Exploring Ponyo Village : October 5 2025

Today I’m really excited because I got to explore another prefecture to add to my list, Hiroshima. We decided not to go to the Ground Zero area where the Hiroshima bombings happened because it was quite far and the Shinkansen ticket was a bit expensive. Instead, we went to Tomonoura, also known as the Ponyo village, since it is right on the border between Hiroshima and Okayama.

_{This is Ponyo, a beloved character from the Studio Ghibli movie of the same name. So cute! 😍}

_{This store is selling Ghibli related souvenirs! Of course hindi kami nagpabudol ahhaha! 😅}

_{Real life Ponyos.}

_{You can find some Ponyo-related items in the stores and cafes. So cute!😍}

_{This cafe comes highly recommended because they offer very cute and delightful dessert creations.}

_{Probably another Ponyo character. Sorry I forgot already 😅}

_{Not sure too if Ponyo related but the cat looks so cute!}

When we arrived around noon, we were already very hungry. Because Tomonoura is a seaside village, we thought it would be perfect to have seafood for lunch. I chose my favorite meal, donburi, which was really satisfying and delicious. After that very nice lunch, we started exploring the whole village.

_{The donburi is so good. Sea bream + Tuna + Salmon so fresh!}

_{This is where we had our Donburi for lunch. Highly recommended!}

Aside from being the inspiration for the Studio Ghibli movie Ponyo, Tomonoura is also naturally beautiful. The town itself is very picturesque, with charming narrow streets and views of the sea. Even if you have never seen Ponyo, you would still enjoy walking around and taking in the peaceful atmosphere. It does not take too long to explore because it is a small fishing village, so it was an easy and relaxing walk.

_{This soda float looks so enticing that I’m sold immediately.}

_{It's so relaxing to just look at the view. 😍}

_{Why does this look so picturesque in Japan, but not if in our place? 😅}

_{Just breathtaking!}

_{In this area near the lighthouse, there are many cafes lined up.}

_{Where the mountain meets the sea.}

_{This is supposedly the place that inspired the scene where Ponyo meets the boy.}

_{This is the store selling Ghibli related souvenirs.}

_{There are a lot of cute cafes in the area.}

_{The museum displays this item that they use during their festivals.}

_{Bus we rode from Fukuyama station to Tomonoura.}

_{We’re so happy it’s sunny today because when we checked yesterday, the forecast had predicted rain.}

_{This is one of their festivals where people carry burning logs.}

_{Turquoise blue seas blending beautifully with the sky.}

_{The sun is shining brightly, but it’s a good thing the breeze is cool, so many people are out enjoying the day.}

_{There are still many old-style Japanese houses in the area.}

_{The zen Fukuzenji temple. We didn't go inside because there's an entrance fee. 😅}

_{Fukuyama is known for its Firefighter festival known as Shōbō Dezomeshiki (福山消防出初式)}

We stayed until around 4 in the afternoon before heading back, since from Saidaiji we still had to drive home to Kibichuo. My sister was the one driving, and it would already be dark on the way back, so we decided not to stay too late. We did not push ourselves too much today and just kept things calm and easy. Because of that, I only got around 10k++ steps for the day. 😐

Now we are finally back in Kibichuo for the rest of the week. I feel quite tired after three straight days of exploring during the long weekend, so I plan to take it easy, rest, and recover for the next few days.
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Daily Activity, Walking