is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

located in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated

population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...

of 129,314 in 64055 households and a

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

of 450 people per km². The total area of the city is .

Geography

Onomichi is located in southeastern Hiroshima Prefecture. It faces the

Seto Inland Sea The , sometimes shortened to the Inland Sea, is the body of water separating Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, three of the four main islands of Japan. It serves as a waterway connecting the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Japan. It connects to Osaka Ba ...

to the south, and the coastline is intricate and forms part of the Setonaikai National Park. The main urban concentration is in a narrow band on the coast, where there is very little flat land. Because of its unique scenery, it is often used as a filming location for movies.

Adjoining municipalities

Hiroshima Prefecture * Fuchū * Fukuyama * Mihara * Sera

Climate

Onomichi has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

''Cfa'') characterized by cool to mild winters and hot, humid summers. The average annual temperature in Onomichi is . The average annual rainfall is with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around , and lowest in January, at around . The highest temperature ever recorded in Onomichi was on August 15, 2024; the coldest temperature ever recorded was on 26 February 1981.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Onomichi in 2020 is 131,170 people. Onomichi has been conducting censuses since 1960.

History

* 1168: The city's port opened and for the next 500 years served as a rice shipment center and port for all trades with foreign countries. Its commercial significance somewhat wavered during the

Tokugawa period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

. * 1898: Onomichi Town in Mitsugi District becomes the second city in Hiroshima Prefecture on April 1. * 1935: The RMS ''Adriatic'' was scrapped in Onomichi. * 1937: The

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

of Kurihara and the

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

of Yoshiwa, both in Mitsugi District incorporated. * 1939: The village of Sanba from Numakuma District incorporated. * 1951: The village of Fukada from Mitsugi District incorporated. * 1954: Three villages from Mitsugi District incorporated. * 1955: Three villages from Numakuma District incorporated. * 1957: The village of Urasaki from Numakuma District incorporated. * 1970: The town of Mukaihigashi from Mitsugi District incorporated. * March 28, 2005: The towns of Mitsugi and Mukaishima (both from Mitsugi District) were merged into Onomichi. * January 10, 2006: The towns of Innoshima and Setoda (both from Toyota District) were merged into Onomichi.

Government

Onomichi has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a

unicameral Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature consisting of one house or assembly that legislates and votes as one. Unicameralism has become an increasingly common type of legislature, making up nearly ...

city council of 26 members. Onomichi contributes three members to the Hiroshima Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, Onomichi is part of the Hiroshima 5th district of the

lower house A lower house is the lower chamber of a bicameral legislature, where the other chamber is the upper house. Although styled as "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has come to wield more power or otherwise e ...

of the

Diet of Japan , transcription_name = ''Kokkai'' , legislature = 215th Session of the National Diet , coa_pic = Flag of Japan.svg , house_type = Bicameral , houses = , foundation=29 November 1890(), leader1_type ...

. Prior to 2022, part of the city was in Hiroshima 6th district.

Crime and safety

The Kyodo-kai

yakuza , also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media (by request of the police) call them , while the yakuza call themselves . The English equivalent for the term ''yak ...

syndicate is based in Onomichi."2010 Police White Paper Chapter 2 : Furtherance of Organized Crime Countermeasures"
2010, ''

National Police Agency National Police may refer to the national police forces of several countries: *Afghanistan: Afghan National Police *Haiti: Haitian National Police *Canada: Royal Canadian Mounted Police *Colombia: National Police of Colombia *Cuba: National Revolut ...

'' The Kyodo-kai is the second largest yakuza group in the Chugoku region after the

Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui has b ...

-based Kyosei-kai."The Second Kyodo-kai"
20 February 2008, ''Matsue Joho Center''

Economy

Onomichi has prospered as a port town and a commercial city. Before World War II, it had an economy comparable to that of Hiroshima City. Shipyards have existed in Onomichi, Mukaishima, and Innoshima for a long time due to their location, which is blessed with water transport. In recent years, the shipbuilding industry has been in decline.

