Home >> History,Culture
Onomichi had played a key role as an important strategic port from the time of the Middle Ages. Warehouses were built in 1168 and a large amount of annual tribute from Bingo Otanosho was kept there. In 1169, it was recognized as an official port.
Onomichi Port began to prosper as a sending off port of annual tributes, and vessels called "Kitamae Ship" which connected Hokkaido to Osaka began making port calls in the Edo period. It is said that when the "Kitamae Ship" made a port call, the whole town bustled with activity.
Due to the great prosperity, some people became very wealthy. These people were called "Gousho" (wealthy merchant), and they invested their wealth in the construction of temples, the maintenance of the city, and other projects. Those temples and much of the city's atmosphere that is easily seen today is an outgrowth of those great fortunes and the desire of the Gousho to create abundant beauty.
For more information, call or visit Onomichi Historical Museum or Onomichi Chamber of Commerce Memorial Hall.
Onomichi Port began to prosper as a sending off port of annual tributes, and vessels called "Kitamae Ship" which connected Hokkaido to Osaka began making port calls in the Edo period. It is said that when the "Kitamae Ship" made a port call, the whole town bustled with activity.
Due to the great prosperity, some people became very wealthy. These people were called "Gousho" (wealthy merchant), and they invested their wealth in the construction of temples, the maintenance of the city, and other projects. Those temples and much of the city's atmosphere that is easily seen today is an outgrowth of those great fortunes and the desire of the Gousho to create abundant beauty.
For more information, call or visit Onomichi Historical Museum or Onomichi Chamber of Commerce Memorial Hall.
From the Jomon Period (about 5000 years ago) the remains of an Ota shell heap was found in Onomichi.
Onomichi has a long history over 800 years since the Onomichi Port was admitted as an official port in 1169.
Onomichi has a long history over 800 years since the Onomichi Port was admitted as an official port in 1169.
| Historical Events in Onomichi | |
|---|---|
| 901 | Sugawara Michizane makes a port call at Onomichi on his way to the city of Dazaifu in Kyushu due to his demotion. This is the origin of the Misode Tenmangu. |
| 1166 | The properties of the warlord Taira Shigehira in Ota and Kuwabara area in Bingo district are donated to Emperor Goshirakawa. |
| 1169 | The port of Onomichi becomes an authorized port. |
| 1186 | Otanosho district is donated to the Konpondaido in Koyasan. As an annual tribute, rice produced in Otanosho is shipped to Saika in Wakayama Prefecture through the port of Onomichi. This is the origin of the opening of the port of Onomichi. |
| 1336 | After the Kemmu restoration, Ashikaga Takauji is demoted to Kyushu and aspires to come back. He makes a visit to Jodoji Temple on his way to Kyushu. (It is the origin of Yoshiwa Taiko Odori, Taiko Drum Dance). |
| 1363 | Yugyoshonin makes a pilgrimage to Iyo (in Shikoku) from Onomichi. (It is the origin of Saigoji Temple and Joshoji Temple) |
| 1389 | Ashikaga Yoshimitsu makes a port call at Onomichi on his way to visit Itsukushima Shrine. |
| 1395 | Ashikaga Yoshimitsu donates Onomichi to Koyasan Saito Temple. |
| 1592 | Carpenters and masons in Onomichi migrate to Hiroshima and form Onomichi Town. |
| 1597 | Shibuya Yoemon, a wealthy merchant in Onomichi, is involved in maritime transport at the time of the Korean invasion. |
| 1601 | Onomichi is designated as "Onomichi-mura" and "Onomichiura-mura" due to Fukushima land survey. Okubo Nagayasu provides the Iwamiji roadway between Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine and Onomichi. Silver produced there is brought to Onomichi through Iwamiji roadway and shipped to Osaka. |
| 1619 | Onomichi becomes a territory of the lord Asano. |
| 1633 | The width of the Saigoku Kaido road is set at 2.5ken (about 2.7meter), and milestones are placed from the border of Suohan territory to Onomichi |
| 1638 | Due to the Asano land survey, "Onomichi-mura" and "Onomichi-ura" become "Onomichi-cho". |
| 1672 | Kitamae ships start visiting Onomichi. (This marks the start of the second Golden Age.) |
| 1740 | Hirayama Kakuzaemon (an honorary citizen) becomes the magistrate of the town and starts land-filling the Sumiyoshi beach. He also constructs a covered alley for mooring ships. |
| 1741 | Land filling of Sumiyoshi beach is completed. Sumiyoshi Shrine is moved from Jodoji Temple. |
| 1807 | "Bad Disease" becomes epidemic in Onomichi. (It is the origin of Betcha Festival".) |
| 1834 | Tanomura Chikuden comes to visit Onomichi and stays at the home of Hashimoto Chikka. Hashimoto rebuilds the main hall of Jikanji Temple as a relief work project to combat a severe famine. |
| 1871 | Bingo District is attached to Hiroshima-prefecture and Onomichi-cho to Mitsugi-gun due to the abolition of clans and the establishment of prefectures. |
| 1894 | Miki Hanzaemon (an honorary citizen) starts developing Kyorakuen (later named Senkoji Temple & Park). |
| 1895 | The Onomichi branch of Sumitomo Bank opens. |
