
Tomonoura
An ancient port town so well preserved that Miyazaki used it as reference for Ponyo. Stone lighthouse, sake breweries fermenting tidewater-cooled sake, and a hillside temple where Sakamoto Ryoma hid during the Meiji Restoration.
Location
Location available to Pro members
Upgrade to ProPro Spot
Upgrade to Pro to access local tips, secret timing, and insider highlights for this spot.
Upgrade to Pro — $4.99/moLocal Tips
Tomonoura was the model for the village in Miyazaki's 'Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea' — the director spent time here before the film's creation. The view from Fukuzen-ji temple across the harbour to the islands is the most beautiful in the Seto Inland Sea. The Iroha-maru Exhibition Hall covers the ship that Ryoma Sakamoto's fleet sank here. Combine with Onomichi (30 min by ferry) for a full Hiroshima coast day.
Add to your AI itinerary
Let AI build a multi-day trip around this spot.
Advertisement
More in Hiroshima

Hiroshima Castle
Rebuilt in 1958 after the atomic bomb destroyed the original, Hiroshima Castle offers exhibits on samurai life and the city's reconstruction. The surrounding moat park is one of Hiroshima's best cherry blossom destinations.

Hiroshima Oyster Experience
Hiroshima produces 60% of Japan's oysters — the Seto Inland Sea's nutrient-rich currents grow them fat and briny. Hire a grill at a waterfront shack in Miyajima or Etajima, eat them charcoal-grilled with lemon, or raw over rice.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial (A-Bomb Dome)
The only structure left standing near the epicenter of the world's first atomic bomb attack on August 6, 1945. Left deliberately unrestored as a permanent witness and a plea for its non-repetition. UNESCO World Heritage Site.