Manufacturing

Shipbuilding

* Hitachi Zosen Corporation Onomichi dock * JFE Shoji Trade Shipbuilding * Mukaishima Dock * Naikai Shipbuilding * Onomichi Dockyard * Tsuneishi Shipbuilding * Universal Shipbuilding Onomichi dock

Metalworking

* Press Kogyo * Union Plate Onomichi plant

Chemistry

Nitto Denko is a Japanese company that produces tapes, vinyl, LCDs, insulation, and several other products. It was founded in Osaki, Tokyo in 1918 to produce electrical insulation and it survived World War II, despite the destruction of its central offices ...

Onomichi plant *

Yokohama Rubber Company is a Japanese manufacturing company based in Hiratsuka, Japan. The company was founded and began on October 13, 1917, in a joint venture between Yokohama Cable Manufacturing and BFGoodrich. In 1969, the company expanded to the United States ...

Onomichi plant

Agriculture

* Mikan,

Grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began approximately 8,0 ...

Juncus effusus ''Juncus effusus'' is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant species in the rush family Juncaceae, with the common names common rush or soft rush. In North America, the common name soft rush also refers to ''Juncus interior''. Distribution ''J ...

Scallion Scallions (also known as green onions and spring onions) are edible vegetables of various species in the genus ''Allium''. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions. Their close relatives include garlic, shallots, leeks, chive ...

Fishery

Kamaboko is a type of Curing (chemistry), cured , a processed seafood product common in Japanese cuisine. It was initially made in the year 1115. Production and uses is made by forming various Purée, pureed deboned whitefish (fisheries term), whit ...

Stockfish Stockfish is unsalted fish, especially cod, dried by cold air and wind on wooden racks (which are called "hjell" in Norway) on the foreshore. The drying of food is the world's oldest known preservation method, and dried fish has a storage li ...

, Tsukudani

Media

* Onomichi FM * Onomichi Cable Television

Bookselling

* Keibunsha

Education

Onomichi features 24 public elementary schools, 16 public junior high schools, and one public high school operated by the City Government. Additionally, six public high schools fall under the administration of the Hiroshima Prefectural Board of Education. The city also hosts one private middle school and one private high school, contributing to a diverse educational landscape. Moreover, the prefecture operates two special education schools for individuals with disabilities. It is also the location of Onomichi City University, a municipal university.

Transportation

Railway

JR West , also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, ...

–

San'yō Shinkansen The is a line of the Japanese Shinkansen high-speed rail network, connecting Shin-Osaka in Osaka with Hakata Station in Fukuoka, the two largest cities in western Japan. Operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West), it is a westward co ...

(JR West) - San'yō Main Line * -

Highways

San'yō Expressway * JP Expressway E54

Onomichi Expressway * JP Expressway E76

Nishiseto Expressway (also known as the "Shimanami Kaidō") * * * *

Sister city relations

Chiayi Chiayi (,), officially known as Chiayi City, is a Provincial city (Taiwan), city located in Chianan Plain in Regions of Taiwan, southwestern Taiwan, surrounded by Chiayi County with a population of 263,188 inhabitants as of January 2023. The H ...

, Taiwan *

Imabari, Ehime is a city in Ehime Prefecture, Japan. It is the second largest city in the prefecture. , the city had an estimated population of 152,111 in 75,947 households and a population density of 360 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Th ...

, Japan * Higashiizumo, Shimane, Japan *

Honfleur Honfleur () is a commune in the Calvados department in northwestern France. It is located on the southern bank of the estuary of the Seine across from Le Havre and very close to the exit of the Pont de Normandie. The people that inhabit Hon ...

, France *

Jung District, Busan Jung District () is a ''Subdivisions of South Korea, gu'' in southern central Busan, South Korea. It has an area of 2.8 km², and a population of about 48,000. Administrative divisions Jung-gu is divided into 8 legal ''dong'', which all to ...

