We get back to the middle of the Onomichi temple walk and go up another level in the city of slope walking. We come to an open park with a statue and footprints of artists cast in plaster. Painter, potter, poet, art critic. Onomichi used to be a haven for these types. It looks like there is a literary walk here following the path of these critical thinkers.

There’s a hilarious napping cat in the middle of it all. Narcopiggy takes a nap too.

Just to the side of this is a famous authors house.

There is also a cool looking guest house on one of the turns of a hill. Has a great view. This probably would have been a good alternative but I saw it was booked out when we were looking. People were saying it was hard to get their luggage from the train station to here up the steep incline. Yep, been there.

I like the painted manhole covers here

Ohhhh this guy loves having his butt scratched!

We get to another temple with a long length of beads. The people ahead of us pull the beads click click click and bow their heads in prayer.

We follow the Literature Walk through switchbacks and up a level. There’s a great view from here.

We stop to get a water. Ahhhhh keep the change

The Literary Walk keeps trucking up up up. We pass by an interesting shrine, or maybe grave? We follow some narrow steps and it crests the hill with a round Jetsons-looking observatory at the top.

This old guy’s ‘Have a great weekend’ vest cracks me up.

The view from the roof is superb. And wouldn’t you know it. We’re literally right beside the View Hotel where we stayed last night. So we could have just come over here and done the whole days walk downhill instead of up. I suppose we wouldn’t have gotten breakfast in that scenario, but still… it’s funny that the hotel ended up being in a decent location after all.

Below the observatory is another love sanctuary blessed by the Bridal Mother like the Eternal Flame from Mount Misen. “Oh Queebs, we’re on a pilgrimage of love!”

Seems to be a popular place to propose. I’m suddenly hungry for bacon and eggs.

The bees are feeling it too

There is a submission box here where aspiring poets can submit their work and the city picks their favorite every month or something. I jam a bunch of Leather Man Sonnets in there from back in Hanoi.

We snake our way back to the center of the hill and are looking down on the Senkō-ji Temple which we’ve managed to walk around every side of today and not seen yet. But how do we get there. “Over here!”

There are some cool statues and little statuettes around. A number of animals representing the zodiac are on pillars behind them.

Senkō-ji has a large bell that must resonate down through the whole city from here. I’d love to hear it but don’t want to be disrespectful. Well I really really do. But I don’t.

Good view from under the temple bell

The usual gamut of prayer cards, shrines, superstitions and various Gods are found nearby the bell.

Kitsune! Oh I want one. I’ve finally got a tanuki, now I need the fox

Tie a prayer under your favorite sign

A cable car runs from the street up to here if you don’t feel badass enough for the city of slope walking. Loving the view up here.

I think that about does it for Cat Alley, Literary Walk, the Temple Walk and Senkō-ji up here on the hill. Probably about time we made our way back to the station. There is a set of steps that cuts straight down to the tracks.

 

What are these scientists doing here?

We pass some people on the stairs that were at poison rabbit island while we were there. I think we’re on the local Japanese vacation trail. Not really any tourists here and the ones that are seem to be touring in-country. Really nice change of pace from the baby step tourism we were dealing with in places like Kyoto.

Back down to the tracks. I like Onomichi. Slightly industrial, slightly whimsical.

We get back to our mini lockers at the train station and pull tanuki out to get some air. We should get into Kurashiki around sunset. That should be nice, there’s a canal that runs through the old town there that looks gorgeous.

Onomichi, you’ve been swell. It’s been really nice to get out to the countryside a bit and check out a smaller city. So happy Bob told us about it. Lots of character, great people, culture and food. Definitely got our steps in. I envision some legs up the wall action after this calf burner.