24 Hours in Declining Japan 🇯🇵 (not what you would expect)

24 Hours in Declining Japan 🇯🇵 (not what you would expect)

Good morning everybody and welcome to another 
video here from Japan. So today we are in Onomichi here in the prefecture of Hiroshima. 
Yesterday we ended the Shimanami Kaido cycling trip and went to our hotel. We had a lovely 
dinner Okamyaki and we had a good night’s sleep because the trip yesterday was pretty long, pretty 
intense. I got a flat tire the last bit of the of the of the cycle trip. But anyways, today is a 
lovely day. So, let’s explore Onomichi. [Music] [Music] We are walking now on Onomichi main street or 
also known as Onomichi Dori. As you can see here, this is kind of a famous site in Japan for 
shopping street. And this we walked already yesterday and it is a really really cool 
street with lots of nice like coffee places, uh, shops, all kinds of things 
to do, lots of people on bikes. Really cool vibe. So, Hiroshima is famous 
for their lemons. 40, 50 years ago, they started growing lemon trees and since then, everybody’s crazy about the lemons. So they 
sell everything like lemon cakes, lemon cookies, lemon drinks. It smells crazy like lemon inside 
here. She’s cutting the lemon. It’s like mana. [Music] We decided to take some ramen for breakfast. In many places in Japan, you 
have to order in a restaurant on the machine. So, you put money in the machine and then you choose your menu and then you got a ticket 
and you can take your seat. I wasn’t allowed to film 
inside the ramen restaurant, but the ramen was delicious. I guess 
ultimate breakfast here in Japan. Onichi is not a big town in uh in 
Japan, but it has a lot of temples for its size. There’s even an walking 
tour that connects 25 of the temples. And today we’re just going to visit one or 
two. Onumichi is also a little bit on the hill as you can see. And we’re going to go to 
a temple which is high up the hill. But there is a ropeway somewhere. So we’re looking for 
it now. [Applause] [Music] Get it. Get it. J [Music] [Music] Oh, nice. [Laughter] I got to You want to say something? You 
want You want to You want to say hello? Yeah. I love Oranda. That’s 
good. Very good. Very good. I got Let’s have a quick look at the temple. I 
know you guys are thinking it’s boring, but you know, it’s also nice. Okay, let’s have a quick look at the temple. It’s the most important one. We’re 
only going to watch one, not 25. The walk down is amazing. It’s 
beautiful here. The nature This is the start of the 
complex already. Look how cool. Somebody’s wish. With most temples, you can 
buy this little piece of wood. In this case, they’re in the shape of a heart. And you can write 
a wish on it and hang it up on the rack. Also, with every temple, you can buy uh lots of fortune 
things. So, what you can see here, so for example, this is a small backpack that kids go to school 
with. So, they can buy it and it’s probably a good fortune for their school results. other ones. 
So, for example, for like good at business, good at driving, uh, good for the sports, uh, you 
can name it. There’s an amulet for everything. This is the kind of figurine you see a lot over 
Japan. It’s a dharma. And there’s different colors here. So, also the different colors have a 
different meaning, right, Siri? Yes. So this one the purple color represents the safety on traffic. 
For example, you know if you travel abroad or something then you know to make yourself in a good 
condition like you know not having any traffic accident or so. Pink is for love. Yellow is for 
money. And what is the red one that we see the most of? Oh, this is for success in business and 
also keeping the house safe as well. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. So, every color and every little thingy has 
a different meaning which is really interesting. Is such a cool and chill place. Look, we we have 
the beautiful hilltop here where we were walking. You have the ocean there with a beautiful 
bridge. You have a lot of dockyards over there with huge like industrial boats and ships 
coming in. You have amazing temples like this one from 1388. Really old. And you have a lot 
of nice shops, cafes, bakeries. The people are friendly. This is officially the start of the 
Shimanami Kaido cycling trip. So you see a lot of bike shops. People are cycling. It’s pretty 
chill and calm, like I said. And there’s also coming a beautiful train right through the city, 
which makes a little bit of a noise sometimes, but it’s okay. It’s really a cool place to visit 
when you’re in Japan. Maybe not the first time, but maybe the second or third time. If you 
come to Japan and you want to do something else than Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, then 
this is a beautiful place to visit. [Music] Now, Japan is not only famous for 
their food and for their rich culture, but also because of their population that is 
declining. Now in the big cities like Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, you won’t see that that quickly. But 
on the countryside and in a city like Onomichi, you see most of the population is 
pretty old and you see a lot of houses and buildings being empty. It’s what 
they called a abandoned house here in Japan. So if the population growth 
stays this way in Japan, the smaller towns will disappear and 
the bigger cities will only get bigger. What to play? What to play? What to 
play? I think we’re just going to try to win some snacks. [Music] Let’s 
see how it works. 100 yen. And then we’re just going to try to grab something 
like this. Maybe somewhere here. Huh? No. [Music] Oh, what is this? What is this? Let’s try it again. What the 
hell? Let’s just go a little bit this way. Yeah. And then this way. Yeah. Okay. Uh, this is going to be a good 
one, I think. Cake. Oh. Oh. Not sure what happens with these. [Music] 
This is actually a real cool game to play. Okay guys, that was a little day here 
in Onomici and it’s also a little day in Japan because this was the last video 
here for this series. I hope you enjoyed watching and I’ll see you in the next one 
from anywhere in the world. Bye-bye. Do

24 Hours in Declining Japan | Exploring Onomichi’s Peaceful Streets and Temples
Join us for a full day in the charming town of Onomichi, a quiet coastal gem tucked away in Hiroshima Prefecture. Once a bustling center of trade and culture, Onomichi now reflects the slower, quieter side of rural Japan—beautiful, nostalgic, and subtly fading.

We start our journey by wandering down the main dori, the town’s traditional shopping street, lined with quirky shops, retro storefronts, and local snacks. Then, we head uphill to explore one of Onomichi’s many temples, taking in the peaceful atmosphere, scenic views, and rich history that define this underrated destination.

If you’re looking for off-the-beaten-path Japan, or you’re curious about the country’s declining towns, this is the place to start.

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