, Korea *

Taichung Taichung (, Wade–Giles: '), officially Taichung City, is a special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality in central Taiwan. Taichung is Taiwan's second-largest city, with more than 2.85 million residents, making it the largest city in Ce ...

, Taiwan

Local attractions

The city is known for its many temples such as the

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

Senkō-ji Temple (founded in the 9th century), has a shipbuilding yard and a motor factory. It offers a steamship service to ports of northern

Shikoku is the smallest of the List of islands of Japan#Main islands, four main islands of Japan. It is long and between at its widest. It has a population of 3.8 million, the least populated of Japan's four main islands. It is south of Honshu ...

and islands in the Inland Sea.

Temples

* Senkō-ji – Chūgoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage No. 10 * Kōmyō-ji * Tennei-ji * Jōdo-ji – Chūgoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage No. 9 * Saigō-ji * Saikoku-ji – Chūgoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage * Kongō-ji * Kōsan-ji in Setoda, Hiroshima * Kōjō-ji in Setoda – Chūgoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage No.11 * Jikō-ji * Kaifuku-ji * Jōsen-ji * Syōjyu-in * Jikan-ji * Myōsen-ji * Taisan-ji

Shrines

* Misode-tenman-gū * Ushitora Shrine – the oldest shrine in Onomichi * Kubohachiman Shrine

Castles

* Innoshima Suigun Castle * Onomichi Castle *

Fukuyama Domain file:Abe Masahiro Portrait.png, 270px, Abe Masahiro 7th daimyo of Fukuyama was a Han (Japan), feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan, in what is now southeastern Hiroshima Prefecture. It controlled much of Bingo Province ...

Bansho site

Parks and gardens

* Senkoji Park on Mt. Senkoji – connected by Senkōji Ropeway from Onomichi Station * Senkoji Park Green Land (1965–2007) * Bingo Regional Sports Park ** Onomichi Shimanami Baseball Stadium – NPB game held twice a year as

Hiroshima Carp The is a professional baseball team based in Hiroshima, Japan. They compete in the Central League of Nippon Professional Baseball. The team is primarily owned by the Matsuda family, led by , who is a descendant of Mazda founder Jujiro Matsuda ...

home game. * Mukaishima Orchid Center * Innoshima Flower Center * Citrus Park Setoda * Innoshima Ohashi Memorial Park * Mt. Takami National Park * Tachibana Nature Village * The Island's Blooms – The Pyrethrum * Hyakka Park * Souraiken Garden * Mitsugi Greenland * Marine Youth Center * Mitsugi Softball Ballpark * Chojabara Sports Center * Mukaishima Sports Park * Innoshima Sports Park * Innoshima Amenity Pool * Kaibutsu-en Ato (The remains of Kaibutsu-en) – The garden of the House of Tomishima ( Tenmaya)

Museums

Onomichi City Museum of Art opened in Senkō-ji (Onomichi), Senkō-ji Park in Onomichi, Hiroshima, Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, in 1980. The Museum reopened to a design by Tadao Ando in 2003. The collection includes works by and . The museum has become notable ...

* Ikuo Hirayama Museum of Art – by named after Ikuo Hirayama * Musee Nakata * Onomichi Literature Museum * Entsuba Katsuzo Sculpture Museum * Honinbo Shusaku Igo Memorial Museum – by named after Honinbo Shusaku * Museum of Setoda History and Folklore * Onomichi Historical Museum * Innoshima History Museum * Island-Wide Art Museum * Onomichi Motion Picture Museum

Beaches

* Shimanami Beach * Ohamasaki Camp Site * Setoda Sunset Beach * Setoda B & G Marine Center * Tachibana Beach * Iwashijima Beach on Iwashijima Island

Hot springs

* Harada-cho Yujin Hot spring * Mitsugi Yu Yu-Kan * Natural Spa Onomichi Fureai no Sato * Yoro onsen

