Takehara City

If you missed the Onomichi Lantern Festival on the 13th, or you were blown away by it and wanted more, the Takehara Shokei-no-michi Candle Festival may be just what you’re seeking. These autumn lantern and candle festivals are increasingly popular around western Japan since they’re such an excellent way to show off a town’s historic beauty while also extending the practical hours of tourism. And they’re a lot of fun. Takehara is about 90 minutes east of Hiroshima City on the JR Kure Line. If you intend to spend some time in Hiroshima prefecture, Takehara is worth a day trip. Extending along the Honkawa River, the town’s history still shows in the excellent collection of older buildings concentrated in the eastern part of the city.  In the 17th century, locals began trying to reclaim land along the east bank of the river for farming. Although they were successful, the new land proved to be too salty for cultivation. Undaunted, the town converted the area to salt pans, and Takehara began to enjoy prosperity far more significant than would have been afforded by agriculture. Wealth from the salt industry allowed the rise of famous merchant scholars, including the great Confucian historian…