Chūgoku is the stretch of land at the western end of Honshū, to the west of the Kansai metropolis.

It’s on most itineraries as its main city is Hiroshima, which, due to its tragic past and importance in the history of the world, is a must-visit.

Nearby is the island of Miyajima, home to that vermilion torii (shrine gate) that seems to float on the water - you will almost certainly have seen it in Japanese tourism marketing before getting here.

There’s plenty more going on though, especially on the busy southern, Inland Sea coastline, known as the San-yō (on the sunny side of the mountains).

There’s the elegant canal town of Kurashiki, and in the Inland Sea between Okayama and Shikoku, the renowned ‘art island’ of Naoshima.