Japan’s Chugoku Region

Japan’s Chugoku region lies at the most western point of Honshu, between Kansai and Kyushu. Its history of international outreach and local traditions run deep, providing both modern attractions, as well as those that hark back to an earlier age. Often this is achieved at the same place and at the same time, a testament to the region’s strong and proud culture to effortlessly blend and balance tradition and heritage, reinterpret it anew, and create something distinctly modern and fresh, that’s simultaneously infused with a sense of nostalgia, and optimism for the future. Such is the mystique and allure of the Chugoku region, just waiting to be discovered.
Join us as we investigate the region, firstly by staying at a place of refined luxury that offers a delicious delicacy infused with a sense of daring. We then visit a very special museum and garden that invokes old art forms with the promise of moving visitors through beauty, before traveling to Hiroshima to be inspired and empowered to join a movement for world peace. Finally, we are teaming up with an anime favorite, Detective Conan, to jointly discover his town of birth.
Welcome to Japan’s Chugoku region.

Luxury With A Dare – Yamaguchi Prefecture

Yamaguchi Prefecture is famous for its fugu (pufferfish) cuisine. Fugu is caught throughout coastal Japan, however from the late sixteenth century the practice of eating the delicacy was banned across the country because of the fish’s lethal poison. In the late nineteenth century however, the then (and the first) Prime Minister Hirobumi Ito visited Yamaguchi Prefecture, fell for the elegant taste of the pufferfish, and allowed the ban to be lifted only within the prefecture. Since then, local chefs became experts in detoxifying the pufferfish, a technique called ‘migaki’. It takes years of training before a license is granted to such expertise chefs, assuring that the chances of any poisonous fish reaching diners today is next to zero.
One of the best places to enjoy fugu cuisine is at the luxurious ryokan Otani Sanso, which during the season between October until the end of March, offers special overnight packages that includes a full course of various pufferfish dishes. Located in the hot spring town of Nagato Yumoto, Otani Sanso is an iconic luxurious ryokan featuring 107 well-appointed guest rooms, 18 of which come with their own private outdoor hot spring baths. Over the years the ryokan has played host to many dignitaries including the Emperor of Japan and President Vladimir Putin of Russia to name just a few. For the most luxurious and private of stays, guests can also choose to stay at the ryokan’s annex called Bettei Otozure, which consists of 18 spacious suites, all naturally appointed with private outdoor hot spring baths.

Just a 30-minute drive from Otani Sanso is Motonosumi Shrine. Made famous by its 123 repetitive red torii gates, the shrine’s picturesque location makes for a striking contrast between the red of its gates, the surrounding greenery, and the cobalt blue of the waves below. Visiting the shrine is purported to make a wide variety of wishes come true, including good fortune and wealth, success in childbearing and marriage, traffic safety and success in school. A fantastic setting for social media photos, Motonosumi Shrine also makes the CNN Travel list of the 36 most stunning places in Japan.

Where Art & Nature Are Refined To Perfection – Shimane Prefecture

Adachi Museum of Art, in Shimane Prefecture, is a place curated with the highest of ideals to have visitors “moved by beauty”. Founded in 1970 by Zenko Adachi, the museum boasts over 2,000 seminal works of one of Japan’s greatest artists; Taikan Yokoyama. Best known for helping to create the Japanese painting technique of Nihonga, Taikan Yokoyama is credited for revitalizing traditional Japanese painting aesthetics and bringing it into the modern era.
Exhibitions of the works are showcased based on the seasonal themes depicted in the art. Extraordinarily for a museum, the exquisite Japanese gardens created to surround the museum are an art unto themselves, and were specifically designed with the hope that through its seasonal expression of natural beauty, visitors would be inspired to view Taikan’s paintings with a renewed sense of appreciation. The result is an immersive experience of fine art enhanced by refined natural scenes. It’s a special place where the gardens provide seasonal context for the masterpieces on display.
Acknowledging the level of beauty achieved, the gardens have been awarded ‘Best Japanese Garden’ by the prestigious `Sukiya Living Magazine: The Journal of Japanese Gardening` for 18 consecutive years. The picturesque garden is also listed as a 3-star attraction by the Michelin Green Guide Japan.

