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from here are a dozen or so temples. Up a steep hill to the west of the harbour, Iō-ji () was reputedly founded by Kōbō Daishi in the 900s. A path leads from the temple to the top of a bluff, from where there are more great views. The town’s main Shintō shrine is the Nunakuma-jinja (). The shrine dates back to the Heian period, but the present building is a modern reconstruction. There are a few interesting bits and pieces in the grounds, including a nō stage that once belonged to warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The component pieces of the stage are numbered to allow easy dismantling – apparently to allow the stage to be taken apart and carried to the battlefield for a bit of light half-time entertainment. To the right of the main shrine is a collection of huge mill-stones with Chinese characters on them. The haulers who loaded and unloaded the boats in the harbour would compete to lift these at festival times.

The Amo Chinmi Processed Seafoods Company () has its factory and shop at the far western end of the harbour. Walk along the shoreline for about 10 minutes from the harbour until you come to the kindergarten () on your left. Look for the large building on the right marked with kanji that has a circle round it. In the factory premises, Uonosato (; 982-3333; 1567-1 Ushiroji Tomo-chō; admission free, food lessons from ¥600; 9am-5pm, closed Mon) processes much of the locally caught fish. You can watch the workers making prawn sembei (rice crackers) and chikuwa (processed fish sausages), and even have a go at making them yourself. Tomo-no-ura is also famous for homei-shu (), a medicinal liquor made from rice, shōchū (a distilled spirit made from potato and barley) and 16 different types of herbs. Four breweries are still in operation; among the houses a few blocks back from the waterfront you can find stalls offering samples.

SLEEPING & EATING

Tomo Seaside Hotel (; 983-5111; www.tomonoura.co.jp, in Japanese; per person with/without 2 meals from ¥6800/4179; ) Close to the sights on the mainland, this hotel is slightly rundown and caters mainly to families and bingo-playing tour groups. All rooms are tatami (woven floor matting) style, and there’s an onsen downstairs.

Kokuminshukusha Sensui-jima (; 970-5050; www.tomonoura.co.jp, in Japanese; 3373-2 Ushiroji Tomo-chō; per person with meals from ¥7800; ) Right on the beach, this is the most reasonably priced accommodation on nearby Sensui-jima. There are Japanese- and Western-style rooms and wonderful baths.

Keishōkan Sazanami-tei (; 982-2121; www.keishokan.com, in Japanese; 421 Tomo Tomo-chō; per person with 2 meals from ¥17,850) On the seafront, not far from the ferry pier, this luxurious ryokan offers an impressive array of baths in which to soak, and fresh fish from the Inland Sea. There’s a spa on site, and some rooms come with their own outdoor rotemburo (outdoor baths).

@Cafe (982-0131; Jōyatōmae Tomo-chō; meals ¥400-900; 11am-8pm Thu-Tue) Attractive and airy modern cafe in a 150-year-old building beside the stone lighthouse in the harbour. There’s a small menu of pasta dishes and other meals for around ¥1000. Anchovy and olive pasta is ¥900.

Tabuchiya (; 983-5085; 838 Tomo Tomo-chō; 9am-6.30pm Thu-Tue) Coffee (¥400) and light meals including hayashi raisu (beef in sauce on rice; ¥1000) are served in this coffee shop on a corner just back from the harbour. Walk past the Ōta residence away from the harbour and look for the green noren on your left.

Chitose (; 982-3165; 552-7 Tomo Tomo-chō; lunch & dinner, closed Tue) Just past the Tomo Seaside Hotel heading away from the ferry pier. Set meals featuring local fish start at ¥1300. An English menu is available.

GETTING THERE & AWAY

It’s only 14km from Fukuyama to Tomo-no-ura; buses run every 15 minutes from bus stop 11 outside JR Fukuyama Station (¥530, 30 minutes).

Onomichi

0848 / pop 150,000

Onomichi is a gritty, old-timey seaport town whose hills are full of temples and literary sites. Film director Ōbayashi Nobuhiko was born in Onomichi, and the town has featured in a number of Japanese movies, notably Ozu’s