I love the nostalgic atmosphere of the town! An emotional girls trip to Kure City, 1 night, 2 days

All the menu items at All Cafe x Tanita Cafe Kure are health-conscious. This "Hamburger One Plate Lunch (1,400 yen including tax)" also provides half of the daily vegetable intake target amount recommended by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in one meal. The rice is a mix of sticky barley and black rice, and is full of dietary fiber.

We also took a photo of the "Carrot and Tropical Fruit Yellow Camoozie (720 yen)," a "chewable" smoothie made with carrots, tofu, chia seeds, and tropical fruits.

The store also has an All Lab where you can get a free health check (some charges apply).

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Address: 2nd floor, All Pharmacy Town, 1-3-14 Nakadori, Kure City

Phone: 0823-27-6300

Business hours: 11:00-18:00 (last order 17:30)

No fixed closing days

Parking: Approximately 15 cars (free) *Also used as clinic

The Kure Municipal Museum of Art exhibits modern and contemporary art. Its hexagonal brick exterior stands out beautifully against the surrounding pine forest.

The surrounding roads are gently sloping, red brick avenues lined with trees, and are so quiet it's hard to believe they're in the center of town, so much so that they've been given the name "Art Museum Street."

Sculptures and other artworks are casually placed along the way, and the road has been selected as one of the "100 Best Roads in Japan." The area is also famous for its designer manholes, and there are six different designs of the Yamato battleship manholes. It's fun to walk around until you've completed the collection of all six types of manholes!

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Kure Municipal Museum of Art

Address: Irifuneyama Park, Saiwai-cho, Kure City

Telephone number 0823-25-2007

Opening hours: 10:00-17:00 (entry until 16:30)

Closed: Tuesdays (if Tuesday is a national holiday or substitute holiday, the following day will be closed), New Year's holidays (12/29 - 1/3)

*The museum may be closed temporarily due to changing exhibitions, etc.

Admission fee: Adults 300 yen, High school students 180 yen, Elementary and junior high school students 120 yen

The sea side of the Yamato Museum is Kure Port. This is a plaza modeled after the front deck of the battleship Yamato. You can see ferries bound for Etajima and Matsuyama coming and going one after another, as well as the shipyard scenery, and the sea breeze feels great! While watching the ferries arriving and departing from Kure Port, you can think back to the history of Kure. Sitting here, you'll probably lose track of time.

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Address: 5-20 Takaramachi, Kure City

There are many different types of ships anchored at Alley Karasukojima, including submarines and escort ships. You can view them from land, but we recommend boarding a boat to get a closer look at the ships!

What's more, the "Yu-kure Cruise" departs just as the sun sets.

The cruise departs from the Kure Chuo Pier Terminal at Kure Port 15 minutes before sunset. The boat has an open rooftop deck, and a former Self-Defense Force officer will guide you on the cruise. You'll be able to get up close to the large ships, which is very impressive!

There was a ceremony to lower the Self-Defense Force flag and trumpet performances, it was very emotional!

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Address: 4-44 Takaramachi, Kure City (Kure Central Pier Terminal)

Phone: 082-251-4354 (Bunker Supply Co., Ltd.) 9:00-18:00

Admission fee: From April 2024 onwards: 1,700 yen for adults, 500 yen for elementary school students and younger (reservations required at least 2 days in advance)

Departure time: 15 minutes before sunset (changes daily, so please check) / Duration: 35 minutes

*Please note that the sunset and departure times are different each day.

Closed on Tuesdays and during bad weather such as typhoons

Departure and arrival: Kure Chuo Pier Terminal

※Notes

Special flights may be operated on a charter basis.

The service may be suspended suddenly due to weather conditions.

Other than Yukure Cruise

Operating days: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 10:00, 11:00, 13:00, 14:00

Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00

Kuramoto Street is a 10-minute walk from Kure Station. This street becomes even more lively at night. It's the food stalls! Apparently, this street has water, sewage, and electricity for the food stalls! The red lanterns and shop curtains swaying in the night breeze are exciting.

There were a few food stalls selling ramen, oden, yakitori, and creative cuisine. The atmosphere was casual and welcoming, even for women. I visited the shops that caught my eye one by one, chatting with the shop staff and strangers standing next to me. It was an unforgettable and fun night.

The next morning, we rented a car and drove to the Akinada Tobishima Kaido, visiting islands in the Seto Inland Sea such as Shimokamagari Island and Osakishimojima Island.

First, head to Shimokamagari Island.

Shotoen Garden overlooks the Kamagari Bridge that crosses to Kamikamagari Island. It is a tranquil garden with lush greenery, mainly pine trees, with the tides of the Sannose Strait as a backdrop. Within the garden, there are the Korean Envoys Museum Gochiso Ichibankan, the Ceramics Museum, the Light House, and the Kamagari Island Guardhouse, which introduce the history of Shimokamagari Island. The materials relating to the Korean Envoys are of the highest quality, attracting attention both in Japan and overseas. The Picture of the Koreans Arriving in Japan on a Bizen Gochiso Senkou is one of the materials registered in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.

The collection, centered on Ko-Imari ware, is also a highlight. There are also cultural facilities such as the Ranshimakaku Museum of Art and the Sannose Gohonjin Art and Culture Museum scattered around the area, all within walking distance. You'll feel as if you've wandered into the Edo period.

