Chugoku 中国
The Chugoku region is the Western part of Honshu island, comprising the prefectures of Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Shimane and Tottori.
Although the area does not have any city over 1 million inhabitants, sightseeing isn't scarce. The prefecture of Yamaguchi has particularly lots of small, attractive, historical towns.
The biggest city in Chugoku is Okayama, which has a famous black castle reconstruction. Nearby Kurashiki is one of the little-known jewels of Japan, with beautiful canals, plenty of museums and even greco-roman edifice.
The small town of Matsue has of of Japan's few remaining original castle, and a pleasant samurai quarter, where British writer Lafcadio Hearn has lived for a year. Izumo Taisha, an hour away from Matsue is one of Japan's great shrines. It is said that all the kami (gods) of Japan assemble there for one month a year.
Everyone coming to Japan knows about Hiroshima, the city onto which the world's first atomic bomb was dropped in August 1945. The bomb has destroyed all that could be seen and all that is left for the visitors is in the Peace Memorial Park.
A good day trip from Hiroshima, Miyajima Island is home to one of Japan's most famous view, the floating torii of the Itsukishima Shrine.
Iwakuni, just 45min from Hiroshima, is town divided between a samurai heritage and a old picturesque bridge and a US military base.
Yamaguchi city, the tiny capital of Yamaguchi prefecture, is considered a "little Kyoto", due to its rich historical heritage.
Samurai from Hagi have played an important role in the history of the Bakumatsu and Meiji Restoration, while the little Tsuwano also has a samurai quarters, but is more famous for its carps and old steam train than for historical heroes.
The last city at the western tip of Honshu is Shimonoseki, the crossing point to Kyushu and capital of fugu.
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