a region of japan
Chugoku
Chugoku is the western end of Honshu, five prefectures between the Seto Inland Sea and the Sea of Japan: Hiroshima and Miyajima, Okayama's garden and Kurashiki's canal, and Izumo and Matsue in the quiet north.
The great torii of Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima
- Prefectures
- Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Tottori and Shimane
- Places
- Ten to know
- Journeys
- One includes Chugoku
overview
Chugoku, at a glance
Chugoku divides into two shores. On the Seto Inland Sea, the sunny southern side, lie Hiroshima, with its Peace Memorial Park, and Miyajima, where the great torii of Itsukushima Shrine stands in the sea; Okayama, with Korakuen, one of the three great gardens of Japan; Kurashiki's merchant quarter on its willow-lined canal; and Onomichi, a temple town on the hills above the strait.
The northern side, called San'in, faces the Sea of Japan and is among the least travelled parts of Honshu: Izumo Taisha, one of the oldest and most important shrines in Japan; Matsue, a castle town on a lake; the Adachi Museum of Art and its celebrated garden; the sand dunes of Tottori; and Hagi, the pottery town that shaped modern Japan.
The Sanyo Shinkansen runs along the southern shore, Hiroshima two hours from Kyoto; the San'in coast is reached by limited express or by private car over the mountains.
places
Where to go in Chugoku
Our tours stay overnightOur tours visit for the dayOn a Custom Tour of Japan
- HagiA castle town between two rivers and the sea, where the tea bowls change colour with the years.Yamaguchi
- HiroshimaA city of rivers and bridges, rebuilt around a park that asks its visitors to remember.Hiroshima
- IzumoThe land of the myths, where the gods of Japan are said to gather once a year.Shimane
- KurashikiA canal under the willows, white storehouses along its banks, and a great collection of Western art in their midst.Okayama
- MatsueA castle town of water, where the lake turns gold in the evening and tea is still made as the old lord taught.Shimane
- MiyajimaA shrine built over the tide, a gate standing in the water, and a forested mountain rising behind them both.Hiroshima
- OkayamaA lord's garden on a river island, with the black castle borrowed for its view.Okayama
- OnomichiA hillside of temples and stone lanes above a narrow strait of the Inland Sea.Hiroshima
- TottoriRidges of sand above the blue of the Sea of Japan, shaped and reshaped by the wind.Tottori
- Nagato Yumoto OnsenYamaguchi
journeys
Tours of Japan that include Chugoku
Each journey below includes Chugoku; choose one to see its route, dates and price.
questions
Chugoku: questions answered
Is Hiroshima in Chugoku or Kansai?
Hiroshima is in Chugoku, the western region of Honshu, with Okayama, Yamaguchi, Tottori and Shimane. Kansai begins to the east, at Hyogo.
Is Hiroshima worth a day trip from Kyoto?
It can be done in a day by Shinkansen, but a night in Hiroshima or on Miyajima is far better: the island is at its most beautiful in the evening, once the day visitors have left.
What is San'in?
The Sea of Japan side of Chugoku, Tottori and Shimane: Izumo Taisha, Matsue and its castle, the Adachi Museum of Art and the Tottori sand dunes.
Which Luxury Japan Travel journeys include Chugoku?
The Classic Cherry Blossom Tour of Japan includes Chugoku. The Custom Tour of Japan can include anywhere in Chugoku, on your own dates.
the regions of japan
The rest of Japan
Chugoku, planned for you.
Tell us when you would like to travel and which places in Chugoku draw you. We will answer with a journey shaped around them: one of our tours, a journey of The Private Collection, or a Custom Tour of Japan created around your party alone.