Charming Waterfront Town

Tomonoura is a quaint fishing village that is a little off the beaten path on the southern point of the Numakuma Peninsula in Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture. It has been a prosperous port since ancient times. This was my second stop on my trip to Fukuyama after my visit to Abuto Kannon.

This charming town is chock-full of picturesque cobblestone streets with small shops and restaurants.

I had lunch at this sweet little waterfront cafe where they serve pasta with locally caught fish and shrimp or sandwiches. Delicious! It was also a great little place for me to duck into during an unexpected rain.

Temples and Shrines

There are also many shrines and temples in the area. I was fortunate to be there when the Ume (plum blossoms) were in bloom.

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Fukuzenji Temple is on a hill and offers a beautiful view of the town.

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Captured in Art

Tomonoura has been listed as one of the top 100 scenic municipalities in Japan and has long been considered a beautiful waterfront town. There are poems written about the charming town of Tomonoura that can be found in the oldest collection of Japanese poems, the Man’yōshū, compiled in the Tenpyō-hōji era.

It has also been immortalized in this woodblock print created by Tsuchiya Koitsu. Tomonoura used to be known as Tomonotsu which is in the title of the art.

Traditional Net Fishing Festival

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The area is famous for red sea bream. In fact, the first time I visited this town was for the traditional net fishing festival where they caught red sea bream and visitors could buy them right out of the nets from the boats. I believe there are only a couple of areas in Japan where they still use this traditional method of fishing and it was quite an experience to watch. The festival was cancelled in 2020 and I’m not sure if they will have it 2021.

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More Reasons to Visit

This town is also known for Houmei liquor that is made with herbs. You will find samples at many of the little shops in town. Apparently people travel to this town to purchase this liquor.

There is also an island that is a short ferry ride with a beautiful beach, hiking trails, and a lovely beachfront hotel. You can also rent kayaks in town. I would definitely recommend a visit to this town as a day trip from Fukuyama or as a destination. Love this little town!

Happy travels!

~ Kari