Built in the delta of the Abu-gawa River, Hagi is a small town surrounded on one side by the sea and on three other sides by mountains. At the end of the 17th century, a castle was built there and the city became the capital of the prefecture for two centuries, being the cradle of important actors in the Meiji Revolution. This storied past, together with the well-preserved condition of several old houses, makes Hagi often be compared to an open-air museum. But the fame of the city throughout Japan and around the world is mainly due to its ceramics, the pink-orange color and its typical crude forms. Hagi is also appreciated in summer as a spa town thanks to its long sandy beaches.
Places to visit
Uragami Art Museum
The fruit of donations, this museum is centered around two themes: a collection of 4,800 ukiyoes, with 100 views of Mount Fuji and other works by Hokusai, and a collection of 15th-century Korean and Chinese pottery.
Kumaya Art Museum
This museum displays objects that belonged to the wealthy Kumaya family, including more than 300 ink paintings, 500 tea ceremony objects or 1,500 literary works. It is located in the home of the Kumaya family, classified as Important Cultural Heritage.
Ishii de chawan museum
In the Tamachi shopping center there is a museum that houses a unique collection of ancient chawan or tea bowls.
Horiuchi and the suburbs of Hagi Castle
In these neighborhoods we find the atmosphere of the old feudal city. Horiuchi was the residence of higher-ranking samurais, such as the Kuchiba clan, while wealthy merchants, such as the Kikuya family, learned men, or lower-ranking samurai lived in the suburbs of Hagi Castle.
Tokoji Temple
This temple is dedicated to the Mouri clan, who ruled Hagi for 260 years in the Edo period. The Soumon gate, the Sanmon gate, the bell tower and the Daiohoden have been declared Important Cultural Heritage.
Shizuki Park
In what is now Shizuki Park, Hagi Castle was built, of which today only stone walls of the wall and interior moats remain. A walk takes 20 minutes to the top of Shizuki Hill, 143 meters high.
Hagi shiryokan
The local history museum is located near Shizuki Park.
Shoin Shrine
This shrine is dedicated to the memory of Shoin Yoshida (1830-1859), a famous intellectual from the city who influenced many revolutionaries who played an important role in the Meiji Restoration. Nearby, you can visit Shoka Sonjuku, a private school founded by him.
The Aiba River
In this small river, or rather in this channel, multicolored carp frolic. On its banks old houses rise, constituting a very relaxing place to walk.
Ceramics
In the surroundings of Shizuki Park, there are several pottery workshops, and most are open to visitors.
- Josangama workshop in Shizuki park.
Tel.: (0838) 25 1666 - Senryuzangama workshop in Maeobata.
Tel.: (0838) 22 0541 - Hagi-yaki Shiryokan (Hagi Ceramics Documentation Center)
Tel.: (0838) 25 8981
Transport
Tokyo Haneda Airport> (1 hour 45 minute flight)>
Osaka Itami Airport> (1 hour flight)> Iwami Airport> (1 hour 15 minutes by Iwami bus)> Hagi bus station
Tokyo Train Station> (4 hours 40 minutes by Shinkansen Nozomi on Tokaido or Sanyo lines)>
Kyoto Train Station> (3 hours and 22 minutes by Shinkansen Hikari on Tokaido or Sanyo Lines)> Shin-Yamaguchi Train Station> (1 hour and 30 minutes by Bocho Bus)> Higashi Hagi Train Station