East Hiroshima · OnomichiNo.613★★Open in map →
Onomichi Senkoji Temple
A vermilion temple hall wedged against bare rock partway up the hillside that Onomichi is built on. Below it the town rises in stairways rather than blocks, and a ropeway from the harbour side puts you at the top of the walk.
- FromShin-Onomichi Station
- ~35 minCity bus, ~15 min
- Get off atOnomichi Station (JR Sanyo Main Line)
- From there
- Onomichi Senkoji Temple
The sweet spot
This is a well-known stop on the Inland Sea route, not a hidden one, and the ropeway carries a steady stream of visitors to the ridge. What thins out is the way down. Most people ride in both directions, so the stone steps below the temple stay comparatively calm even when the summit deck is busy.
Where it is
25 more notes in Hiroshima · open the map →What to look for — in walking order
- PEAK summit deckthe observation deck at the top of the mountain, open to the strait and the harbour below
- Path of Literaturea stone trail down from the summit, set with verse carved into natural boulders
- Senkoji main hallthe vermilion hall propped on the rock face, the landmark visible from the town
- Tama-no-Iwathe tall rock beside the hall that carries the harbour-light legend
- Tsuzumi-iwaa boulder on the way down that rings hollow when struck
How to actually get there
- Shin-Onomichi Station → JR Onomichi Station (city bus, about 15 minutes).
- Onomichi Station → Nagaeguchi bus stop (eastbound city bus, about 5 minutes); the ropeway's lower station is at the stop.
- Ride the ropeway to the summit station, then walk down the Path of Literature to Senkoji.
- Continue down the stone steps through the lanes to the main street and back to Onomichi Station.
- Shinkansen to Shin-Onomichi, then a city bus
- Shin-Onomichi is the Sanyo Shinkansen station for the city, and a city bus links it to JR Onomichi Station in about 15 minutes. From Onomichi Station take an eastbound bus to the Nagaeguchi stop, about 5 minutes, and the ropeway's lower station is right there. Buses use the front door for payment; have coins ready if you are not using an IC card.
- Walk down to Onomichi Station
- Walking down the slope brings you out on the main street a short distance from Onomichi Station, so a return ropeway ticket is not needed. If you would rather ride down, check the last departure posted at the summit station before you start exploring, because it falls well before the last trains. Onomichi Station sits on the JR Sanyo Main Line, with services west toward Hiroshima and east toward Fukuyama.
About the place
Senkoji occupies a ledge on the flank of Mount Senkoji, on the north side of Onomichi harbour. The slope below it is not laid out in blocks but in stairways, so temple, houses and lanes are stacked on one hillside. Senkoji-koen, the park covering the upper mountain, holds the municipal art museum and a walking trail set with poetry stones. A viewing deck called PEAK stands at the summit and looks out across the strait to the island opposite. The vermilion main hall, propped against bare rock, is visible from the streets below and works as the landmark you steer by.
How to enjoy it
The ropeway climbs from the foot of the hill to the ridge in three minutes, which is why most visitors ride up and walk down. Senkoji keeps its grounds open from 9:00 to 17:00, and that window, not the ropeway, is what decides how late you can set out. Going down on foot links the Path of Literature, the temple and the lanes into one continuous descent.
Background & history
The temple's founding is given as 806, in the early Heian period, and its own record credits the monk Kukai with opening the site. Two rocks in the grounds carry the older stories. Tama-no-Iwa is tied to a legend of a jewel that once shone from its top out over the water. Tsuzumi-iwa is known locally as Ponpon-iwa, for the hollow drum-like sound it gives when struck.
Before you go
- Cash
- The ropeway is 500 yen one way and 700 yen return for junior-high age and above, and 250 yen one way for children. A one-way ticket covers you if you plan to walk down. Payment methods are not listed on the operator's site, so carry cash.
- Before you go
- The temple grounds keep set hours, so a late arrival can leave you on the ridge with the hall already closed. The descent is stone steps and steep lanes throughout, unlit after dark and slippery in rain. The ropeway suspends service for periodic maintenance, with dates posted on its site.
- Another way
- From Shin-Onomichi Station there is also a direct bus toward Onomichi via Nagae that stops at Nagaeguchi in about 10 minutes, which skips the change at Onomichi Station. On foot from Onomichi Station, head east through the covered arcade and turn uphill at Nagae-dori.
- After you get off
- From Onomichi Station, cross to the bus stops in front of the building and take an eastbound service to Nagaeguchi; the ropeway's lower station stands beside the stop. Walking the same route keeps you on level pavement until the turn uphill.