Take a Stroll Back in time at Takehara, Hiroshima's Little Kyoto

You can see the art making process of shohekiga paintings and interact with young artists in the Takehara Townscape Preservation District on Tour A (1 Feb-6 Feb). On Tour B (21 Feb-26 Feb), you can see the newly created shohekiga paintings by young artists that are exhibited in historical buildings. You will feel the power of art breathing new life into the historical townscape. Shogekiga are large paintings on sliding doors or folding screens seen in traditional Japanese architecture. Some shohekiga paintings are treated as important art pieces and collected by renowned overseas museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY. In the Takehara Townscape Preservation District, known as a `Little Kyoto’ town in Hiroshima Prefecture, you can see the historical transition of architectural styles from the Edo period (17th century) to Showa (1926-1989) eras. In the District, there are stores, cafés and restaurants renovated from old houses and stores.

At Fujii Shuzo (a local brewery), saké is produced using Hiroshima’s unique soft water brewing method. Please enjoy a saké tasting and take a look at saké, saké sets (tokkuri (flask) and cups), tableware, handicrafts, accessories and bags made of kimono fabric, etc. at their gift shop. Fujii Shuzo is famous for its saké brand Ryusei which was served at the working dinner of the G7 Summit in Hiroshima in 2023. At Tokobo Fudo (a local pottery studio) let’s make a small saké cup and a salt plate in SETOUCHI Blue. Takehara, located in the Seto Inland Sea area, has recently drawn the attention of visitors due to its selection as one of 52 places to go in 2019 by the New York Times. Setouchi means the Seto Inland Sea and the blue is thought of as the local theme color by people in the area. After experiencing art, local food culture of salt and saké in Takehara, why not keep your memory by making a souvenir? A small blue saké cup and a salt plate will retain the memory of your trip.