本郷宿(Hongo inn town) is located on the western edge of Mihara city. Let’s see what’s in there.
Before entering the inn town, there is a sign that says “Mitachi castle ruins”. This is a medieval castle ruins but apparently bloggers have been reporting that the more than half of castle ruins have been converted to a cemetery, and there is little to see.
For a while, you don’t see anything notable that points out about San’yodo/Saigoku Kaido route.
Passing by Sainenji temple, a Jodo-shinshu Buddhism temple. I could not find good info about its history online.
On the other side of Sainenji temple, there is Shimoichi jizo. On Google map review, one of comments said that this jizo statue was built in memory of Tenpo famine from 1833 to 1837.
After passing by Hiroshima prefectural R-193, you will finally see bits of what old Hongo inn town used to look like.
There is a sign of Saigoku Kaido. You are on the right track.
More old houses…
I assume this is the center of the inn town. Looking for any signs of honjin inn.
Hongo Ebisu shrine. From the street view, there is a relief of two fish meeting together on Torii gate. Otherwise I could not find further details.
This part is more beautiful.
Of course, for those who have visited places like Yakage or Kannabe, Hongo is not necessarily as beautiful as these two.
Passing by Jakujoji temple, established in 1549.
Series of old house continues a little more.
Seno river is the end of Hongo inn town. OK, this is the end.
Wait, where the heck is the honjin inn ruins??? We never saw any signs of Hongo honjin inn ruins or building.
According to several blogs plus careful research on Google map, I found where honjin inn was. It is way off the San’yodo/Saigoku Kaido main route, beyond JR San’yo line! We have encountered a similar case in Ikaruga inn town. At least the gate is still present.
The closest station is JR Hongo station, on JR San’yodo line.
The next stop is Yokkaichi inn town, aka Saijo. We are going to skip one unofficial inn town, 田万里宿(Tamari inn town) due to unavailability of the street views.
References:
Jakujoji temple. Wikipedia.com(寂静寺 ウィキペディア) https://ja.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%AF%82%E9%9D%99%E5%AF%BA (Accessed in 8/10/2025. In Japanese)
Walking in Hongo, the center of Saigoku Kaido Highway. Miharasse Walking Map 2. Mihara Area Guide Book “Miharasse”. March 2007. Mihara Region Municipal Affairs Association. (The original title:みはらっせ散策マップ2 西国街道のヘソ本郷を歩く 三原広域ガイドブックみはらっせ プレ創刊号 三原広域市町村事務組合)https://www.city.mihara.hiroshima.jp/uploaded/attachment/14381.pdf (Accessed in 8/9/2025. Only in Japanese)
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