June

I’ve already tried to lure you out to Mibu’s rice fields. At the risk of being too insistent on the charms of the countryside, let me also suggest that it’s time for a visit to Miyoshi. Miyoshi is a beautiful little city, the largest town in Hiroshima prefecture that isn’t on the Seto Inland Sea, and unlike some other day trips, there’s more than enough in and around the city to make a full day. First, there’s the countryside itself. Miyoshi is built in a mountain valley where three rivers come together. The length of human occupation is attested to by the dense cluster of 5th and 6th-century ‘kofun,’ stone grave mounds found across Japan on the grounds of Miyoshi Fudoki-no-oka Park. The park is an excellent place to stretch your legs, in fact, and take in the hills surrounding Miyoshi. Near the entrance, the History and Folklore Museum offers an exciting look into the region’s past and archaeology. One phenomenon Miyoshi is locally famous for is the “Sea of Fog,” which regularly fills the river basin on mornings from October to March. You won’t find it in June, but leave yourself a note because it is a remarkable sight. In…