萩焼

Hagi in Yamaguchi Prefecture is well known for its fine ceramics - Hagi-ware or in Japanese hagiyaki.

Pottery production in Hagi dates back to the Heian Period but it wasn't until the late sixteenth century that the distinctive Hagi-ware of simple forms and a translucent white glaze were born.




The late sixteenth century was a period of intense interest in the tea ceremony inspired by the influence of the tea master Sen-no-rikyu (1522-1591) and his philosophy of tea known as wabi-cha. The era also saw two invasions of Korea by warlord Hideyoshi Toyotomi, whose forces abducted a number of potters from Korea.
Two of these (the brothers Lee Jak Kwang and Lee Kyung) settled in the Hagi area under the patronage of the Mori clan and began making Korean-style tea bowls which are the origin of later Hagi-ware.



Hagiyaki is supposed to improve with age as the colors soften as the tannin from the green tea soaks through the porous glaze. However, the pottery is very fragile and easy to break.

Two of Hagi's great pottery families are the Miwas and the Sakas, some of whose members have been designated National Living Treasures for their art.

Hagi-ware can be seen in numerous galleries and museums throughout the town including the Hagi Museum (Tel: 0838 25 6447), the Ishii Teabowl Museum (Tel: 0838 25 1211) and the Hagi Pottery Museum (Tel: 0838 25 8981).



The first week of May is the annual Hagi-yaki Festival with works from over 50 local kilns on sale.

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萩焼

Kikugahama Beach in Hagi, Yamaguchi Prefecture stretches in a gentle arc from the Shizuki promontory where Hagi Castle is located to the mouth of the Matsumoto River.


The beautiful white, sandy beach is backed by evergreen trees and is a favorite spot for swimmers in summer and walkers at all times of the year.


The sunsets are spectacular behind a line of now uninhabited islands.

The beach is officially open for swimming from mid-July to mid-August, at other times beware of the jellyfish.

A boat tour of Hagi takes in the lovely shoreline from the boat.


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木戸孝允

Takayoshi Kido aka Kido Koin (1833-1877) is my favorite protagonist from the Bakamatsu Period of Japanese history when the Tokugawa regime came crashing down after over 250 years in power, to be replaced by the modernizing and westernizing though extremely conservative Meiji government of 1868.

I got to know Kido through his excellent diaries, which recall a by-gone life of late Edo Period Japan. Kido relates a typical day leisurely sailing down the river from Kyoto to Osaka, enjoying sake all the way, spending the evening flirting with geisha in Sakai, before taking a Western ship to Edo - all in the midst of a violent revolution! What calmness under pressure! What elan!



Kido was the son of a Choshu clan doctor but was adopted by the Katsura family when he was seven years old and was called Katsura Kogoro at this time. As a youth, Kido was a student of Yoshida Shoin in Hagi.

Kido's early life in both Edo and Kyoto was eventful and full of political intrigue and danger as he conspired with Choshu activists in the struggle against the Tokugawa. While in hiding from the feared Shinsengumi swordsmen in Kyoto, Kido sought refuge in a geisha house and was later to marry one of the geisha working there.

Kido also supervised the construction of Choshu's first Western-style ship in Hagi in his role of advisor to the Choshu daimyo.

After the Restoration in 1868, Kido was instrumental in drafting the Five Charter Oath and the legislation that would lead to the abolition of the han (domain) system and the subsequent beginnings of a centralized government. Kido was also part of the Iwakura Mission that toured the USA and Europe in 1871 to study the political and economic institutions of the west.

Kido's residence is preserved in Hagi's Horiuchi quarter and is a simple Japanese-style house with tatami floors in lots of small rooms. There are two entrances: one for family members and the other for guests.

Kido died early after a long illness, possibly TB and beri-beri, exacerbated by the prodigious amounts of sake he seems to have drunk throughout his life.

"I drank more than I should have tonight, and I dreamed endlessly. At times the moon shone brightly, then again it was hidden behind a cloud. My two acquaintances have died, so I do not record their names; but I grieve for them."

Excerpt from Kido's diary August 6, 1868


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萩八景遊覧船

Hagi's sightseeing boat service, like a similar operation in Matsue up the coast, takes in the town's main sightseeing spots at a leisurely speed.

Boats were a major means of transportation in the city's past and a boat tour or rickshaw ride is a great way for the visitor to return to the rhythms of the Edo Period.



The basic course begins at the Shizuki Bridge near Hagi Castle and proceeds to the castle canal and the Hashimoto River via Tokiwa Island; Kikugahama Beach and the samurai residences of Horiuchi and Hiyako are viewed from the sea.

The whole trip takes about 40 minutes in wooden, flat-bottom boats provided with a roof.

The service runs from March through November from 9am-5pm except in November when boats run from 9am-4pm as the evenings draw in.

Cost 1200 yen or 1,000 yen if more than 20 people participate.

Tel: 0838 25 1750



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伊藤博文別邸

Ito Hirobumi (1841-1909) was one of the founding fathers of modern Japan, who served as Prime Minister in the Meiji government and was later Resident General of Korea until he was assassinated by a Korean nationalist in Harbin.



Born in the Hagi region, Ito was a student of Yoshida Shoin and later traveled to London as part of the "Choshu Five" sent by their clan to study and absorb Western ways and new technology. Only 17 at the time, Ito was deeply impressed by the time he spent at University College London and became an avid supporter of Japan's Westernization and modernization.

