Oysters are Ondo’s specialty. Ondo’s clean waters are ideal for oyster farming, and the island continues to produce the most shucked oysters in Japan. The rice dish ”Kakimeshi” is made with large oysters and vegetables. It was once a side dish for oyster farmers, but it is now a traditional local dish.
Star chefs’ special oyster menus, such as oyster nigiri sushi, oyster rolls, and oyster escabeche, represent an evolution of oyster food as well as the ”tradition x evolution” of Ondo oysters. This appealing food culture is offered to inbound tourists, especially foreigners with an intense craving for oysters.
Two bridges are built across the Ondo Seto between Ondo and Kure City on the mainland, which was opened by Kiyomori Taira, who built Itsukushima Shrine (Miyajima), and many ships pass through the narrow strait. In Ondo, where one of the best natural landscapes of the Seto Inland Sea is woven, time moves at a leisurely pace, and the scent of the sea, the sound of waves, wind, and ships will captivate your heart.
The highest mountain on Kurahashi Island, a 400-meter-high Mt. Hiyama. Drive or ride your bike to the seventh station, then walk for 10 minutes. From the top, you can enjoy the breathtaking view of the Seto Inland Sea all to yourself.
Oyster rogaining is an outdoor sport with tourism elements. Special oyster menus will be available at three of the checkpoints, and participants will be able to eat them as they travel around the checkpoints acquiring points. The event will conclude with an all-you-can-eat event featuring Ondo oysters, allowing you to fully indulge in oysters along with athletics.
You will learn how to make and eat sushi at Gourmet College, where students will acquire knowledge directly from a sushi chef. The sushi toppings are Ondo oysters and fresh white fish from the Seto Inland Sea, a unique experience available exclusively in Ondo.
A new cycling tour that combines food and health while exploring the beautiful natural scenery of the Seto Inland Sea. Enjoy special oyster menus and meals at various restaurants and cafes in the Ondo and Kurahashi area. “An island-hopping cycling tour that blends into the sky and the sea”, Enjoy!
The mild climate of the Seto Inland Sea, with its long hours of sunshine, was ideal for citrus cultivation, and citrus cultivation flourished on the entire slopes where sea breezes blow and sunlight pours down. Citrus varieties grown in Onomichi include lemons, satsuma mandarin, hassaku orange, Chinese citron, navels, anseikan, sumo mandarin, and Kiyomi orange. Lemon trees are planted on a sunny slope in “Lemon Valley” in Setoda-cho, Onomichi City, and their flowers bloom in early summer and the yellow lemon fruits ripen in winter and spring.
“LOG” is a complex of accommodations, restaurants, and stores that was renovated and revitalized from an apartment building near Senkoji Temple. The restaurant is popular for its menu, which uses a variety of ingredients from local producers, and also hosts events where visitors can taste local vegetables and fresh seafood from the Seto Inland Sea, as well as workshops where they can experience the traditional way of living, which places great importance on the calendar.
“Onomichi Ramen” is the original local ramen. Originating in Onomichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture, it is characterized by a soy sauce-based soup with pork back fat floating in it and flat noodles. There are many ramen stores in the city, and each store has its own original flavor, making it a pleasure to compare different types of Onomichi ramen.
