Chugoku

Chugoku, literally “middle country” in Japanese, occupies the westernmost part of Honshu between the Kansai region to the east and Kyushu across the Kanmon Straits to the southwest. The Chugoku Mountains run down the spine of the region, splitting it into two climatically and culturally distinct halves: San’yo to the south along the Seto Inland Sea, which is heavily urbanized, industrial and served by the Sanyo Shinkansen; and San’in to the north along the Sea of Japan, which is rural, sparsely populated and known for its dramatic seasons and quiet traditional towns.

Hiroshima is the region’s largest city and one of the most visited destinations in Japan for foreign travelers. Its Peace Memorial Park, Atomic Bomb Dome and Peace Memorial Museum commemorate the August 1945 atomic bombing and are a powerful stop on any Japan itinerary. Offshore, the sacred island of Miyajima hosts Itsukushima Shrine, whose vermillion torii gate appears to float in the sea at high tide — one of Japan’s most photographed landmarks and widely considered one of the country’s three most scenic views.

Okayama, the region’s second-largest city, is known for its 17th-century black-walled castle and the adjacent Korakuen, counted among Japan’s three great gardens alongside Kenrokuen and Kairakuen. To the west, Yamaguchi Prefecture offers the five-arched wooden Kintaikyo Bridge in Iwakuni, the Akiyoshido Caves, and the famous red torii tunnel of Motonosumi Shrine.

Tottori, Japan’s least-populous prefecture, is famed for the Tottori Sand Dunes, the Sand Museum and Mt. Daisen.