| 1898 | Onomichi City is municipalized. |
| 1912 | Shiga Naoya stays in Onomichi. |
| 1918 | Hayashi Fumiko moves to Onomichi. |
| 1921 | The sea route between Incheon, South Korea and Onomichi is opened. |
| 1923 | Construction of the water supply system is started due to contributions from Yamaguchi Gendo (an honorary citizen). |
| 1935 | The first Onomichi Minato Festival (Port Festival) is held. |
| 1953 | The main hall and surrounding grounds of Jodoji Temple is designated as a national treasure. |
| 1957 | Senkoji Ropeway opens. |
| 1965 | The Path of Literature is completed. |
| 1968 | Onomichi Ohashi bridge opens. |
| 1975 | Kenpon Chakushoku Fugen Enmyo Zo (Statue) in Jikoji Temple was designated as a national treasure. |
| 1982 | "Tenkousei (Transfer Student)" directed by Obayashi Nobuhiko appears on screen. |
| 1983 | Innoshima Ohashi bridge opens. |
| 1988 | Shin-Onomichi Station for the JR Sanyo Shinkansen opens. |
| 1999 | Nishi-Seto Expressway (Shimanami Sea Route) opens. |
| 2005 | The film set of "Otokotachi No Yamato / YAMATO" opens to the public. |
| 2015 | Onomichi-Matsue Expressway has launched. "A miniature garden city from the middle ages built around the Onomichi channel" had certified as Japan's Heritage. |
| 2016 | "Japan's Largest "Pirate" group and their territory in the Geiyo Archipelago Murakami Kaizoku" has certified as Japan's Heritage. |
| 2019 | New JR Onomichi Station building opens |
| Major Events in Japan | |
|---|---|
| 645 | Reformation of Taika |
| 1185 | Fall of the Heike Clan |
| 1336 | Ashikawa Takauji wins the Battle of Minatogawa. |
| 1338 | Ashikaga Takauji establishes the Muromachi shogunate. |
| 1592 | Toyotomi Hideyoshi sends troops to Korea. |
| 1597 | Toyotomi Hideyoshi sends troops to Korea. |
| 1600 | The Battle of Sekigahara |
| 1603 | Tokugawa Ieyasu establishes the Edo shogunate. The peak of silver output is reached at Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine. |
| 1619 | Asano Nagasaki changes his fiefdom to Hiroshima from Wakayama. The Hishigaki Kaisen (lozenge-fenced cargo ships) begin to sail regularly. |
| 1635 | Start of the Sankin Kotai System which obligated lords to live in Edo for a year (or half a year if their fiefdom was near Edo) to show their loyalty to the shogunate. |
| 1671 | Kawamura Zuiken opens "Western Sea Route". |
| 1834 | Famine of Tempo era. Revolt of Oshio Heihachiro. |
| 1871 | Abolition of clans and establishment of prefectures. |
| 1894 | Outbreak of Sino-Japanese War. |
| 1895 | Shimonoseki Peace Treaty. |
| 1904 | Outbreak of Russo-Japanese War. |
| 1912 | Emperor Taisho ascends the throne. |
| 1918 | Outbreak of the Rice Riots. |
| 1921 | The Washington Naval Conference |
| 1923 | The Great Kanto Earthquake strikes the Kanto plain. |
| 1941 | Start of Pacific War. |
| 1945 | The war ends with the unconditional surrender of Japan. |
| 1953 | Start of TV broadcasting. |
| 1965 | The Treaty of Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea. |
| 1968 | Kawabata Yasunari receives the Nobel Prize in Literature. |
| 1975 | The Sanyo Shinkansen Line is fully opened. |
| 1983 | Release of the Family Computer. |
| 1988 | The Seto Ohashi Bridge opens. |
| 2005 | Exposition of Global Harmony (Expo 2005 AICHI JAPAN) |
| 2011 | There was a Great East Japan earthquake |
| 2013 | Mt.Fuji is officially recognized as a (UNESCO) World Heritage Site. |
| 2014 | The consumption tax rate increase to 8 percent |
| 2015 | Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train is in operation |
| 2016 | Kumamoto Earthquake |
| 2019 | The Era name changes from Heisei to Reiwa The consumption tax rate increase to 10 percent |
| 2020 | The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic |
| Major Events in the World | |
|---|---|
| 1096 | The first Crusade Expedition |
| 1339 | Outbreak of Hundred Year War. |
| 1492 | Discovery of the New World; Christopher Columbus. |
| 1543 | Copernican Theory; Nicolaus Copernicus |
| 1588 | The English naval force defeats Invincible Armada. |
| 1620 | British Puritans' begin to immigrate to America. |
| 1760 | Industrial revolution; The U.K. |
| 1775 | Outbreak of American Revolutionary War; America |
| 1789 | French Revolution |
| 1877 | Thomas Edison invents the phonograph. |
| 1896 | The first Olympic Games in the Modern era are held. |
| 1903 | The Wright brothers achieve the first manned flight. |
| 1912 | Scott reaches the South Pole. |
| 1914 | Outbreak of World War I |
| 1920 | League of Nations is founded. |
| 1929 | Great Depression |
| 1939 | Outbreak of World War II |
| 1945 | End of World War II |
| 1957 | The first artificial satellite is launched; USSR. |
| 1965 | Outbreak of Vietnam War |
| 1969 | Apollo 11 makes the first-ever lunar landing. |
| 1986 | Accident at the Chernobyl (Ukraine) nuclear power station. |
| 1990 | Reunification of Germany |
| 1991 | Outbreak of the Gulf War; Downfall of the Soviet Union |
| 1999 | Portugal returned Macao to China. |
| 2001 | September 11 attacks |
| 2015 | Re-establishment of diplomatic relations of United States and Cuba |
| 2018 | First-ever North Korea-United States Singapore Summit |
| 2020 | The COVID-19 pandemic |
