CHŪGOKU 中国

The Chūgoku region, also known as the San'in-San'yō, is the westernmost region of Japan.

San'in is the northernmost part overlooking the sea of Japan and literally means "shadowy side of the mountain". San'yō is the southern part overlooking the Inland Sea, which means "sunny side of the mountain".

The region is characterized by irregular rolling hills and limited plain areas and is divided into two distinct parts by mountains running east and west through its center.

The city of Hiroshima, the "capital" of Chūgoku, was rebuilt after being destroyed by an atomic bomb in 1945, and is now an industrial metropolis of more than one million people.

Overfishing and pollution reduced the productivity of the Inland Sea fishing grounds. While San'yō is an area concentrated on heavy industry San'in is less industrialized with an agricultural economy.

The Tottori Sand Dunes are quite special. In fact, they have been in existence for over 100,000 years.
The Bikan Historic Area in Kurashiki is regarded as one of the oldest merchant towns in Japan, as a mother of fact, it has been left pretty much untouched by 20th-century conflict.

The region is also home to two of Japan's 12 remaining original castles: the Bitchu Matsuyama Castle and the Matsue Castle, one of the country's few surviving wooden castle.