Shinshoji Zen Museum and Gardens—located near Bella Vista Marina—is a place for visitors to experience the spirit of Zen through a variety of activities. A must-see at the museum is one of Japan’s largest collections of Zen paintings and calligraphies by Zen master Hakuin. Along with its Zen art collection, the KOHTEI art pavilion, which was designed by the sculptor Kohei Nawa and his creative unit SANDWICH, offers a new Zen experience.

ONOMICHI U2 occupies a renovated port warehouse on the Onomichi waterfront, at the northern end of the Shimanami Kaido cyclist route that links Honshu and Shikoku. As a “small city within a city,” the warehouse space houses a hotel, a restaurant serving seasonal Setouchi cuisine, as well as a bar, café, select shop, and other facilities.

Renowed architect Bijoy Jain’s Studio Mumbai renovated LOG in a modernist apartment block midway up a stone stairway to Senkoji’s panoramic view over the city. Featuring a hotel, café & bar, gallery, and shop, this place where time flows slowly lets visitors feel Onomichi through all five senses.

These historic Onomichi homes were restored by a team of architects and historians. Enjoy the unhurried, ordinary pleasures of Setouchi life in this town that flourished for centuries as a trading port.