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Unrinji Temple (Cat Temple)

Unrinji Temple (Cat Temple)

Unrin-ji Temple in Hagi City, commonly known as the "Cat Temple," is a unique Buddhist temple that attracts cat lovers from all over the world. Its origin lies in a story of loyalty from the Edo period, where a samurai's pet cat died of grief at its master's grave. Today, the temple grounds are lined with hundreds of wooden cat sculptures and figurines, and you can encounter cute cats wherever you look. In particular, "cat head masks" that you can wear for photos, as well as Goshuin (temple stamps) and charms with cat illustrations, are very popular with international tourists....

Yamaguchi
Sightseeing
Spring
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Hagi Glass Studio

Hagi Glass Studio

This workshop located at the foot of Mt. Kasayama in Hagi City is a base for disseminating the charm of "Hagi Glass," which uses rare local basalt as a raw material. Its greatest feature is a unique production method that is harder and more heat-resistant than general glass, characterized by the "pale green" color produced from glass melted at temperatures over 1,500 degrees and the beautiful crack patterns of "Uchi-kannyu" (internal crazing). Here, you can observe the production process by skilled artisans up close, and you can also experience blowing glass yourself to create a one-of-a-kind original work. It is...

Yamaguchi
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Activities
Spring
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Hagi City

Known as the "Birthplace of the Fetal Movements of the Meiji Restoration," Hagi City is a historic city that is like an open-air museum. It is said that Edo-period maps can still be used today because the castle town streets, samurai residences, and white-walled storehouses are preserved in perfect form, and it is also registered as a World Heritage site. By visiting historic sites like Shoka Sonjuku, which produced patriots of the end of the Edo period, you can feel firsthand the passion of the young people who accomplished Japan's modernization. Also attractive is touring the kilns of "Hagi-yaki" pottery,...

Yamaguchi
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Spring
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Nagato City

Nagato City, located in the northern part of Yamaguchi Prefecture, is a city attractive for its dynamic coastline facing the Sea of Japan and rich food culture. Not to mention world-famous breathtaking views like "Motonosumi Shrine" and "Tsunoshima Bridge," it also offers abundant gourmet food such as fresh seafood caught at Senzaki Port and "Nagato Yakitori," which is said to be number one in Japan. Additionally, it has the charm of Nagato Yumoto Onsen with 600 years of history and the atmosphere of being the hometown of nursery rhyme poet Misuzu Kaneko, showing different expressions in every place you visit....

Yamaguchi
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Spring
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Taineiji Temple

Taineiji Temple

Tai-nei-ji Temple in Nagato City is a famous temple of the Soto sect founded in 1410, and was once called the "Koyasan of the West," holding high prestige. It is also known as the place where the powerful lord of the Warring States period, Yoshitaka Ouchi, spent his last moments, conveying the multilayered stories of history to this day. Within the vast grounds surrounded by deep forest, there are historical sites associated with the Ouchi clan and the beautiful stone bridge "Banjaku-kyo," where a dignified and sacred air drifts. Especially the autumn foliage is among the most beautiful in northeastern...

Yamaguchi
Sightseeing
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Nagato Onsen

Nagato Yumoto Onsen is one of Yamaguchi Prefecture's most historic hot spring areas, said to have been discovered about 600 years ago when a chief priest of Tai-nei-ji Temple received an oracle. In recent years, the entire town has been renovated as a stylish hot spring district where you can enjoy "strolling around." Footbaths set in the river, bamboo forest stairs, and riverside terraces beautifully harmonize modern design with traditional Japanese scenery. The water quality is famous as "hot water for beautiful skin," and after refreshing yourself in the bath, it is recommended to enjoy local gourmet and cafes on...

Yamaguchi
Sightseeing
Activities
Spring
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Misuzu Street

"Misuzu Street," the main street of Senzaki in Nagato City, is a nostalgic walking path that retains the appearance of the time when poet Misuzu Kaneko was born and raised. Along the approximately 1-kilometer street, traditional latticed merchant houses and kamaboko (fish cake) shops line up, and wooden plaques with her poems are hanging under the eaves of private houses. By reading her poems while walking and feeling the sea breeze, you can experience what landscapes she saw and what she thought. Also, there is art such as a giant "kamaboko board mosaic" made by local people, allowing you to...

Yamaguchi
Sightseeing
Spring
Summer
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Winter

Misuzu Kaneko Memorial Museum

Misuzu Kaneko Memorial Museum

Located in Senzaki, Nagato City, this museum honors the life and works of the "young nursery rhyme poet" Misuzu Kaneko, who passed away at the young age of 26. Inside the building, which restored Kaneko Buneido (a bookstore) on the site of her birthplace, handwritten manuscripts and materials hinting at her life at the time are displayed. The "gentle and sharp perspective that cherishes everything," common to her poems, deeply resonates in the hearts of people living in the modern world worldwide. Around the museum, the townscape of Senzaki that she depicted in her poems spreads out, and her sensibilities...

