High on a the side of a mountain (for which it is named) with views over Onomichi and the Inland Sea, Senko-ji is the most impressive of a trail of temples which dot the hills above this port city.

The mountain has some impressive rock structures on which the temple perches. Rather than carve the temple out of the mountain, it seems to be built around the mountain.

Photo by Gregory Lane

The vistas as you climb up to Senko-ji will be familiar to anyone who has seen the 1953 Yasujiro Ozu film ‘Tokyo Story’.

Suggested Activity
Navigate Japan with a Saily eSIM from $US3.99
With mobile data packages from $US3.99 for 1GB to $US22.99 for 20GB, Saily has your Japan data needs covered. Saily is brought to you by the people behind NordVPN. Use TYOCHEAPO5 at checkout for a 5% discount.

To get to the temple, you can either climb the steps from the railway line or you can take the Senkoji Ropeway to the top of the mountain and descend to the temple. Although the ropeway is a lot quicker and more comfortable, the climb isn’t hard and only takes about 20 minutes.