Trip to Tomonoura, Hiroshima

Hello This is greeting from Nakano(中野) in Japan.
My first blog wrote with English. Sometimes I will try to make English version.
I hope it can be helpful for your understanding of West japan.
In this spring, I visited Tomono_ura (鞆の浦) located southern area of Hiroshima (広島) where also facing to Setonaikai(瀬戸内海).
Please refer and comment if you have any opinion. Thanks for referring my blog. Follows are my record about it.
Wrote June 2018
Tomono_ura (鞆の浦) 2018 mar 30th (Fri)
I arrived at Tomono ura(鞆の浦) BUS TMNL before 11am. Weather is good but a little hot.
Located at about center of Setonaikai(瀬戸内海), This port is very famous because of good scenery and with long long history over 1000 years.
Since my last visit here, time has been passed more than 5 years already and during that, there was a lot of changes, especially number of foreigner rapidly increasing, even it is weekday today.
Recently because of Inbound booming, many people from Asia, Europa and America with tour, group, and private, they make this famous port as very atractive place.
Of course Japanese visitor is also many as well as who has interesting to see historical things here.
Time was too early to the lunch, so I visited Taichoh_rau(対潮楼) where located around 10min walk from Bus TMNL to the gate of the Temple. It is located at hill side, facing to the south direction which can observe famous IsIand Sensui_jima(仙酔島) from best angle thorough open window of the temple.



Entrance fee is 200yen/person,　It is required to shoes off before entering. In History this Temple was used as accommodation of Korea Delegate（朝鮮通信使）during Edo era about 350 to 300years ago. In this period they stopping 12 times here on the way to EDO_era(江戸時代) regularly.
A staff of the delegate, he called this scenery as “Best view in Japan” (日東第一形象). Yes, it is no-doubt how it is so attractive scenery if I am alone here, I might be sitting long time in front of this view with thinking nothing. But unfortunately many people at that time.

Near Sea side, I took lunch in See food restaurant, very small but comfortable, big window is facing to the sea where can be seen (Sensui-jima). Major industry here is fishing especially “BREAM”(鯛), so I must order and eat it.

7 kinds of Dishes are all cooked with BREAM which seems too much for aged people like me.
After meal, I walk toward another famous Temple “Iouh-ji” (医王寺) where located at hillside of the mountain. About 15min, of ascent reached to the temple, here is also best scenery to look down the port and Sakura(桜) blooming.

Next destination is Museum of “Iroha-maru” located at pier of Tomonoura_port (鞆港).
At tip of pier, there is “Night right house” (常夜灯) , it is Land mark to approach to the museum.

“Night right house” is in the photo located at L side.

By the way R side in photo, it is historical quay(岸壁) made with many steps with stones called as Steps Pier “gan_gi”(雁木) designed for landing small ships. Because of a reason to adjust high tide and low tide, deference between high and low is reached to approx, 4 meters. Photo is shown at low tide. This type of the Pier can be seen anywhere in Setonaikai. Also can be seen in other port with the same reasons.
In early Meiji_era about 160years ago, at offshore here, “Iroha-maru” (いろは丸) was sunk. In fact very famous Japanese warrior (武士) “Ryouma Sakamoto” (坂本龍馬) who sprinted and made new era of “Meiji” from “Edo” around of 170years ago was onboard. Many relics was picked up from the sea and kept in the museum.

Group of Eastern people was gathered here when I visited. I took a rest with drinking Beer since it is very hot weather.
Tour conductor asked me the location of a shop with fluent Japanese, so I answer her with shown map. Of course with Japanese. Shortly after they moved to another attractive point near here accordingly.
That is all today. After that I walked to Bus TMNL takes about 15min, time.
In “Tomoura” Road is very narrow though traffic is very heavy.
I also must be very careful to walk down, especially after drunk, it is very dangerous!

Additional photo (watercolor painting) is drawn 15years ago.

In front is Tomono ura (鞆の浦) and on this side is isIand Sensui_jima(仙酔島)
(end)