Hagi Castle Town and Former Residence is located in the northern part of Yamaguchi Prefecture and is an area where the streets that once flourished as a castle town still remains. The former residences of great figures active from the end of the Edo period to the Meiji Restoration, such as Takasugi Shinsaku and Kido Takayoshi, still exist, and the stately samurai residences with their thick white walls are full of attractions. These residences are registered as World Heritage Sites as one of the constituent elements of “Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution”. There are also stylish cafes and general stores, so you can enjoy not only a historical stroll, but also a stylish and fun stroll. If you want to learn more about this area, there are also guided walks and guided rickshaw courses. Nearby are Hagi Castle Ruins (萩城跡) and Shoukasonjuku Academy (松下村塾), so it is recommended to visit these places as well.
Attractions
In Hagi Castle Town, there are many perfectly preserved former samurai residences that serve as living proofs of Japanese history. The traditional houses, which still retain the grand architectural style of the Edo period, are characterized by their meticulous craftsmanship and intricate designs. Walking along the cobblestone streets is like stepping back in time, immersing oneself in the atmosphere of good old Japan. Here, the main Former Residences, architectures, and streets.
Former Samurai Residences
This area is lined with former samurai residences that are registered as a component of the World Heritage Site.
① Edoya Street (江戸屋横町)
Edoya Yokocho is lined with architectures with blackboard walls that offer a tasteful scenery. At that time, this street was inhabited by merchants and middle and lower class samurai. You can feel the atmosphere of the common people in Japan at that time, with houses on relatively narrow grounds, wooden fences, stone walls, and hedges.
② Enseiji Temple (円政寺)
It is a temple where samurai at the end of the Edo era, such as Shinsaku Takasugi (高杉晋作) and Hirobumi Ito (伊藤博文), studied and played. Shinsaku Takasugi is a samurai who caused various revolutions at the end of the Edo era and brought about major changes in Japanese history. Hirobumi Ito is one of the most famous figures in Japanese history, having served as the first Prime Minister. In the worship hall of Konpira Shrine, there is a large and powerful “Tengu mask” painted in vermilion, and it is said that Takasugi Shinsaku was trained not to be afraid of things by being shown this mask.
Admission fee
Adult : 200 yen
High and junior high school students : 150 yen
Elementary school students : 50 yen
③ Former Residence of Shusuke Aoki (青木周弼旧宅)
This is the former residence of Shusuke Aoki, a doctor of the Choshu domain (長州藩) at the end of the Edo era. He was one of the best doctors in Japan not only as a physician but also as a doctor of Dutch studies.
Admission fee
Adult : 100 yen
Under elementary school students : 100 yen
④ Former Residence of Takayoshi Kido (木戸孝允旧宅)
This is the former residence where Takayoshi Kido lived until he was 20 years old. Takayoshi Kido was a samurai who worked hard to create a new Japanese system from the end of the Edo era to the Meiji era. In the former residence, there are exhibits such as a birth room, hanging scrolls that display calligraphy he learned as a child, and photographs.
Admission fee
Adult : 100 yen
Under elementary school students : 100 yen
⑤ Former Kubota Residence (旧久保田家住宅)
The Kubota family was engaged in a kimono business and a sake brewery at that time, and this old residence was built from the end of the Edo period to the early Meiji period. As an architecture from the end of the Edo era to the beginning of the Meiji era, the former Kubota residence is excellent in design, structure, and technology, and conveys well the situation of the past when the sake brewing industry prospered. Therefore, it is extremely important as an architecture that forms the castle town of Hagi Castle, the historical capital.
Admission fee
Adult : 100 yen
Under elementary school students : 100 yen
⑥ Kikuya Residence (菊屋家住宅)
The Kikuya family was a wealthy merchant who supported the clan as an official merchant. The Kikuya residence also served as a guest house for the clan’s guests. The Kikuya residence was built in the early Edo era (1603-1868) and is one of the oldest large townhouses in existence, with a history of 400 years.
Here, you can put on a kimono, ride a rickshaw around a castle town that is a World Heritage Site, and experience making matcha green tea. In addition, there are many valuable materials such as wonderful gardens, artworks, folk tools, and old books on display in the residence, which reminds us of the life of the merchants of the past.
Admission fee
Adult : 650 yen
High and junior high school students : 350 yen
Elementary school students : 300 yen
⑦ Birthplace of Takasugi Shinsaku (高杉晋作誕生地)
This is the birthplace of Shinsaku Takasugi, a samurai who caused various revolutions and brought about major changes in Japanese history. There are his materials, a well that he is said to have used for his maternity bath, and a monument to his own haiku.
