Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [377]
At the main entrance to the Horiuchi district is the Hagi Museum (25-6447; 355 Horiuchi; admission ¥500; 9am-5pm), which has exhibitions on Hagi’s history as a castle town and the role it played in the Meiji Restoration. Unfortunately, there are no English explanations.
Kumaya Art Museum (25-5535; 47 Imauono Tanamachi; admission ¥700; 9am-5pm, closed Mon & Dec–mid-Mar), in Jōkamachi, has a limited collection including tea bowls, screens and other items, displayed in a series of small warehouses dating from 1768. The Kumaya family ran the salt trade for the Mōri family, and spent part of their fortune on the ceramics, screens and other objects of art that form the bulk of the collection.
SHŌIN-JINJA
This shrine was founded in 1890 and is dedicated to Meiji Restoration movement leader Yoshida Shōin. His old house and the school where he agitated against the shogunate in the years leading up to the revolution are also here. A Treasure House is set to open in late 2009. South of the shrine is the Itō Hirobumi House (; admission ¥100; 9am-5pm), the thatched early home of the four-term prime minister who was a follower of Yoshida Shōin, and who later drafted the Meiji Constitution. The impressive mansion he lived in during his years in Tokyo is next door, built in 1907 and moved to Hagi after his death.
TŌKŌ-JI
East of the river stands pretty Zen Tōkō-ji (26-1052; admission ¥300; 1647 Chintō; 8.30am-5pm), built in 1691 and home to the tombs of five Mōri lords. The stone walkways on the hillside behind the temple are flanked by almost 500 stone lanterns, erected by the lords’ servants.
DAISHŌ-IN
South of the centre, near JR Hagi Station, the funerary temple Daishō-in (22-2124; 4132 Omi; admission ¥200; 8am-5pm Apr-Nov, to 4.30pm Dec-Mar) was built in 1656 and dedicated to the first Mōri lord, Hidenari. The graves of the first two lords are here, along with all the even-numbered generations after that. There are 52 graves in the mausoleum, including those of several retainers who performed junshi – a ritual suicide by disembowelment that was performed so they could join their masters in death.
MYŌJIN-IKE & KASA-YAMA •
About 5km east of the town is the 112m dormant volcano Kasa-yama. The pond at the mountain’s base, Myōjin-ike, is connected to the sea, and shelters a variety of saltwater fish.
Further up the mountain is Hagi Glass Associates (; 26-2555; Myōjin-ike Koshigahama; admission free; 9am-6pm, demonstrations 9am-noon & 1-4.30pm), where quartz basalt from the volcano is used to make extremely tough Hagi glassware. There is a showroom and a shop, and visitors can make their own piece of glassware (glass-blowing classes ¥3150). Next door is Hagi’s own beer and citrus juice factory, Yuzuya Honten (;25-7511; Myojin-ike Koshigahama; admission free;9am-5pm).
The road continues to the top of Kasa-yama, from where there are fine views along the coast and a tiny 30m-deep crater. Kasa-yama is close enough to make a good bicycle ride from Hagi.
Sleeping
Hagi Youth Hostel (22-0733; fax 22-3558; www.jyh.or.jp/yhguide/chugoku/hagi/index.html, in Japanese; 109-22 Horiuchi; dm members/nonmembers ¥2940/3540; closed mid-Jan–mid-Feb; ) Close to the castle at the western end of town, the hostel is a 15-minute walk from JR Tamae station. The hostel is cold and bare, but the manager is very attentive. Bicycles can be rented for ¥500 a day and meals are available.
Nakamura Ryokan (22-0303; fax 26-0303; nakamura-r.ftw.jp, in Japanese; 56 Furuhagi-machi; s/tw ¥5250/8400; ) The Nakamura is a friendly place divided into modern and older buildings. It has large tatami rooms and there’s a big pine by the tiled-roof genkan (entrance).
Business Hotel Hasegawa (22-0450; fax 22-4884; www.hagi.ne.jp/004_hasegawa, in Japanese; 17 Karahi-machi; s/tw ¥5500/10,500; ) Between the station and the sights