Others

* Literature Path * Nishiseto Expressway – "Shimanami Expressway" connects Onomichi and

* Innoshima Suigun Skyline * Kaneyoshi Bus Stop * Statue of Fumiko Hayashi * Onomichi City Library * Tsureshio Stone Monuments * Shimanami Koryu-kan – "Teatro Shell-rune" * Bel Canto Hall * Crossroad Mitsugi

Festivals

* Onomichi Minato

Matsuri Japanese festivals, or , are traditional festive occasions often celebrated with dance and music in Japan. The origin of the word ''matsuri'' is related to the ; there are theories that the word ''matsuri'' is derived from meaning "to wait (for ...

– the Port Festival – April * Onomichi Sumiyoshi Hanabi Matsuri – Fireworks – the last Sunday of July * Innoshima Suigun Matsuri – at Suigun Castle – August * Onomichi Betcha Matsuri – November 1–3

In popular culture

The city is featured in the Japanese film ''

Tokyo Story is a 1953 Japanese drama film directed by Yasujirō Ozu and starring Chishū Ryū and Chieko Higashiyama, about an aging couple who travel to Tokyo to visit their grown children. Upon release, it did not immediately gain international reco ...

'' (1953) directed by

Yasujirō Ozu was a Japanese filmmaker. He began his career during the era of silent films, and his last films were made in colour in the early 1960s. Ozu first made a number of short comedies, before turning to more serious themes in the 1930s. The most pr ...

, and became more famous during 80s and 90s decade thanks to

Nobuhiko Obayashi was a Japanese film director, director, screenwriter and film editing, editor of films and television advertisements. He began his filmmaking career as a pioneer of Japanese experimental films before transitioning to directing more mainstream m ...

movies, such as ''Exchange Students'' (1982), ''The Girl Who Leapt Through Time'' (1983), ''Lonely Heart'' (1985) or (1995), that were very popular between 80s teen generation. It is the setting for the fantasy 2005 anime series '' Kamichu!'' which faithfully depicts many of the city's features and landmarks. Events of the Blue Drop series also happen in this city. It is also the setting of the romantic manga

Pastel A pastel () is an art medium that consists of powdered pigment and a binder (material), binder. It can exist in a variety of forms, including a stick, a square, a pebble, and a pan of color, among other forms. The pigments used in pastels are ...

by Toshihiko Kobayashi. The video game '' Yakuza 6: The Song of Life'' features a fictional district of Onomichi named Jingaicho based on the downtown area of the city as the main location in the story.

Books

* '' A Dark Night's Passing'' (1921) by

Naoya Shiga was a Japanese writer active during the Taishō and Shōwa periods of Japan, whose work was distinguished by its lucid, straightforward style and strong autobiographical overtones. Early life Shiga was born in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, ...

* ''Diary of a Vagabond'' (1930) by Fumiko Hayashi * '' The Accordion and the Fish Town(1931) by Fumiko Hayashi * ''

Akumyō The series consists of seventeen yakuza films based on the novel by Tōkō Kon. starring Shintarō Katsu and , produced between 1960 and 1974. Films Shintaro Katsu series * (1961) directed by Tokuzō Tanaka　 * (1961) directed by Tokuzō Tan ...

'' (1961) by Tōkō Kon * ''Four Seasons in Japan'' (2023) by Nick Bradley

Films

*''

'' by

(1953) * Films by Kaneto Shindō ** '' Kanashimi wa onna dakeni'' (1958) ** '' The Naked Island ''(1960) * ''

'' series by Tokuzo Tanaka, Kazuo Mori,

Kimiyoshi Yasuda (born February 15, 1911 Tokyo, Japan, died July 26, 1983) was a Japanese film director from the 1930s to 1970s. He directed six films about Zatoichi, the Blind Swordsman. He signed with Nikkatsu Kyoto studio as an assistant director and started w ...

