Discovering the hidden charms of Hiroshima, Matsuyama, Tokushima and more
Photos: Weekender
I never seem to tire of Japan, no matter how often I step foot into its maze of skyscrapers, shrines and pop cultural hangouts.
This time round, I found myself discovering the Setouchi area in the heart of autumn, where we luxuriated in a poetic dreamscape of fall foliage.
The region consists of a national park, calm inland seas and beautiful islands, in addition to historical buildings and cultural sites.
Escaping the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, we plunged into the quieter gems of the country — exploring the likes of Miyajima, Hiroshima, Imabari and more.
To explore Setouchi like a local, be sure to tick these 14 activities off your checklist:
2. Try Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki
If you’ve traveled to Osaka, you’re probably no stranger to okonomiyaki, said to be the city’s soul food.
To have a taste of Hiroshima’s rendition, where the ingredients are layered rather than mixed, we recommend heading to Okonomi-mura.
The Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki ‘food theme park’ is a building filled with various stalls offering the specialty dish.
Sink your teeth into the Hiroshima-yaki and you’ll find a fairly large amount of cabbage layered with ingredients like cabbage, pork, fried egg and squid. Delicious!
5-13 Shintenchi, Naka Ward, Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture 730-0034, Japan
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