On his return to Japan, Ito was instrumental in persuading the Choshu domain to seek an alliance with Western powers as a way to undermine and overthrow the Tokugawa regime.



After the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Ito traveled to both the USA and Europe to gather information on drafting a new constitution for Japan. Becoming Japan's first Prime Minister in 1885, Ito was to serve in the post on three later occasions.

As an elder statesman Ito became Resident General of Korea as Japan began to extend its control of the Korean Peninsula. He was assassinated in Harbin by An Jung-geun, a Korean nationalist.

Hirobumi's early childhood home (Ito Hirobumi Old Residence) and his later, grander residence from Shinagawa, Tokyo are now preserved in Hagi a short stroll behind Shoin Shrine. The Second Residence is a spacious, traditional-style Japanese home with tatami flooring. Visitors must remove their shoes before entering.

Hours: 9am-5pm
Admission: 100 yen
Tel: 0838 25 3139

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明倫館

The Meirinkan in central Hagi was established in 1718 in the grounds of Hagi Castle and was a major han (feudal domain) school, which trained many of the men who would become major players in the Meiji Restoration of 1868. Yoshida Shoin, Kido Takayoshi and Takasugi Shinsaku were all graduates of the school started by the daimyo (feudal lord) of Choshu, Mori Yoshimoto.



Adjacent to the main school buildings is the Yubi-kan - a martial arts hall used for kendo and spearmanship. It is believed Sakamoto Ryoma participated in the inter-domain games that were held here at the time.



The large wooden buildings are still in use today as part of Hagi City Meirin Elementary School. The school is directly opposite Hagi City Hall.



Hagi Video Guide



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吉田松陰記念館




A little south of Hagi is the Yoshida Shoin Memorial Hall (Yoshida Shoin Kinenkan)。
It is most notable for the three bronze statues that stand outside in front of it, one of Yoshida Shoin himself, one of Takasugi Shinsaku, and one of Kusaka Gensui: both the latter having been taught in the late 1850s by Yoshida at his family’s Shoka-sonjuku school that produced over 80 students who went on to become prominent figures in the Meiji Restoration that modernized Japan, beginning in 1868.
The Yoshida Shoin Memorial Hall is free, and just as well, because the exhibits it contains are not particularly remarkable. They include a map detailing Yoshida’s wanderings throughout Japan, a life-size wax museum-style replica of a class at Yoshida’s Shoka-sonjuku, and several documents and replicas of documents such as letters by the great man, his last will and testament, and kakejiku, i.e. calligraphic scrolls bearing exhortative proverbs and sayings.

If you're driving to Yamaguchi from Hagi, it's worth stopping for a look. There are also refreshments on sale. Park only in designated parking spaces. I didn't and crushed the bumper against a pole.

萩市大字椿 字鹿背ケ坂 1258
1258 Tsubaki, Hagi-shi, Yamaguchi
Tel/Fax 0838 22 9889
Hours: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. every day except Dec 29 – Jan 3.

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吉田 松陰

One of the most popular tourist sites in Hagi is the Shoin Shrine enshrining Yoshida Shoin (1830-1859). He was a local samurai who was executed in 1859 for his part in an asassination plot against Ii Naosuke - a government official - but is mostly known for being a teacher of many of the leading members of the new Meiji government, which took over power from the Tokugawa regime in 1868.



The shrine was established in 1890 and moved to its present location in 1955. The original shrine is just to the north of the present shrine and it now enshrines the students of Yoshida Shoin.



Within the grounds of the shrine is his old classroom where he taught the likes of Ito Hirobumi (1841-1909), Japan's first Prime Minister.



Also within the grounds is a small museum on Yoshida that mostly consists of life-size tableau depicting events from his short and dramatic life.



Read more about Hagi

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大照院萩

The Mori Clan, who built the castle town of Hagi and ruled the domain from there during the Edo period, had, rather unusually, two family temples for the burial of their dead. Local people say this was a ruse by the clan to downplay their power in the eyes of the ruling shogunate.



The first family temple was Daishoin, a Rinzai sect temple rebuilt by the Mori in the late 17th century. Here the first, second, fourth, sixth, eighth, tenth, and twelfth lords and their wives were buried, while the third, fifth, seventh, ninth, and eleventh were buried at Tokoji Temple on the other side of Hagi.



Both graveyards have hundreds of stone lanterns donated by faithful retainers, though Daishoin has 600, about 100 more than Tokoji.



Because of its location, a little away from major tourist attractions in Hagi, Daishoin gets far fewer visitors than Tokoji. The temple is less well maintained and a little run down, but this only adds to its charm and atmosphere, coupled with the fact that it is often empty of visitors.



Daishoin is a short walk from Hagi JR station.

Open from 8:30am to 5:00pm daily. Entrance 200 yen



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萩

The castle town of Hagi, Yamaguchi Prefecture, was constructed on the "island" delta between the 2 forks of the Abu River.



When the railway reached Hagi it went around the town and not straight through it and therefore the town was spared the redevelopment that occurred around railway lines and stations elsewhere in Japan.



Consequently sections of the old town are still pretty much as they were centuries ago, and it is said that Edo-period maps can still be followed.



In the old samurai district near the castle many of the former samurai dwellings still stand, and the roads are lined with impressive traditional earthen walls.



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