Shotengai #3 Onomichi
Photos from a Japanese covered shopping arcade
I’d heard a lot about Onomichi in the lead up to my 6th trip to Japan (May/June 2025).
There was a temple walk, a ropeway, and the town itself is nested in a picturesque location on the Seto Inland Sea. When I found out there was a shotengai in town, I was sold.
I love wandering around the covered shopping arcades in Japanese towns and cities. Many are run down, giving you a real glimpse into life in the Showa era.
I love the photo below showing an array of vending machines. I walked past many times and often people would be smoking or vaping here. Not exactly my style, but I appreciated the uniqueness of it. Above the store is a sign with a pipe on.
Another shop I loved was the local Yamato Transport office and its window display of black and white cats.
Other shops were a complete mystery to me without resorting to Google Translate.
The shotengai in Onomichi is one of my favourites so far. So many interesting photo opportunites popped up as I wandered up and down the arcade.
All photos taken May 2025 on my Ricoh GRIII Diary Edition camera.
See you next time.
Cheers
Matt
Nice photos! I also love Shotengai and made a habit to look for them everywhere I go to in Japan, especially old ones that are disappearing. The atmosphere there is usually amazing. Next time you go, let me know and maybe I can point you to some of the ones I've explored.
I spent a lot of my time there when I was on school holidays waaaaaaay back in the late 70-80s (I had an uncle who lived in Onomichi) these pix bring back memories, some shops I even vaguely recall I hope to go back there again one day even though the family connection no longer there 😭