Masahiro Makino was a Japanese film director. He directed more than 260 films, primarily in the chanbara and yakuza film, yakuza genres. His real name was , but he took the stage name Masahiro, the kanji for which he changed multiple times (including , , and ). ...

, Yasuzo Masumura, Seiji Izumi (1961–2001) * '' Nikui an-chikushô'' by

Koreyoshi Kurahara (31 May 1927 – 28 December 2002) was a Japanese screenwriter and director. He is perhaps best known for directing ''Nankyoku Monogatari, Antarctica'' (1983), which won several awards and was entered into the 34th Berlin International Film ...

(1962) * ''

Boy A boy is a young male human. The term is commonly used for a child or an adolescent. When a male human reaches adulthood, he is usually described as a man. Definition, etymology, and use According to the ''Merriam-Webster Dictionary'', a boy ...

'' by

Nagisa Oshima is a Japanese name, Japanese given name used by either sex and is occasionally used as a surname. Written forms Nagisa can be written using different kanji characters and can mean: *渚, "beach, strand" *汀, "water's edge/shore" *凪砂, "lu ...

(1969) * Films by

** '' Exchange Students'' (1982) ** '' ''The Girl Who Leapt Through Time'''' (1983) ** '' Lonely Heart'' (1985) ** '' Chizuko's Younger Sister'' (1991) ** ' (1995) ** '' One Summer's Day'' (1999) ** '' His Motorbike, Her Island'' (1986) ** '' Bound for the Fields, the Mountains, and the Seacoast'' (1986) ** '' The Stupid Teacher'' (1998) * ''

Yamato was originally the area around today's Sakurai, Nara, Sakurai City in Nara Prefecture of Japan, which became Yamato Province and by extension a Names of Japan, name for the whole of Japan. Yamato is also the dynastic name of the ruling Imperial ...

'' by Junya Sato (2005)

Drama

* '' Teppan'' (2010) * '' A Girl & Three Sweethearts'' (2016)

Manga

* ''

Hikaru no Go is a Japanese manga series based on the board game Go (game), Go, written by Yumi Hotta and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. The production of the series' Go games was supervised by Go professional Yukari Umezawa. It was serialized in Shueis ...

'' (1998–2003) * '' Parallel'' (2000–2002) * ''

'' (2002–2017) * '' Shimanami Tasogare'' by Yuhki Kamatani (2015–2018)

Anime

* '' Kamichu!'' (2005–2007) * '' Blue Drop'' (2007) * '' Pon no Michi'' (2024)

Video games

* '' Yakuza 6: The Song of Life'' (2016) *'' Between the Sky and Sea'' (2017–2019)

Notable people from Onomichi

Musicians

* Porno Graffitti * Masami Shiratama

Go players

* Dogen Handa

TV

* Mona Yamamoto

Sports

* Hideto Tanihara * Mariko Yoshida

Authors/artists

* Katayama Bokuyō * Kiyotaka Haimura * Ikuo Hirayama *

Kaiji Kawaguchi is a Japanese manga artist. He is known for works such as '' The Silent Service'', '' Zipang'', '' A Spirit of the Sun'' and '' Kūbo Ibuki''. Generally, his stories involve Japan and examine the moral choices that people make in extreme situati ...

* Eiko Minami *

* Genichiro Takahashi *

Masami Teraoka Masami Teraoka (born 1936) is an American contemporary artist. His work includes '' Ukiyo-e''-influenced woodcut prints and paintings in watercolor and oil. He is known for work that merges traditional Edo-style aesthetics with icons of American cu ...

Voice Actor

Yoshimasa Hosoya is a Japanese voice actor and narrator. Career After attending Tokyo Announce Gakuin Performing Arts College and Mausu Promotion Actor Training Center, he joined Mausu Promotion. He is currently a freelancer. Among his many roles, he voiced S ...

References

External links

Onomichi City official website

Onomichi City official website

* {{Authority control Cities in Hiroshima Prefecture Populated coastal places in Japan Port settlements in Japan