Discover the history of Fukuyama Castle and the port town of Tomonoura on a guided day trip from Fukuyama. Explore the castle grounds, visit a museum, and take a bus to the scenic port town of Tomonoura. Then, take a ferry to Sensui-jima Island for a short hike.

Meet your guide at Fukuyama Station and head to your first destination, Fukuyama Castle which was built with the intention of intimidating the feudal lords in the western part of the country and demonstrating the authority of the shogunate.

Enter the Main Keep, which has been converted into a museum explaining the founding of the city of Fukuyama and the history of the man who built the castle, Katsunari Mizuno.

Read exhibits, watch short videos, and participate in some interactive “challenges” to gain a better understanding of the castle’s history. To the northeastern part of the castle grounds also lies the Fukuju Kaikan Hall. This structure was built in the 1930s as a cultural centre and features Japanese-style teahouses and a western-style building laying directly next to each other.

Head back to Fukuyama station for lunch. As a city within Hiroshima prefecture, Fukuyama is well known for its okonomiyaki, ramen, and oysters.

After lunch, take a bus to the scenic port town Tomonoura. For a small town, Tomonoura is packed with temples and historically significant residences.

At the pier, some of the facilities remaining, such as the lighthouse and tiered dock, have been around since the Edo Period. Nunakuma Shrine, an impressive Shinto Shrine nestled at the foot of a mountain and possessing a collapsible Noh theatre stage, is further proof of the importance this town once held.

Take a stroll around Tomonoura, visiting these relevant sites and providing all necessary background information so that the history of this port town unfolds before your eyes. Lastly, get on a ferry and travel to the nearby Sensui-jima Island. From the ferry, observe the enchanting Benten-jima, a deserted island located between Tomonoura and Sensui-jima, which contains a hall and pagoda dedicated to Benzaiten, who is considered the guardian deity of fishermen in Japan.

Once you arrive at Sensui-jima, go on a short hike throughout the small island, stopping at two different observatory hills, Senningaoka and Akaiwa, as well as two beaches, Tanoura and Hikoura. Since this is an uninhabited island, it provides visitors with the opportunity to enjoy nature in a peaceful and relaxing environment.

Depending on the time of the year, you might find yourself being the only person walking around the island. Visiting in spring and summer, when the camping sites and beach are mostly in use might disrupt the peace of Sensui-jima but allows for a livelier experience. After exploring Sensui-jima, the guide will lead you back to the port area, where you will once again board the ferry and head back to Tomonoura.

From here, travel via bus back to Fukuyama Station, where the tour will officially come to an end.