Chugoku
Discover Chugoku
Chūgoku (中国) is the westernmost part of the main Japanese island Honshu. Aside from Hiroshima, most of Chugoku is probably well off the beaten track for a brief visit to Japan; but if time permits, you'll find a region full of memorable sights and experiences, and a side of Japan that's completely unlike the better-known destinations in Kansai and Kanto. The name Chugoku literally means "Middle Country", the sole surviving relic of a historical division of Japan into "Near Countries" (近国 Kingoku), "Middle Countries" and "Far Countries" (遠国 Ongoku), based on distance from the capital Kyoto. Strictly speaking, today's Chugoku covers only the Middle Countries along the San'indo and San'yodo roads, and hence Okayama is sometimes not considered a full part of Chugoku, as only 1 of its 3 component provinces (Bitchu Province) belonged to the Middle Country. Bizen and Mimasaka Provinces, along with Tottori's Inaba Province, were part of the Near Countries.
Taste of Chugoku...
The region has the perfect climate for growing fruit, so the region is naturally famous throughout the nation for its delicious fruits. Some of the most famous beverages from the Chugoku region are:
Festivals & Events
Experience the vibrant festivals and cultural celebrations of Chugoku.
The Saidaiji Eyo in Okayama is the largest "Naked Man Festival" in the nation. Tottori is one of the few places with a tradition of nagashibina, special Hina dolls floated down rivers, held every April and its Shan Shan Festival is a unique summer festival featuring dancers with colorful parasols. The Oki Islands host Bull Sumo the first of September. The White Heron Dance, known as Sagimai, has been held in Tsuwano since the 16th century. The region has the perfect climate for growing fruit, so the region is naturally famous throughout the nation for its delicious fruits. Some of the most famous beverages from the Chugoku region are:
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsHiroshima, Okayama, and Yonago offer both domestic and international connections with other cities in Asia. Izumo, Masuda, Yamaguchi, Iwakuni, and Tottori each offer domestic flights. The San'yo Shinkansen line links Hiroshima, Okayama and other major towns to Kyushu in the southwest and Kansai, Nagoya, Yokohama and Tokyo to the east. The less populated northern Japan Sea coast is served by Limited Express Trains with connections to Osaka and Kyoto. The JR West Sanyo San'in Area Pass allows unlimited travel during 7 days in an area approximatively between Fukuoka (on Kyūshū island) and Kyoto (excluding a patch in the north-east), and to the north-east of Shikoku. It includes bullet trains on the San'yō Shinansen (but not the Tokaidou and Kyushu Shinkansen) and many express and local trains. ¥19000 for adults if bought online or in a foreign travel agency, ¥20000 in JR West station; half of that for children....
Regions
Explore AreasThe name Chugoku literally means "Middle Country", the sole surviving relic of a historical division of Japan into "Near Countries" (近国 Kingoku), "Middle Countries" and "Far Countries" (遠国 Ongoku), ba…...
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
The JR West Sanyo San'in Area Pass allows unlimited travel during 7 days in an area approximatively between Fukuoka (on Kyūshū island) and Kyoto (excluding a patch in the north-east), and to the north-east of Shikoku. It includes bullet trains on the San'yō Shinansen (but not the Tokaidou and Kyushu Shinkansen) and many express and local trains. ¥19000 for adults if bought online or in a foreign travel agency, ¥20000 in JR West station; half of that for children. Only twelve original castles remain in Japan, and the Chugoku region is home to two of them: This is a list of some of the area's most famous gardens, however, there are many other beautiful gardens throughout the region: Although temples and shrines can be found in abundance throughout the region, these are some of the most important and most interesting temples and shrines in the Chugoku Region.