JAPAN PHOTOS by Philbert Ono

Hagi Castle has no castle buildings remaining, but the moats and stone walls are impressive. After moving from Hiroshima, Mori Terumoto built Hagi Castle in 1604, and his Mori Clan rules Choshu domain here for about 260 years. Hagi became a flourishing castle town. Nearby is also the castle town district with numerous white-walled structures and the grave of Mori Terumoto. Short walk from the Hagi-joseki castle bus stop or Hagi Museum.

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Yoshida Shoin (1830–1859 吉田松陰) was a native of Hagi who was a leading intellectual and educator during the final years of the Tokugawa shogunate. Hagi was part of the Choshu domain which was at odds with the Tokugawa since the beginning of the Edo Period. Shoin educated many young local turks seeking to ouster the Tokugawa. He is regarded as an instigator of the Meiji Restoration that ended Tokugawa rule.
Yoshida is also noted for trying to stowaway on Commodore Perry's USS Powhatan flagship to go to America and study abroad in 1854. He had an eventful but short life, executed at age 29. In Hagi, the Shoin Shrine is dedicated to him. The shrine grounds includes his school named Shoka-sonjuku (松下村塾). This is one of Hagi's major sights. Near Shoin Jinja-mae bus stop, short Maaru bus ride from Higashi Hagi Station.

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Opened in 2004, Hagi Museum is in an impressive, traditional-style modern building. Features mainly local history of Choshu. The Maaru bus stops here. Get off at Hagi Hakubutsukan-mae. 萩博物館前

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The old Hagi Station is well preserved. Also see Higashi Hagi Station which is the city's main train station. And the Maaru bus is the best way to see Hagi's sights.

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Made of wood with five distinct arches, Kintai-kyo Bridge is one of Japan's three most famous bridges since the 17th century. The current bridge was reconstructed in Feb. 2004 after 3 years of work by Iwakuni carpenters using Edo-Period techniques and materials from all over Japan. It is slated to last for 50 years.

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After crossing the famous Kintai-kyo Bridge, board a gondola to visit this mountaintop castle. The original castle was built by Lord Kikkawa Hiroie in 1608, after 8 years of construction. However, the castle had to be dismantled in 1615. The present castle tower was reconstructed in 1962, 30 meters south of the original spot, in order to make it more visible on the mountain.

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Iwakuni Station and an inconvenient distance away is Shin-Iwakuni Station, a bullet train station.

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Small rural train station on the JR Onoda Line.

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Numerous rock formations make it an unusual landscape.

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Large cavern with a wide variety of natural features with interesting nicknames.

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Ozushima island is a short boat ride from Tokuyama Port near JR Tokuyama Station. The island is known as the training ground for kaiten manned torpedoes during World War II. A facility used to train kaiten pilots still remains and the Kaiten Memorial Museum explains about the kaiten and the suicide kaiten pilots. Also see my Google Map for major sights.

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Shunan Museum of Art and History has a large exhibition room dedicated to photographer Tadahiko Hayashi (1918-1990). He was from Tokuyama and his family donated all his photos and camera equipment to this museum. The museum is a short bus ride from JR Tokuyama Station. Admission 200 yen.

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JR Tokuyama Station's north side has colorful holiday tree lights during Nov. and Dec.

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Suo-Oshima island is the third largest island in the Seto Inland Sea and slightly smaller than the Hawaiian island of Lanai. Population is almost 20,000. Besides white-sand beaches, there is the The Museum of Japanese Emigration to Hawaii. The island looks like a goldfish and easily accessible by bus/taxi from the mainland via Ohashi Bridge. Closest train station is Obatake Station not far from Iwakuni. The island has white-sand beaches, tangerine groves, and lots of fishing ports. Also visited the Mutsu Memorial Museum dedicated to Battleship Mutsu. Map: http://goo.gl/maps/vf9Ia

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Belonging to the Zen Rinzai Sect, Sorinji temple is noted for its Japanese garden called Ryushintei in the back of the temple.

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Ube's main train station, Ube-Shinkawa Station is near shopping arcades and outdoor sculptures. Great place to rent a bicycle at a hotel in front of the station and explore this small city.

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JR Ogori Station (now Shin-Yamaguchi) and Yamaguchi Station.

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Other photos of the city.

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Central Yanai near JR Yanai Station is noted for a beautiful street of homes and shops having traditional white walls (shirakabe). The area is officially preserved as a traditional townscape (重要伝統的建造物群保存地区).

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Muroyano-sono is a long house (Machiya) museum, formerly the estate of an oil merchant. It is adjacent to Yanai's townscape of white-wall buildings. Probably built in 1702, Muroyano-sono consists of several buildings clustered together. They include the main building (omoya), main storehouse (hongura), and rice storehouse (komegura). Open 9 am to 5 pm and closed on Wed. and during the year end and New Year's period. Admission is a few hundred yen.

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