Tip: Tsuwano

While visiting Shimane Prefecture, step back in time to an idyllic world by visiting the small town of Tsuwano. Getting there is half the fun. After alighting from the Bullet Train at Shin-Yamaguchi station, change lines and the pace of life by transferring to the “SL Yamaguchi”, a steam locomotive that will take you directly to Tsuwano. The town exudes quaintness with the houses made from white clay walls and crowned by their characteristic reddish-brown roofs. A testament to the quality of the clean country living, the narrow canals that border the streets are filled with fresh water and home to 300 to 500 colorful koi carp that swim nonchalantly about the town.
*Currently the steam locomotives are under maintenance until September 2021. Until then the service is run by a diesel locomotive. Seat reservations are required.

A City Dedicated to World Peace – Hiroshima Prefecture

Few destinations around the world can move and leave a visitor with such an emotional and profound effect as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. The complex and its surrounding related sites are UNESCO World Heritage listed, and dedicated to conveying the realities of the atomic bombing to the people of the world.
The museum consists of two adjacent buildings inside the Peace Memorial Park. The main hall houses an extensive collection of artifacts from the time of the bombing, while the east building is focused on peace education through a variety of media. While the topics broached are both dark and confronting, they also give testament to the courage, resilience, strength and humanity of survivors to inspire all that visit, to seek the abolition of nuclear weapons and the realization of lasting world peace.
While it is perfectly safe to visit Hiroshima, the bombing and its aftereffects, which even today continue to impact the people of Hiroshima, are clearly explained at the museum through photographs, illustrations drawn from the memory of survivors, and numerous objects. Through the promotion of Peace Tourism, Hiroshima aims to use this dark moment in its history as a call for eternal hope, beauty and peace in the world, which is poignantly also reflected in the spring, when the Peace Park is covered with cherry blossoms.

Tip: Okonomiyaki

A visit to Hiroshima is incomplete without first trying its famous Okonomiyaki. The popular food-stall treat consists of cabbage, eggs, meat and seafood that is made into a pancake and topped with sauces, mayonnaise, dried seaweed and dried bonito flakes. Okonomiyaki is enjoyed throughout Japan, with each region having its own particular style, however the Hiroshima-style of Okonomiyaki is arguably the most popular and delicious, with each ingredient layered, and includes the additional signature ingredients of noodles and a fried egg. A great place to savor the treat is at Okonomiyaki Village, a complex near the main shopping street in Hiroshima City, that is home to numerous Okonomiyaki restaurants.

‘Case Closed’, Investigate Hokuei Town – Tottori Prefecture

‘Case Closed’ is a much-loved Japanese anime series which has gained extensive popularity around the world. No more is this so than in the Middle East, where it is known as Al-Muhaqqiq Konan (المحقق كونان) or “Detective Conan” which is a literal translation from the Japanese name of the series. First aired in the Middle East in 1998, it has become the region’s longest running Japanese anime program.
Hokuei Town, in Tottori prefecture, is the birthplace of the manga artist Gosho Aoyama, creator of ‘Case Closed’. The town celebrates the artist and the series with a myriad of stone statues and depictions of the anime characters throughout the town. There is actually a ‘Conan Street’ within the town that features bronze statues of the characters from the series, which makes great selfie opportunities. For something special, one can even board a local train that is painted entirely with ‘Case Closed’ anime motifs.
For those who wish to dive deeper into the world of ‘Case Closed’, the town is home to the Gosho Aoyama Manga Factory, a museum dedicated to the series with galleries of original drawings, displays, a replica of Gosho’s anime studio and a number of special keyholes waiting to be discovered offering quizzes about the series for the most ardent detectives.

Just in case you start missing sand landscapes while visiting Japan, did you know that Tottori is famous as the only place in Japan to have sand dunes? It’s an extremely popular tourist attraction among the Japanese, and makes for a great selfie for people to guess where in the world you are. While there, be sure to also visit The Sand Museum. It is the only indoor museum in the world dedicated to the exhibition of spectacular sand sculptures. Made to impress, they are created each year by professional sand sculptors from around the world.

COVID-19 Update
For the latest information regarding COVID – 19 in Japan, advisories and up-to-date travel and safety measure requirements, please visit the below link.
CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) Advisory Information 

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