Sera: Temples, Forests, and Pilgrimage Routes

The Kōzan area offers several points of interest for a stay in Sera: a protected forest, historic temples and cultural sites, and a walking and pilgrimage route. You can focus your trip on nature, history, or both. When choosing a hotel, it also helps to consider in advance which of these themes you would like to explore during your stay.

Forest Scenery and Pilgrimage Route

The Imakoyasan Green Environment Conservation Area covers 20.47 hectares in Kōzan. The protected landscape around Ryūkeiji includes groups of ancient cedars with a breast-height diameter of more than one meter. There are also stands of evergreen oaks and deciduous forests, including elms, Japanese zelkova, and Japanese hornbeams. The combination of ancient trees and different forest types gives the area its distinctive landscape character.

For those who enjoy walking, the Eighty-Eight Temple Pilgrimage Walking Trail offers a walking and pilgrimage route in the historic area around Imakoyasan. The trail combines exercise with the area's religious and cultural focus, without requiring a separate trip to another destination. The forest landscape and pilgrimage tradition offer different perspectives on the same travel area.

Temples and Cultural Properties

According to tradition, Imakoyasan is a Buddhist sacred site established in 822 by Kōbō Daishi Kūkai. Its 1,200th anniversary was celebrated in 2022. Ryūkeiji is also associated with a traditional founding story: the temple is said to have been founded by Kōbō Daishi during the Heian period.

Another important cultural property is housed at Niu Shrine: a lion head from the Kamakura period, designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Together with the temples and pilgrimage route, it makes it possible to plan a stay centered not only on the landscape but also on religious history and cultural heritage.

Nearby is the ruin of Imakoyasan Castle, a medieval castle site. One of its notable features is a rock known as Kabuto Rock, also called Eboshi Rock. The site also has several levels of attached enclosures, as well as smaller belt enclosures. Those interested in historic sites will find a different way to explore the area's history here than at its temples and religious sites.

Museum and a Break After Your Walk

The Ōta-no-shō History Museum is located in Kōzan, at the foot of Imakoyasan. It preserves numerous materials and cultural properties relating to the development and decline of Ōta-no-shō. It complements the religious and architectural attractions with a focus on the history of the historic area. The museum collections and outdoor sites offer different points of interest: here, the focus is on historical materials; elsewhere, on temples, forests, and historic sites.

For a break after your walk, consider the café Setsugetsufūka Fukuchiin. It is located in a restored Edo-period inn and serves Japanese tea and traditional Japanese sweets. This lets you combine the historic-building theme with a place to stop for refreshments, without losing sight of the cultural and nature-focused aspects of your trip.

Getting There and Finding Hotels in Sera

Imakoyasan is about a five-minute walk from the Kōzan Eigyōsho bus stop. The Peace Liner express bus runs from Hiroshima, and a local bus runs from Onomichi. If you plan to travel by bus, check the timetables before setting out. Visitors can also use the free Imakoyasan Tourist Parking Lot, which has space for 33 cars and two buses. Since information about facilities may change, it is advisable to check the parking conditions before your trip.

Compare hotel offers based on your travel dates and the specific information provided for each hotel. This keeps your choice of where to stay aligned with your own travel plans, while the excursion destinations provide the cultural and scenic setting for your visit.

Discover more destinations: Fukuyama, Onomichi, Mihara, Miyoshi, Hiroshima, Higashihiroshima, Kurogawa, Kure.

For the regional travel overview: Hiroshima Prefecture.