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Address: 2277-3 Shimo-Kamagari Shitamachi, Kure City

Phone: 0823-65-2900

Business hours: 9:00-17:00 *Last admission is at 16:30

Closed on Tuesdays (or the following day if Tuesday is a public holiday)

Admission fee: 800 yen for adults, 480 yen for high school students, 320 yen for elementary and junior high school students

Parking: Free parking in front of Shimokamagari Civic Center, approximately 50 spaces (free)

This is a fully-fledged wooden art museum that pursues the beauty of Japanese architecture. The name of the museum comes from the spring orchid that grew abundantly in Shimokamagari, and the museum has a quaint and solemn appearance. Works by representative Japanese modern painters such as Yokoyama Taikan, Fukuda Heihachiro, and Minami Kunzo, as well as artists with ties to the local area, are on display. A special exhibition is held each session from the collection of about 2,200 pieces, including Japanese paintings, oil paintings, prints, and drawings. In addition, the Ranshimakaku Gallery Concert is held on the third Saturday of every month, where you can enjoy a collaboration of art and music. It might be a good idea to come and listen to it next time.

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Address: 200-1 Sannose, Shimokamagari-cho, Kure City

Phone: 0823-65-3066

Business hours: 9:00-17:00 *Last admission is at 16:30

Closed on Tuesdays (or the following day if Tuesday is a public holiday)

Admission: Adults 500 yen, High school students 300 yen, Elementary and junior high school students 200 yen

Parking: Free parking in front of Shimokamagari Civic Center, approximately 50 spaces (free)

At the end of the Edo period, a wealthy farmer from Numakuma, Yamajikiya, relocated the building to his residence. His grandfather Shigeyoshi had run the Kikoutei in Kurodani, Kyoto, and remodeled it into a two-story building called "Hakusetsu-ro" to be used as a place for studying Chinese classics. Later, Toshinao, the 9th head of the Yorii family, who had a deep attachment to the building, moved it to Takehara in 1892 and used it as his Ryushunkyo residence. The Takehara Yorii family (Shunpu-kan) donated the building to Shimokamagari Town free of charge. The interior of the building is an elaborate architectural style, and the Japanese-style room on the first floor, which has a movable wall, is a rare example of a building that is rarely seen today. There are rooms overlooking the Japanese garden built on a slightly elevated site and the Kamagari Bridge, allowing you to enjoy the view of Kamagari at your leisure. You can enjoy matcha tea in the tatami room on the first floor, and tea ceremonies are held in the garden in the fall. It's elegant and lovely!

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Address: 197 Sannose, Shimokamagari-cho, Kure City

Phone: 0823-65-3066

Business hours: 9:00-17:00 *Last admission is at 16:30

Closed on Tuesdays (or the following day if Tuesday is a public holiday)

Admission fee: 400 yen for adults, 240 yen for high school students, 160 yen for elementary and junior high school students

Parking: Free parking in front of Shimokamagari Civic Center, approximately 50 spaces (free)

Sannose Gohonjin on Shimokamagari Island, which flourished as a key point for maritime traffic on the Seto Inland Sea since ancient times, was established as a place of lodging for high-ranking persons such as feudal lords, shogunate officials, and nobles during the Edo period.

It was used as lodging for diplomatic missions and the Tsushima Domain, which acted as guides for Korean envoys. The long gangi (stone steps built to make it easier for people to get on and off boats) in front of the building is a vestige of the Edo period. The Sannose Gohonjin Art and Culture Museum is an art museum that has restored the building's appearance to how it was at the time. Inside the museum, you can view works by Suda Kunitaro, a master of Kyoto's Western-style painting scene, as well as works by other modern and contemporary Japanese artists.

I sat at Fukushima Gangi, an old boat dock, and enjoyed the leisurely view of the Kamagari sea.

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Address: 311 Sannose, Shimokamagari-cho, Kure City

Phone: 0823-70-8088

Business hours: 9:00-17:00 *Last admission is at 16:30

Closed on Tuesdays (or the following day if Tuesday is a public holiday)

Admission fee: 500 yen for adults, 300 yen for high school students, 200 yen for elementary and junior high school students

Parking: Free parking in front of Shimokamagari Civic Center, approximately 50 spaces (free)

Deai no Yakata is located immediately after crossing the Kamagari Bridge and landing on Kami-Kamagari Island. The specialty goods shop sells local agricultural products, Kamagari's seaweed salt, and ice cream made with that salt. Seaweed salt noodles and, depending on the season, juice made from freshly squeezed Oonaga mandarin oranges are apparently popular. As it is located on high ground, the views are amazing, and on a clear day you can even see the mountains of Ehime Prefecture in the distance! A place filled with the happiness of Kamagari, it's very relaxing!

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Address: 985-1 Nishiwaki, Kamagari-cho, Kure City

Phone: 0823-68-0120

Business hours: 9:30～17:00

No closing days

We arrived at the Mitarai district, in the westernmost part of Osaki Shimojima. Mitarai was a town that flourished as a transit trade port during the Edo period, and even today there are many historically valuable buildings and historic sites remaining. We received a town map at the Mitarai Rest Area and planned a walk. We entered the townscape. People's lives are still evident today, with houses with white walls, houses made of sea cucumber walls, and Western-style houses. The townscape has a nostalgic atmosphere, with the Virgo Theater, which was once used as a theater, and watch and antique shops that are still in business. It was also chosen as a filming location for the movie "Drive My Car."

I love the nostalgic atmosphere of the town! An emotional girls trip to Kure City, 1 night, 2 days