A Japanese port town few foreign tourists know of: Onomichi’s oysters, old temples and Ozu’s Tokyo Story

My first stop was the small, waterfront Sumiyoshi shrine, where its stone lantern was shown in the opening scene of the movie. I then walked north-eastwards towards the hills, arrived at a few vantage points seen in the film, and ended my walk at Jodo-ji temple, where some of the movie’s key scenes involving a funeral were shot. It was fun comparing what I saw with screenshots of the movie on my phone; I tried picturing where Ozu might have placed his camera (the director was a master of the static shot).

In an email interview, Hideki Ono, Onomichi City Hall’s section chief of cultural promotion, said the town held a tour of the Tokyo Story trail and a screening of the movie at the local cinema on Dec 9 last year to commemorate the 120th anniversary of Ozu’s birth.

“I think Jodo-ji is the most important spot [in the movie trail],” he added. “It was where they filmed in public, and the place was also depicted in the movie’s poster.”

EXPLORING TEMPLE TRAILS

Jodo-ji, which features a pagoda, is also one of the 25 temples in Onomichi’s renowned temple walk, a route that takes you across the hilly town. Don’t try to visit all 25 temples in a day (you may get temple burnout, too); it’s best to skip some or stop by those that catch your fancy. Most people start the temple walk at Jiko-ji temple near the station before navigating some steep stairs and ending at Senko-ji, a temple perched near the top of the 144m-tall Mt Senkoji.