Tomonoura is located on the southern point of the Numakuma Peninsula near the Seto Sea. It has been a prosperous port city due to its tide wait port from long ago. It is also well known as the place in which Gibli director Hayao Miyazaki created the movie Gake no Ue no Ponyo (English title: Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea).

Tomonoura is located about 30 minutes away from Fukuyama city by bus. It is possible to visit by car, but Tomonoura’s city is very narrow, so it is recommend to park your car at the entrance of the town and then explore on foot.

The Bonnet Bus

The Bonnet Bus connects Fukuyama and Tomonoura. It is similar to the Neko (lit. cat) Bus from My Neighbor Totoro

The first place you should visit in Tomonura is Iou temple. It is located in the heart of a mountain, so you must climb a hill to get there, but the view from the top is worth it. When you reach the temple make sure you take a moment to look around Tomonura, for you can see the entire area from there.

View from the top on a rainy day.

Traditional streets of Tomonura.

A Ponyo-like character.

Lighthouse by the sea

The sea

The lighthouse represents the entrance to the port. Located in the port are many facilities which have been left from the Edo period. These facilities include; the wharf, a ship repair area, a cargo loading area, and a ship transportation repair area.

View out to sea

Just a short walk from the port the Fukuzen temple can be found on top of the hill. In the Edo period it was used as a guest house for North Korean envoys. From the guest room, located in the main hall, you can see scenery which looks like artwork.

Aside from the Fukuzen temple there are other information centers, and Buddhist temple and shrines located around the area. It is recommend that if you have the time to visit them. Due to the small size of Tomonura, it is easy to explore everything it has to offer in just a few hours.

Fukuyama also has many sights worth visiting. Some of the most popular are Fukuyama Palace, The Fukuyama Car and Clock Museum, and Fukuyama’s beautiful rose garden.

Rose garden

Raindrops on roses

This is Fukuyama’s amazing rose garden. The garden started with 1000 roses, which were planted by the nearby residents. The garden is a special place for their feelings. Fukuyama’s city flower is the rose.