Mitarai

MitaraiTobishima Kaidopreservation districttide-waiting portOsakishimojima

Hiroshima · Kure

34.1774°N, 132.8661°E

Before engines, ships waited for the tide. Mitarai sits on Osakishimojima where the currents are gentler than on the surrounding islands, and for two centuries it was where the Inland Sea's traffic stopped to wait for wind and water — a port of chandlers, inns, teahouses and, unavoidably, a licensed quarter. It was designated a national preservation district in 1994.

What survives is not just the buildings but the port works: the great breakwater, the stone bridge, the high stone lanterns that were the harbour lights, the seawalls and the gangi steps down to the water, all still in place. The lanes run in a net between them and are too narrow for cars. It is at the far end of the Akinada Tobishima Kaido, seven bridges from the mainland, about an hour and a quarter from the Kure exit.

Essential Information

Opening Hours

Streets open at all times | House museums keep daytime hours

Closed: Streets open year-round | Museums have their own rest days

Entrance Fee

Free streets | House museums charged separately

Best Season

Year-round | Spring for citrus blossom on the islands

Visit Duration

2 hours | Half a day with the drive

Getting There

Access Information

Mitarai, Yutaka-cho, Kure, on Osakishimojima at the far end of the Akinada Tobishima Kaido. About 1 hour 15 minutes by car from Kure IC on the Hiroshima-Kure Road, crossing seven bridges; the islands are connected to the mainland by road so no ferry is required. The streets are free to walk and are a national Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. Individual house museums and the Wakaebisuya former teahouse charge separately.

Insider Guide

Premium

**The port works are the exhibit.** Breakwater, stone bridge, high lanterns, seawalls and gangi steps, all original. They are easy to walk past looking for houses. **Seven bridges to get there.** The Tobishima Kaido is a road route across the islands and the drive is the other half of the trip. Cyclists use it as the quieter alternative to Shimanami. **The lanes are too narrow for cars.** Park at the edge and walk. The net of alleys between the main street and the water is where the town is. **It was a waiting port, not a destination.** Everything here existed to serve crews killing time — inns, teahouses, a licensed quarter. That explains the density of buildings in a place with no hinterland. **Nothing is open late.** This is a small island community with limited food and no evening economy. Come for the day and eat before or after.

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