Highlighting the culinary charms of the Seto Inland Sea

The city of Onomichi, a port along the Seto Inland Sea, encompasses hilly slopes, coastal shores, and several large islands. Onomichi’s diverse terrain is known for both its catches of seasonal fish and its many varieties of citrus fruit. Over the generations, a distinctive food culture has evolved hand-in-hand with the region’s history. In pre-modern times, the Inland Sea was a thoroughfare for boats transporting rice vinegar. This vinegar was used locally not only to preserve fish, but to bring out its flavor, and this practice produced a local cuisine that is centered on seafood. Today, Onomichi’s characteristic ingredients and regional specialties attest to the area’s rich cultural inheritance.