The Chugoku Region (, Chgoku Chih, meaning “centre country”) is located on Japan’s main island Honshu.
It is typically separated into two regions: the densely developed and industrialized Sanyo Region on the Seto Inland Sea coast. And the considerably more rural Sanin Region on the Sea of Japan coast.
Top destinations in Chugoku:
Okayama Prefecture
Kurashiki – City with a picturesque, historic canal area.
Bitchu-Takahashi – Pretty town with original mountaintop castle.
Inujima Island – Small island turned into a modern art site.
Okayama – Famous for one of Japan’s three best gardens.
Hiroshima Prefecture
Onomichi – Port town with many slopes and temples.
Hiroshima – Regional capital with a tragic history.
Miyajima – Island known for its shrine and large torii gate.
Fukuyama – Second largest city in Hiroshima Prefecture.
Tomonoura – Picturesque, old-fashioned fishing town.
Yamaguchi Prefecture
Akiyoshidai- Karst plateau with large limestone cave.
Hagi – Castle town with preserved samurai district.
Iwakuni – Site of the picturesque Kintai-kyo Bridge.
Shimonoseki – City at the westernmost tip of Honshu.
Yamaguchi – Pleasant city at the western end of Honshu.
Motonosumi Shrine – Remote shrine along the coast with tunnel of torii gates