The Best Day Trips from Fukuyama: Miyajima, Onomichi, Tomonoura, Kurashiki & More

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Table of Contents

  1. Why Fukuyama Is the Best-Kept Secret Base in Setouchi
  2. Day Trip Overview: What's Within Reach
  3. Tomonoura — The Ponyo Town on Your Doorstep
  4. Onomichi — Cats, Temples & the Gateway to the Shimanami Kaido
  5. Miyajima — Japan's Most Iconic Island Shrine
  6. Kurashiki — Okayama's White-Walled Canal District
  7. Shimanami Kaido — Japan's Greatest Cycling Route
  8. Hiroshima City — Peace Memorial & Urban Energy
  9. Combining Two Destinations in One Day
  10. Where to Stay: Setouchi OMOYA as Your Base

Section 1: Why Fukuyama Is the Best-Kept Secret Base in Setouchi {#section-1}

When travelers plan a Hiroshima–Setouchi itinerary, the default is to base themselves in Hiroshima city. It makes sense on the surface: major transport hub, plentiful accommodation, Peace Memorial Park.

But look at a map of where the most compelling day-trip destinations actually are, and a different picture emerges.

Fukuyama — a compact city on the Sanyo Shinkansen line, straddling the border of Hiroshima and Okayama prefectures — sits within striking distance of more high-quality day-trip destinations than any other city in the region. Miyajima to the west. Onomichi and the Shimanami Kaido to the east. Tomonoura fifteen minutes to the south. Kurashiki fifty minutes east into Okayama. Even Hiroshima city itself, for those who want to visit the Peace Memorial, is only 35 minutes by Shinkansen.

The traveler who bases themselves in Fukuyama and explores outward has, in effect, access to the full Setouchi itinerary from a single, unmoving base. No repacking. No hotel checkout queues. No renegotiating with a new environment every two days.

And 15 minutes from Fukuyama Station, in the quiet hillside hamlet of Kumano-cho, sits Setouchi OMOYA — a 150-year-old farmhouse that functions as exactly this kind of base, for up to 12 guests at a time.

This guide covers every major day trip that becomes available to you when you make Fukuyama your anchor point.

Section 2: Day Trip Overview — What's Within Reach {#section-2}

All travel times below are from Setouchi OMOYA in Kumano-cho, Fukuyama (or from Fukuyama Station for Shinkansen connections).

Destination Distance from OMOYA Travel Time Best For
Tomonoura 18 km 25 min by car History, harbor atmosphere, Ponyo fans
Onomichi 28 km 35 min by car Temple walk, cats, Shimanami Kaido gateway
Shimanami Kaido (start) 28 km to Onomichi 35 min + ferry Cycling, island-hopping, coastal scenery
Kurashiki 55 km 50 min by car / 30 min by Shinkansen Edo canal district, Ohara Museum of Art
Hiroshima City 95 km 50 min by car / 35 min by Shinkansen Peace Memorial, Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki
Miyajima 110 km 90 min by car / ~60 min via Shinkansen + ferry Floating torii gate, Mt. Misen hike
Iwakuni 80 km 70 min by car Kintai Bridge, white snake shrine
Okayama City 75 km 60 min by car / 17 min by Shinkansen Korakuen Garden, Okayama Castle

Section 3: Tomonoura — The Ponyo Town on Your Doorstep {#section-3}

Travel time from OMOYA: 25 min by car Recommended time: Half day to full day

If there is a single destination that encapsulates what makes the Fukuyama area exceptional, it is Tomonoura (鞆の浦). This small harbor town — 3,000 residents, a working fishing fleet, stone seawalls unchanged since the 1680s — is one of the most complete Edo-period townscapes in Japan. Hayao Miyazaki rented a house here while developing Ponyo (2008), and the film's visual language is lifted almost directly from the bay, the buildings, and the light.

The core of the town — the waterfront, the stone seawalls, the cluster of old funa-yado warehouses, the hillside temples — can be covered in a focused three-hour walk. Add the ferry crossing to Sensui-jima island (5 min, circular hiking trail) and a lunch of tai-zuke-don (sea bream over rice), and you have a full day.

Tomonoura is 25 minutes from OMOYA. This proximity — the fact that you can reach one of Japan's most extraordinary preserved townscapes in the time it takes to drive to a supermarket — is one of OMOYA's most significant and least-advertised advantages.

→ Full guide: A Complete Guide to Visiting Tomonoura — The Edo-Era Port Town That Inspired Ponyo

Section 4: Onomichi — Cats, Temples & the Gateway to the Shimanami Kaido {#section-4}

Travel time from OMOYA: 35 min by car Recommended time: Half day (or full day if combining with Shimanami Kaido)

Onomichi (尾道) is built on a hillside that drops steeply to the Onomichi Channel. It is a city of three things: an extraordinary network of hillside temples connected by a walking path (sando), a famous population of half-wild cats, and a literary and cinematic heritage that has made it a pilgrimage site for Japanese artists and writers since the early 20th century.

