Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [378]
Hagi Royal Intelligent Hotel (21-4589; fax 21-4488; http://hrih.jp, in Japanese; 3000-5 Chintō; s/tw ¥5900/7400; ) Immediately to the left as you exit Higashi-Hagi Station, this new hotel has large, comfortably appointed rooms with little extras like felt dartboards. There is an onsen downstairs, and a computer centre with free internet access.
Hagi Grand Hotel Tenkū (25-1211; fax 25-4422; www.hagi-gh.com, in Japanese; 25 Furuhagi-machi; s/tw ¥9450/17,325; ) A huge, slightly faded tourist hotel with large rooms and an extensive onsen complex at the back. There is a market on the ground floor that sells all kinds of tasty local treats.
Well Heart Pia Hagi (22-7580; fax 25-7931; www.kjp.or.jp/hp_109, in Japanese; 485-2 Horiuchi; per person with meals from ¥9800; ) Five minutes’ walk east of Hagi castle, this large modern facility has huge rooms with views of Kiku-ga-hama beach. The onsen baths are also open to nonguests (¥500, from 10am to 9pm Thursday to Tuesday, and from 3pm to 9pm Wednesday). Bike hire is available for ¥1000 per day.
Hagi no Yado Tomoe (22-0150; fax 25-0152; www.tomoehagi.jp/english01.html; 608-53 Kōbō-ji Hijiwara; per person from ¥10,500; ) The finest inn in Hagi, the historic Tomoe has gorgeous Japanese rooms with garden views, beautifully prepared cuisine and luxurious baths.
Eating & Drinking
Don Don Udonya (22-7537; 377 San-ku Hijiwara; dishes ¥390-700; 9am-9pm) A popular spot serving tasty udon, with plastic models in the window. Tempura udon goes for ¥450. It’s in a big black-and-white building on the right as you head away from the station.
Maru (26-5060; 78 Yoshida-chō; meals ¥700-1200;5-11pm, closed Sun) A relaxed and modern young people’s izakaya, Maru features the local beef, kenran-gyū (), available as sashimi (¥850), sushi (¥1000) or garlic steak (¥650). It also serves all the usual izakaya favourites (no English menu). Try the Hagi no kuramoto udedameshi setto (¥1000) for a tasting set from six local sake breweries. Maru has a large wooden door marked with a circle and the words ‘Maru Barrel House’ written in English.
Nakamura (22-6619; 394 Hijiwara; meals ¥1500-5000; lunch & dinner, closed Wed) Unidon (sea urchin on rice; from ¥2639) is the house speciality here. Fronted by bushes, this old fashioned–looking restaurant is behind a car park by a small canal.
Hagi Shinkai (26-1221; 370-71 Hijiwara; set meals ¥4000-6000;lunch & dinner) This popular place, a few minutes’ walk from Higashi-Hagi station, specialises in seafood served fresh from tanks. Teishoku options from the Japanese-only menu include sashimi teishoku (¥2415), hotate teishoku (scallops; ¥3675) and uni teishoku (sea urchin; ¥3990). Look for the white building with the lighthouse jutting out from the roof.
Kurumayado Tenjuppei (26-6474; 33-5 Minamifuruhagi-machi; 9am-6pm) This charming gallery and tearoom is in a late–Edo period house with a large garden. Pots of tea go for ¥600; a plate of scones is ¥400. It’s down a little lane after Cafeteria Ijinkan (see below), through a gate on the right.
Cafeteria Ijinkan (25-6334; 2-61 Gofuku-machi; 9.30am-9.30pm) The Ijinkan is a brick-walled Japanese-style coffee house complete with floral carpets, chandeliers and waitresses in French-maid outfits. The Japanese-only menu features simple meals such as yakisoba (fried noodles with meat and vegetables, ¥650) and pizza (¥800).
Getting There & Away
The JR San-in line runs along the north coast through Tottori, Matsue, and Hagi to Shimonoseki. Local services between Shimonoseki and Higashi-Hagi (¥1890) take up to three hours, depending on transfers.
Long-distance buses connect Hagi with Shin-Yamaguchi (¥1970, 1½ hours, 21 daily), south of Hagi on the Tokyo–Osaka–Hakata shinkansen line. Buses run to Tsuwano (¥2080, one hour and 45 minutes) to the east in Shimane-ken, and also to Tokyo (¥12,640, 12 hours), Osaka (¥6920, 11 hours) and