9 Popular Tourist Spots in Fukuyama with Beautiful Seto Inland Sea Views and Charming Streetscapes

The best times to visit are early summer and fall, when you can enjoy beautiful roses.
At their peak, Approx. 1 million roses bloom throughout the city, creating one of Fukuyama's most celebrated sights.
Fukuyama is known as the "City of Roses," a nickname that began when 1,000 rose bushes were planted in Bara Park as part of the city's recovery from air raid damage.
Why not plan your visit during peak bloom to enjoy their soothing fragrance and colorful beauty?

You can reach Fukuyama City by shinkansen from Tokyo or Osaka in Approx. 3 hours and 30 minutes from Tokyo and Approx. 1 hour from Osaka.
From Hiroshima Airport, take a limousine bus to Fukuyama City, which takes Approx. 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Hiroshima Airport also operates international flights, making access from overseas convenient as well.

Tomonoura prospered from long ago as a "tide-waiting port," where ships waited for favorable tides before continuing their journey.
It is also known as a place mentioned in the Manyoshu. It was designated as part of Japan's first national park, and offers peaceful scenery with Sensui Island and Benten Island floating in the Seto Inland Sea.
Because of its beauty, it has been chosen as a filming location for famous Hollywood movies and as the setting for anime, making it a popular destination for visitors.

Fukuyama Castle is a historic site that represents the mature stage of castle architecture from the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1573–1603) to the Edo period (1603–1868). It is also a nationally designated Historic Site.
It was built by Mizuno Katsunari, lord of Fukuyama and a relative of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the shogun of the Edo period.
One of its distinctive features is its unusual structure, with iron plating only on the north side as a defense against enemies.
Within the castle grounds are various historic buildings, including the main keep, Tsukimi Yagura turret, and Oyu-dono.
Among them, Fushimi Yagura and Sujigane Gomon, which were granted by the Tokugawa family during the castle's construction, are designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan and are well worth seeing.
The castle tower now serves as a museum where you can learn about the history of the castle, and visiting it together with the Fukuyama Museum of Literature to the northwest of the castle makes for an even more enjoyable experience.

Approx. 30 minutes by bus from Fukuyama Station, this theme park offers a full day of fun for the whole family.
It has 23 attractions that can be enjoyed by everyone from small children to adults, including a giant Ferris wheel, go-karts, and a haunted house.
One area not to miss is "Itsuka Kita Michi," which recreates a retro Showa-era townscape.
Step into this area and you will feel as if you have traveled back in time to old Japan.
If you get hungry after all that fun, head to the restaurant, which offers a wide range of Japanese and Western dishes.
Don't forget to pick up a memorable item at the souvenir shop.
You can also enjoy seasonal events throughout the year, including winter illuminations.

Located in the northwestern part of Fukuyama, Fukuyama City Zoo lets you encounter animals in a rich natural setting.
The zoo is home to over 500 animals from Approx. 50 species, including its star attraction, the only Borneo elephant in Japan, as well as lions and flamingos, all kept in spacious surroundings.
Popular in-zoo events also include fun keeper-led programs such as "Whimsical Guide by the Elephant Keeper" and "Watch Giraffes Closely & Guide."
You can also enjoy feeding experiences and interacting with various animals.
Limited-time events such as the "Night Zoo" are also held, so there are many ways to enjoy the zoo throughout the year.

Approx. 12 minutes on foot from JR Fukuyama Station, this hands-on museum follows the motto: "Ride, see, touch, and take photos."
Classic cars from Japan and abroad are displayed both inside and outside the museum, making it an irresistible spot especially for car lovers.
There are also items from many other genres on display, including antique clocks, wax figures, and retro Showa-era household goods and appliances.
Each year in spring and summer, the museum also holds trial rides on a bonnet bus, one of only four in Japan, so why not take this chance to experience a rare and retro vehicle?

Located near the middle of Mt. Atago and reached in 17 minutes by bus and on foot from Fukuyama Station, Myoo-in is a historic temple.
It has two National Treasures, the Main Hall and the Five-Story Pagoda, while its principal image, the Standing Eleven-Faced Kannon Bodhisattva, is an Important Cultural Property of Japan.
The Main Hall is the oldest surviving building of its kind, built in a mixed style that combines Japanese architecture with details influenced by Kara-style architecture.
The Five-Story Pagoda is a representative structure of the Nanbokucho period (1336–1392), and it is especially rare that its interior wall paintings and decorative colors remain in such good condition.
Within the temple grounds are many things to see, including six Important Cultural Properties of Hiroshima Prefecture and 10 Important Cultural Properties of Fukuyama City, such as the bell tower, temple gate, and shoin.
Another attraction is the beautiful harmony between the historic buildings and seasonal flowers throughout the grounds.

This temple stands at the tip of Abuto Cape on the southern end of the Numakuma Peninsula in southern Fukuyama.
Within the grounds are Bandai-ji Kyakuden, designated an Important Cultural Property of Hiroshima Prefecture, and Abuto Kannon-do, founded by the warlord Mori Terumoto and designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan, both sure to impress with their graceful appearance.
The highlight is the spectacular view created by the calm sea and the vermilion Kannon Hall standing on the cliff.
The view of the Seto Inland Sea from the railing of the Kannon Hall is also beautiful.

Sensui Island, an uninhabited island located 5 minutes by boat from Tomonoura, is one of Fukuyama's most scenic spots.
Its beauty is easy to imagine from stories saying its name comes from being "so beautiful even hermits would become intoxicated," and that it was once considered as a possible site for the construction of Itsukushima Shrine's Great Torii in Miyajima.
Though small, with a circumference of 6 km, the island has plenty of leisure facilities, including accommodations, hiking courses, and a beach, allowing you to enjoy spectacular views in a peaceful setting.
Be sure not to miss the rare Goshikiiwa, a rock wall unique to Sensui Island, where five colors of rock continue for over 200 m.

Approx. 30 minutes by bus from Fukuyama Station, Fukuzenji Temple is a historic temple founded in the Heian period (794–1185).
Next to its main hall stands Taichoro, a guest hall built in the Edo period and designated a nationally designated Historic Site.
In the Edo period, it was used as a guest house for Korean envoys and as a gathering place for cultural figures.
The most remarkable feature is the spectacular view from the tatami room, with Sensui Island and Benten Island floating in the Seto Inland Sea.
Its beauty was so admired that in 1711, the Korean envoy Yi Bang-eon praised it as "Nitto Daiichi Keisho (the most beautiful scenic spot in Japan)."
You can still enjoy the same beautiful view as in the Edo period today, so it is well worth a visit.