The Temple Walk is the headline experience. A ropeway from the base of the hill carries you up to Senkoji Park, from where the Sando descends through 25 temples in approximately 2.5 km. Each temple is small, each is distinct, and the walk through them — past moss-covered stone lanterns, ancient ginkgo trees, and views over the city and the water — takes two to three hours at a comfortable pace.

Onomichi Ramen is the city's other institution: a dark soy-based broth enriched with back-fat (sebum), unique to this stretch of coast. The most authentic shops are clustered near Senkoji Park and along the old shopping street (hondori). Arrive before noon to avoid queues.

Onomichi is also the northern gateway of the Shimanami Kaido cycling route. On a dedicated cycling day, drive to Onomichi, collect a rental bicycle, and spend the day on the islands — making Onomichi the departure point, not the destination.

→ Full cycling guide: Cycling the Shimanami Kaido: The Complete Day Trip Guide from Fukuyama

Section 5: Miyajima — Japan's Most Iconic Island Shrine {#section-5}

Travel time from OMOYA: 90 min by car + ferry (or ~60 min via Shinkansen to Hiroshima + tram + ferry) Recommended time: Full day

Miyajima (宮島) — formally, Itsukushima Island — needs little introduction. The floating torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine, rising from the shallow tidal waters of Hiroshima Bay, is one of Japan's three canonical views (nihon sankei) and one of the most photographed landscapes in the country. The shrine, the torii, and the island's ancient forests are collectively a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The standard visit — ferry from Miyajimaguchi, shrine tour, a walk through the deer-filled approach street, momiji manju (maple-leaf-shaped sweet cakes, the island's signature food) — takes 2–3 hours. But Miyajima rewards those who stay longer.

Mt. Misen (535 m) is the island's forested interior peak, reachable by ropeway (queue times can be significant in high season) or by foot via several trail options. The summit views take in the full breadth of the Seto Inland Sea — on a clear day, extending to the Shimanami Kaido bridges in the east. Allow 3 hours for the ascent and descent on foot, or 2 hours using the ropeway.

Practical notes for a Miyajima day trip from OMOYA:

  • Leave by 7:00 to arrive before the main crowds
  • Drive to Miyajimaguchi (parking available near the ferry terminal; paid)
  • First ferry departs before 7:00; last return ferry in the evening
  • The approach street (omotesando) fills from 9:30 onward; the back paths behind the shrine are quieter at all hours
  • Sacred deer are everywhere and will eat anything paper-based — menus, leaflets, your JR Rail Pass if you're not careful

Section 6: Kurashiki — Okayama's White-Walled Canal District {#section-6}

Travel time from OMOYA: 50 min by car (or 30 min by Shinkansen Fukuyama → Kurashiki via Okayama) Recommended time: Half day to full day

Kurashiki (倉敷) is one of Japan's most intact examples of the Edo-period merchant town aesthetic: white-walled kura (storehouse) buildings reflected in a willow-lined canal, the streets between them paved with stone that has been walked smooth over centuries. The Bikan Historical Quarter (bikan chiku) at the heart of the city is the finest such townscape in the Chugoku-Sanyo region.

The quarter is compact enough to walk entirely in two hours, but the density of good things — small museums, craft galleries, antique dealers, atmospheric coffee shops in converted storehouses — rewards a slower approach.

The Ohara Museum of Art (大原美術館), housed in a neoclassical building at the edge of the canal, is a compelling outlier in this very Japanese setting: founded in 1930 by local industrialist Magosaburo Ohara, it holds one of Japan's finest collections of Western art, with significant works by El Greco, Renoir, Monet, Gauguin, and Matisse. Entry approximately ¥2,000.

Combining Kurashiki with Okayama City: Okayama Station is 15 minutes by train from Kurashiki. Korakuen Garden (後楽園) — one of Japan's three great gardens (nihon sanmeien) — is a 10-minute walk from Okayama Station, and the dramatically painted black Okayama Castle (Ujo, 烏城) is adjacent. If you are in the Kurashiki area, adding a two-hour Okayama stop costs you very little.

Section 7: Shimanami Kaido — Japan's Greatest Cycling Route {#section-7}

Travel time to Onomichi (start point) from OMOYA: 35 min by car Recommended time: Full day

The Shimanami Kaido (しまなみ海道) — 70 km of suspension bridges and island roads between Onomichi and Imabari in Shikoku — is, by the consensus of cycling publications worldwide, one of the most beautiful cycling routes on earth. National Geographic, CNN Travel, and Lonely Planet have all given it top-tier recognition.

For day-trippers from OMOYA, the recommended route is Onomichi to Setoda on Ikuchi-jima (approximately 30 km one-way, 2.5–3.5 hours at a comfortable pace), with a return by ferry from Setoda to Onomichi (approximately 60 minutes). This covers the route's most dramatic bridges and most rewarding island landscapes — including the extraordinary Kosanji Temple complex and the lemon groves of Ikuchi-jima — without requiring the fitness level of the full 70 km crossing.

