Discover Miyoshi: Yōkai, History and Views

In Miyoshi, unusual Yōkai motifs meet historic sites and views across the city. The themes range from an exhibition about how Japanese Yōkai are perceived in everyday life to old lanes in Miyoshi-chō and a summit with a view. This lets you consider whether your trip should focus more on cultural history, distinctive motifs or outdoor experiences.

Yōkai and Puppet Art

At the Miyoshi Mononoke Museum, the permanent exhibition “Japanese Yōkai” presents materials about these figures and offers a systematic overview of how Yōkai have been perceived and depicted in everyday life. Its focus is therefore not just on the motifs themselves, but also on their place in Japanese everyday imagination. This gives your visit a distinct cultural focus.

Another way to explore Miyoshi’s art history is to visit the Tsujimura Jūsaburō Puppet Museum. It is located in the former headquarters of Miyoshi Bank, a building erected in 1927 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan. The museum preserves and exhibits works and related materials from Tsujimura Jūsaburō’s early through late creative periods. The second floor of the same former bank building is also home to the Miyoshi City Museum of History and Folklore. If you are interested in puppetry, buildings and local history, you will find different cultural themes here that you can each weigh individually when planning your trip.

Historic Sites in Miyoshi-chō

Machiya townhouses with udatsu roof features, historic lanes, and numerous historic sites and cultural properties have been preserved in Miyoshi-chō. The roof features and lanes give the area distinctive architectural characteristics; together with the historic sites, they shape the cultural character of this part of Miyoshi.

Among the historic sites is Hoogenji Temple in Miyoshi-chō. Asano Nagaharu, the first head of the Miyoshi-Asano domain, founded it in 1633 as the Asano family’s ancestral temple. The grounds include a memorial tower for Akuri-hime, later known as Yōsen-in, as well as a hall containing wooden figures of the 47 Akō Rōnin. The temple is thus connected with specific people and historical stories that go beyond its role as an ancestral temple. Dasai Shrine is another religious site associated with Miyoshi: it is connected with the Miyoshi Mononoke Festival, held annually in Miyoshi-chō.

Summits, Views and a Distinctive Natural Feature

If you would like to include a viewpoint in your trip, the summit of Ozekiyama Park has an observation platform with sweeping views across the city of Miyoshi. Higumayama is another summit with its own cultural connection: it is home to Tatariishi, which is associated with the Yōkai picture scroll “Inō Mononoke Roku.” The summit can be reached in 30 to 40 minutes from Dasai Shrine, Hoogenji Temple or a path behind Kisshōin. These three starting points give you specific options for planning your visit.

Hoogenji Temple is also home to a weeping cherry tree whose magnificent blossoms are considered a special feature of Miyoshi-chō. Together with the historic sites and summits, this offers another perspective on Miyoshi: alongside art and history, views and a striking blossom display also play a role. For families, these different areas of interest can help you decide before your trip which discoveries best suit everyone’s interests.

Discover More Destinations

If you would like to continue your search beyond Miyoshi, find more destinations here: Higashihiroshima, Hatsukaichi, Fukuyama, Kurogawa, Fuchū, Mihara, Kure and Onomichi.

Back to the main travel overview: Hiroshima Prefecture.