Yamaguchi
Sightseeing
Spring
Summer
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Winter

Botanical Garden (Plants around the world)

Botanical Garden (Plants around the world)

This plant museum within Tokiwa Park is a facility where you can experience "traveling the Earth" by displaying plants from eight regions of the world (Europe, Africa, Asia, Central and South America, etc.) according to their respective environments. The sight of unique baobab trees, colorful and rare cacti, tropical flowers, and more gathered from around the world is spectacular. The beautiful glass greenhouse is a healing space flooded with light, where you can experience the diversity of plants and the wonder of life up close. Along with the outdoor sculptures that are the symbol of Ube City, it is a...

Yamaguchi
Sightseeing
Spring
Summer
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Winter

Tokiwa Zoo

Located within Tokiwa Park in Ube City, this is a unique zoo that was the first in Japan to fully adopt "Habitat Exhibit." It eliminates cages and fences as much as possible, faithfully recreating the natural environments of Asia, Africa, and Central and South America where animals originally live. You can observe the lively behavior of primates swinging freely through trees and animals living in conditions close to the wild, feeling as if you are exploring a jungle. The immersive experience, where the distance to the animals is close and you can even feel their breath, is very popular with...

Yamaguchi
Sightseeing
Spring
Summer
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Winter

Jippotei Ishin Museum

Jippotei Ishin Museum

Located in the historical district of Yamaguchi City, this facility is a history museum centered around "Jippo-tei," a merchant house where the patriots of the Meiji Restoration gathered and repeatedly held secret meetings. Spaces where young people like Shinsaku Takasugi and Kogoro Katsura, who dreamed of a new Japan, actually stayed and burned with passion are preserved as they were. Inside the museum, exhibits utilizing the latest digital technology and AR (Augmented Reality) allow you to intuitively and enjoyably learn about the complex flow of history at the end of the Edo period and the real footprints of the patriots....

Yamaguchi
Sightseeing
Spring
Summer
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Winter

Kitsune-no-Ashiato (Footbath Cafe)

Kitsune-no-Ashiato (Footbath Cafe)

Popular as a hub for walking around Yuda Onsen, this is a modern and stylish footbath cafe. Inside the facility, themed after the "White Fox Legend" of Yuda Onsen, there are three types of footbaths with different atmospheres, and you can enjoy Yamaguchi's local sake, carefully selected sweets, and drinks while soaking your feet in the warm water. In particular, the "Sake Tasting Set" where you can enjoy small portions of local sake from Yamaguchi Prefecture is very popular with international tourists. Gazing at the garden through large windows and collecting information on Yamaguchi's culture and tourism in a relaxed...

Yamaguchi
Food
Spring
Summer
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Yamaguchi Furusato Heritage Center

Yamaguchi Furusato Heritage Center

This is a cultural facility for "protecting, transmitting, and nurturing" the traditional crafts of Yamaguchi City. Inside the building, which recreates the appearance of traditional townhouses, you can observe artisans demonstrating skills passed down from the Muromachi period about 600 years ago, such as "Ouchi-nuri" (lacquerware) and "Akama-suzuri" (inkstones), a representative traditional craft of Yamaguchi. The greatest charm is the ability to actually experience making things, such as lacquer painting or decorating, under the guidance of artisans. Touching traditional techniques with your own hands and creating a one-of-a-kind work is a precious opportunity to deeply understand Japanese culture. It is...

Yamaguchi
Sightseeing
Spring
Summer
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Chomonkyo Gorge

Chomonkyo Gorge

Stretching across Yamaguchi City and Abu Town, "Chomonkyo" is a magnificent canyon created by the erosion of the Abugawa River, with a total length of approximately 5.5 kilometers. It is designated as a National Scenic Spot, and if you walk along the well-maintained promenade along the river, you can encounter dynamic landscapes where strange rocks, odd stones, and deep pools follow one after another. The cherry blossoms in spring, deep greenery in summer, and colorful leaves in autumn are particularly wonderful, and the panorama woven by the vivid trees and clear streams is as beautiful as an ink wash painting....

Yamaguchi
Sightseeing
Nature
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Aio Kuruma Prawn Farm

Aio Kuruma Prawn Farm

The Aio district of Yamaguchi City is known as the "Birthplace of Kuruma Prawn Farming," having succeeded in farming Kuruma prawns for the first time in the world. At this farm, utilizing the vast sites of former salt pans, top-quality Kuruma prawns are raised under thorough management. Here, you can not only learn about the ecology of the prawns and the history of farming, but also enjoy the luxury of tasting freshly caught prawns on the spot. Whether eaten raw (odori-gui), salt-grilled, or as tempura, the overwhelming sweetness and bouncy texture unique to Kuruma prawns is truly an emotional flavor....

Yamaguchi
Sightseeing
Food
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Mori Clan Garden

Mori Clan Garden

This is a vast mansion and Japanese garden built with great luxury by the former Choshu Domain Lord Mori family during the Meiji and Taisho eras. The garden, a nationally designated scenic spot, is a magnificent strolling garden centered around a pond overflowing with water, skillfully incorporating the surrounding nature to allow you to enjoy the beauty of the four seasons. Especially in autumn, the colorful leaves are spectacular, and the vibrant colors reflected in the pond are breathtaking. The museum on the grounds displays numerous precious historical materials and artworks, including National Treasures, preserved by the Mori family, making...