→ Full cycling guide: Cycling the Shimanami Kaido: The Complete Day Trip Guide from Fukuyama

Section 8: Hiroshima City — Peace Memorial & Urban Energy {#section-8}

Travel time from OMOYA: 50 min by car (via San-yo Expressway) or 35 min by Shinkansen (Fukuyama → Hiroshima) Recommended time: Full day

Hiroshima needs no introduction for most international visitors. The Peace Memorial Park and Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum constitute one of the most important historical sites in the world — a place that rewards deep, slow attention rather than the kind of rapid transit that day-trip mentality can encourage.

Plan a minimum of 3–4 hours for the Peace Memorial area: the museum, the Children's Peace Monument, the Atomic Bomb Dome (Genbaku Dome), and a quiet walk along the Motoyasu River. The museum, in particular, has been substantially renovated in recent years and requires unhurried time to absorb properly.

Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki — a layered, grilled pancake with noodles, cabbage, pork, and egg — is the city's signature dish and meaningfully different from the Osaka-style version better-known overseas. The dense concentration of okonomiyaki restaurants in the Okonomi-mura building near Hiroshima Station is the most atmospheric place to eat it.

Practical notes: If traveling to Hiroshima by Shinkansen, purchase a round-trip ticket at Fukuyama Station. The IC card (Suica/ICOCA) works on Hiroshima's trams, which are the most practical way to move around the city center.

Section 9: Combining Two Destinations in One Day {#section-9}

Fukuyama's central location makes certain two-destination combinations genuinely feasible without feeling rushed.

Tomonoura + Onomichi (Total: ~6–7 hours) Start early at Tomonoura (8:30–12:00), including the ferry to Sensui-jima. Drive 25 minutes to Onomichi for a late lunch of ramen, then spend the afternoon on the temple walk. Back at OMOYA by 18:00.

Kurashiki + Okayama (Total: ~6–7 hours) Drive to Kurashiki (50 min), spend the morning in the Bikan Quarter and Ohara Museum. Train to Okayama (15 min) for Korakuen Garden and the castle in the afternoon. Drive back from Kurashiki or Okayama Station (both ~50–60 min).

Hiroshima City + Miyajima (Total: Full day, early start required) Shinkansen to Hiroshima (35 min), Peace Memorial in the morning, tram to Miyajimaguchi (35 min), ferry to Miyajima, afternoon on the island. Last ferry back and Shinkansen return to Fukuyama by early evening. This is a long day — leave OMOYA by 7:30.

Onomichi + Shimanami Kaido (partial) (Total: Full day) Drive to Onomichi (35 min), collect bicycle, cycle to Innoshima and partway onto Ikuchi-jima, return by ferry. Combine with a brief Onomichi walk on return. Excellent full-day combination for active travelers.

Section 10: Where to Stay — Setouchi OMOYA as Your Base {#section-10}

The calculation that makes Fukuyama so compelling as a base is simple: you pay for one place to stay, and you can access eight or more excellent destinations without moving your bags.

Setouchi OMOYA — a 150-year-old private farmhouse 15 minutes from Fukuyama Station — is the accommodation that makes this strategy work at its best.

The farmhouse sleeps up to 12 guests exclusively (one group at a time). The professional kitchen means you control your own meals. The large garden, bamboo bath, fireside entrance hall, and satoyama landscape provide a restorative environment that holds its own against any of the destinations in this guide — which matters, because the best slow travel itinerary is not just a series of day trips, but a base worth returning to each evening.

From OMOYA, every destination in this guide is reachable in a single day. The furthest — Miyajima — is 90 minutes by car. The nearest — Tomonoura — is 25 minutes. The Shinkansen connections from Fukuyama Station (15 min from OMOYA) extend the range to Hiroshima, Kurashiki, and Okayama without a car.

This is, in short, the most strategically positioned base for a Setouchi itinerary: close enough to everything to make day trips easy, far enough from the tourist centers to feel genuinely apart from them.

Booking Information

→ Full Setouchi itinerary: The Ultimate Guide to Slow Travel in Setouchi: A 4-Day Itinerary from a Private Japanese Farmhouse

Complete Day Trip Reference: From Setouchi OMOYA, Fukuyama

Destination By Car By Train/Shinkansen Highlights Best Season
Tomonoura 25 min Bus 30 min from Fukuyama Stn Edo harbor, Sensui-jima, Ponyo All year; spring & winter
Onomichi 35 min 10 min by train from Fukuyama Stn Temple walk, cats, ramen All year
Shimanami Kaido 35 min to start Train + bicycle Cycling, island bridges, Kosanji Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov
Miyajima 90 min ~60 min via Shinkansen + tram + ferry Floating torii, Mt. Misen All year; avoid Golden Week
Kurashiki 50 min 30 min via Shinkansen Bikan canal district, Ohara Museum All year
Hiroshima City 50 min 35 min by Shinkansen Peace Memorial, okonomiyaki All year
Okayama City 65 min ~40 min via Shinkansen Korakuen Garden, Okayama Castle Spring, Autumn
Iwakuni 70 min ~55 min via Shinkansen + local Kintai Bridge, historic castle town Spring (cherry blossom)

Setouchi OMOYA — 15 min from Fukuyama Station. The ideal base for exploring all of Setouchi. Reservations: chillnn.com/17689b2d20c282 | info@setouchiomoya.com

Last updated: February 2026

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