiyoshi Yasuda, Masahiro Makino, Yasuzo Masumura, Seiji Izumi (1961–2001)
• Nikui an-chikushô by Koreyoshi Kurahara (1962)
• Boy by Nagisa Oshima (1969)
• Films by Nobuhiko Obayashi
  • Exchange Students (1982)
  • The Little Girl Who Conquered Time (1983)
  • Lonely Heart (1985)
  • Chizuko's Younger Sister (1991)
  • Goodbye for Tomorrow (1995)
  • One Summer's Day (1999)
  • His Motorbike, Her Island (1986)
  • Bound for the Fields, the Mountains, and the Seacoast (1986)
  • The Stupid Teacher (1998)
• Yamato by Junya Sato (2005)

Drama

• Teppan (2010)

Manga

• Hikaru no Go (1998–2003)
• Parallel (2000–2002)
• Pastel (2002–)

Anime

• Kamichu! (2005–2007)
• Blue Drop (2007)

Notable people

Musicians

• Masami Shiratama
• Porno Graffitti

Go players

• Dogen Handa

TV

• Mona Yamamoto

Sports

• Hideto Tanihara
• Mariko Yoshida

Authors/artists

• Kiyotaka Haimura
• Ikuo Hirayama
• Kaiji Kawaguchi
• Nobuhiko Obayashi
• Genichiro Takahashi

Sister cities

Onomichi has Sister City relationships with:

• Imabari, Ehime, Japan
• Higashiizumo, Shimane, Japan
• Chongqing, China
• Honfleur, France

See also

• Senkō-ji (Onomichi)

External links

• Onomichi City official website (Japanese)
• Onomichi City official website (English)
• Onomichi's Coordinator for International Relations website (English)