Kosanji, located on Ikuchi Island, one of the islands on the Shimanami Kaido that connects Onomichi City in Hiroshima Prefecture and Imabari City in Ehime Prefecture, is one of the best photogenic spots in Shimanami. It is a temple of the Jodo Shinshu Hongan-ji school built by Osaka's former businessman Kozo Kosanji with the thought of his appreciation of Jibo, and features a polar-colored dōto-garan that lines up the precinct. Also on high ground in the vast precinct will be a photogenic chalky garden, "The Hill of Hope (Miraishin no oka)", lined with marble sculpture works. Nestled in the garden, the "Cafe Cuore" is perfect for a break on the way to stroll. In the shop, you can enjoy the scenery of Setoda, which is somewhat nostalgic, along with original drinks.

The entire vast precinct is a museum, and the "The Hill of Hope" located at the far back from the entrance is the area you want to visit. It's a chalky garden made of white marble that spans 5000 square meters and looks like the Greek island, Santorini. It is also an art space lined with monuments large and small, and the sight of pure white marble and blue sky drawing a stunning contrast is just photogenic!

How about taking a break at a cafe where you can feel foreign?

The "Cafe Cuore" (required for the entrance fee to the Kosanji Temple), which I would like to stop by for a break on the way to stroll, is located in the western corner of the "The Hill of Hope".

The building is made of the same white marble as the "the Hill of Hope", and it feels like visiting a foreign country! There are also counter seats that can be done slowly by yourself, mainly with a table seat for two to four people.

I recommend the counter seats at the back of the store. The scenery of Setoda, rich in nature cut out like a painting, makes you forget the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

We will have a citrus menu unique to Setouchi!

The popular menu is Blood Orange Juice, which offers a refreshing acidity and rich flavor. It's a fresh cup of blood orange juice from Sicily, Italy. If you're on the terrace, you can enjoy a beautiful contrast between marble white and bright ruby color.

Don't miss the summer-only menu, too. The sorbet, which uses Setoda's Dekomikan oranges, has a refreshing taste and is perfect for hot days. Dekomikans, the same variety of citrus as decopon, are characterized by a rich aroma and a good balance of sweetness and acidity.

Photo outstanding! Happy blue tea and flower-scented lotus flower tea

If you are aiming for Instagramable shot, order "Happy Blue Tea". This is an original flavored tea by Kyoto tea farmer "Jokoen", a blend of brown rice tea, lemongrass and butterfly pea. The clear blue tea actually has a mysterious contraption.

When you add lemon juice, the blue tea turns into purple! Butterfly peas contain a natural pigment: anthocyanins, a component of blue color. Anthocyanins have the property of discoloration when acidic and alkaline are added, so you can enjoy such a color change.

"Lotus-cha", a summer-limited menu unique to Kousanji, which grows as many as 50 varieties and 300 pots of lotus, is also popular. It is said that the tea extracted from the lotus flower was also loved by Yang Guifei. It is a refreshing taste that spreads in the mouth with a rich floral scent.

Kousan-ji Temple, which is full of highlights, is a recommended spot for Shimanami Kaido Drive. After a walk through the wide precincts and the hills of the future, enjoy a drink full of originality from "Cafe Cuore" to heal the fatigue of the trip.

■ Cafe Cuore

Address: 553-2 Setoda, Setoda-cho, Onomichi-shi, Hiroshima
TEL:0845-27-0755
Business hours: 10-16 (LO)
Closed: No Closed
Price: Entrance to Kousanji Museum Adult 1400 yen, large and high school students 1000 yen, junior high school students and below free

• This article is created based on the contents of "Rurubu Information Edition" or "Rurubu & more." "Rurubu +".
• The data listed are as of March 2025. Prices, business hours, regular holidays, menus, etc. may change or may not be available due to temporary holidays. Please check in advance when using it, as the content may change.
• The holiday of stores and facilities omits the year-end holiday, Obon holiday, Golden Week, and temporary holidays in principle.
• The published fees are in principle the fee including consumption tax that we have confirmed at the time of the interview, and the entrance fee is the adult fee if there is no special mention.
• In principle, the published times are open (hall) to closed (hall). Please note that the last order or entrance (hall) time is 30 minutes to 1 hour before the normal closing (hall) time. The last order is denoted LO.
• For the spring quality and efficacy of the hot springs listed, manuscripts are prepared based on answers from each facility.