Admission fee
Adult : 100 yen
High and junior high school students : 50 yen
Elementary school students : free
⑧ Kikuya Street (菊屋横町)
The beautiful namako kabe architecture is a feature of Kikuya street, and this street is selected as one of the 100 best roads in Japan. Namako kabe is one of the traditional Japanese walll styles, and is made by arranging flat tiles (kawara) on the wall. This wall has a very beautiful contrast of white and black.
Enjoy Japanese sweets and shopping
Introducing recommended shops in the Former Samurai Residence area
a. Rickshaw platform
Recommended for those who want to take a rickshaw and feel the atmosphere of Hagi while strolling through a slightly different castle town and samurai residences. The castle town from a different perspective is also exceptional. There are various options such as a short course that you can go around in 17 minutes or a course that you can go around freely for 2 hours. The price is 4,000 yen (17 minutes course).
b. Warabi mochi specialty shop Hagi no Sawarabi (萩ノ早蕨)
Warabi mochi is one of the Japanese sweets, and it is really good with a soft texture that melts in your mouth. It is commonly eaten with soybean flour and brown sugar syrup, but you can also have it as a warabi mochi drink here.
The softy Warabi mochi grains go very well with matcha, roasted green tea and strawberry drinks. Of course, there is no doubt to be good on warabimochi own as well. You can eat and drink in the shop or take it out, so It might be nice to enjoy the Hagi townscape while drinking a Warabi mochi drink dumpling drink.
c. Hagi pudding shop Hagi Purin tei (萩プリン亭)
Here you can eat smooth puddings made with fresh eggs and milk. It’s good to eat sweet and delicious pudding after walking around Hagi castle town. In addition to eating in the store, takeout is also possible. It is sure to be a great souvenir purchase.
Hagi Meirin Gakusha (萩明倫学舎)
Meirin Gakusha is one of the largest wooden school buildings in Japan, built on the site of a former school that served as the center of education and human resource development for the Hagi clan. Recently, it is a popular tourist destination as a base for sightseeing in Hagi. Inside Meirin Gakusha, there is a restaurant that uses the abundant produce of Hagi, a shop that sells souvenirs unique to Hagi, a visitor center that introduces sightseeing spots in Hagi, and an exhibition of valuable materials related to the history of the end of the Edo era.
Collect Hagi sightseeing information and take a short break
Meirin Gakusha is a tourist base in Hagi and has a lot of tourist information. It might be a good idea to visit here first.
There is also a rest area where you can eat light meals, so it is recommended that you make a sightseeing plan while taking a break at the rest area after obtaining information at the tourist information center.
Enjoy the atmosphere of an old Japanese school
Meirin Gakusha is the original school building, so the atmosphere of the school in those days remains intact inside the building.
The principal’s office is also open to the public, and it might be good to take pictures as if you were the principal at that time.
Classrooms, stationery and tableware for school lunches are also on display. It is as if the scene at that time comes to mind. One of the points is that you can enjoy this area for free.
Learn about Hagi’s nature and topography
Meirin Gakusha has a Geopark Visitor Center of Hagi. Most of the land of Hagi today was formed by volcanic activity between about 100 million and 10,000 years ago. At the Geopark Visitor Center, there are projection mapping that introduces the origins of the land of Hagi, panels that introduce Hagi’s geostory, and hands-on exhibits that you can enjoy using your five senses.
Experience the history of Hagi
In the No.1 building of Meirin Gakusha, a model of the townscape of Hagi at that time and materials from that time are displayed. You can feel and learn the history at that time of Hagi.
In the No.2 building, about 600 items of particularly valuable real materials from the history of Hagi are on display. There is also a corner where you can experience the end of the Edo period in VR. Although there is a fee, the No.2 building is packed with more detailed history and interesting corners.
Admission fee of No.2 building : 100 yen
Access
You can access Hagi Castle Town and Former Residence on from JR Higashi Hagi station (東萩駅) or JR Hagi station (萩駅). If you access from JR Higashi Hagi station, leave the exit of JR Higashi Hagi station (東萩駅) and head west. The distance is about 2km, and it takes about 25 minutes. If you access from JR Hagi station, leave the exit of JR Hagi station (東萩駅) and head north. The distance is about 2.5km, and it takes about 30 minutes. You can also access this area by buses or your car. It might be a good idea to rent a bicycle and go around Hagi.
Summary
Hagi has many architectures and heritage sites that are important in Japanese history. Why don’t you take a trip to see and learn about these things and feel the atmosphere of Japan? There are also many stylish cafes and souvenir shops, so anyone can enjoy there. There are also attractions nearby such as Hagi Castle Ruins (萩城跡) and Shoukasonjuku Academy (松下村塾), so if you visit both of them, you will definitely have a very fulfilling trip.
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