Yamaguchi
Sightseeing
Spring
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Winter

Former Mitajiri Ochaya Eiun-so

Former Mitajiri Ochaya Eiun-so

Eiun-so in Hofu City is a historic building that was used as a villa or guest house for the Mori clan, the lords of the Choshu Domain, during the Edo period. It was also a stage for history visited by patriots of the Restoration, such as Shinsaku Takasugi, at the end of the Edo period. The building took its current form through additions and renovations in the Meiji and Taisho eras from the samurai residence style of the Edo period, and the ability to see multiple layers of history within a single building is a major attraction. Spending time looking...

Yamaguchi
Sightseeing
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Shunan City

Shunan City, located in the central part of Yamaguchi Prefecture, is a dynamic city where Japan's largest "factory night view" and calm nature in the mountains coexist. At night, the industrial complex along the Seto Inland Sea transforms into a sea of light that looks like scattered jewels, and the cruise experience viewed from a ship gives an extraordinary feeling as if you've wandered into a science fiction movie. On the other hand, in the northern part, there are beautiful terraced rice fields, hot spring areas, and old temples, where you can also touch traditional Japanese life. In addition, you...

Yamaguchi
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Spring
Summer
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Kanyoji Temple

Kanyoji Temple, located in the mountains of Shunan City, is an ancient temple founded by the Ouchi clan in the Muromachi period, and is a place where you can encounter modern garden art boasting some of the best beauty in Japan. More than 10 gardens with different atmospheres, such as the "Kyokusui Garden" by the world-famous landscape architect Mirei Shigemori, are arranged, and the creative and powerful designs woven by water and stone stimulate the viewer's sensibilities. The clear water drawn from the mountains flowing through the garden, coupled with the surrounding silence, produces the ultimate world of Zen. It...

Yamaguchi
Sightseeing
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Hanaoka Hachimangu Shrine

Hanaoka Hachimangu Shrine

Hanaoka Hachimangu, which has watched over the history of Kudamatsu City, is a prestigious shrine said to have been founded in 709. The biggest highlight is the "Tahoto" pagoda, built in the Muromachi period and designated as a National Important Cultural Property; its heavy wooden architectural beauty shines against the surrounding deep green and overwhelms viewers. Located in the center of Hanaoka, which once flourished as a post town, many materials and remains telling of the depth of ancient faith remain within the grounds. In autumn, colorful leaves decorate the shrine buildings, and the quiet grounds are enveloped in a...

Yamaguchi
Sightseeing
Spring
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Winter

Sunset Cape (Yuhi-misaki)

Sunset Cape (Yuhi-misaki)

Sunset Cape (Yuhi-misaki) on Kasado Island is famous as one of the best places to see the most beautiful sunset in the Seto Inland Sea. The silhouettes of small islands scattered across the sea and strange rocks carved by rough waves over many years show a divine appearance like a religious painting at dusk, as the sky and sea change expressions moment by moment. From the observation spot, you can see the vast, unobstructed horizon, and the time spent quietly watching the sun sink while listening to the sound of the waves will completely heal the fatigue of your journey....

Yamaguchi
Nature
Spring
Summer
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Winter

Kasado Island

Located in Kudamatsu City between Shimonoseki and Hiroshima, this is a beautiful crescent-shaped island connected by the giant "Kasado Bridge." The greatest charm of this island is the mystical sunset where the sinking sun dyes the sea orange, viewed through the wave-carved "Hanaguri Rock." The view from "Sunset Cape" is considered one of the most beautiful in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Within the island, there are also hot springs with spectacular views and hiking courses overlooking the sea, allowing you to enjoy a resort atmosphere. It is a soul-cleansing island resort where you can fully enjoy the calm nature of the Seto...

Yamaguchi
Nature
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Prince Ito Memorial Park

Prince Ito Memorial Park

In honor of the achievements of the first Prime Minister, Hirobumi Ito, this park was developed near his birthplace. Within the grounds, there is the thatched-roof "Birthplace" that retains the appearance of that time, and the magnificent Renaissance-style architecture of the "Former Residence of Hirobumi Ito," said to be designed by himself in his later years, allowing you to view the roots and aesthetic sense of the man who led Japan's modernization simultaneously. In addition, the modern memorial hall offers a detailed study of his turbulent life and the history of the Meiji Restoration. The space, where beautiful buildings feeling...

Yamaguchi
Sightseeing
Spring
Summer
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Winter

Kaisho-dori (Hikari City)

Kaisho-dori (Hikari City)

"Kaisho-dori" in the Murozumi district of Hikari City is an old townscape that retains the atmosphere of a port town that once flourished as a port of call for Kitamae-bune ships and as a key point of the Seto Inland Sea. Heavy merchant houses and storehouses line the street, reminiscent of the former bustle and the rich lives of the people of that time. If you take a city walk, you can encounter not only traditional architectural beauty but also historic shrines and temples and small shops loved by locals. This street, where the calm air unique to a town...

Yamaguchi
Sightseeing
Spring
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