Hagi is a former city in Yamaguchi Prefecture
noted for its heritage castle town kept from Japan’s Edo
period, in addition to a local style of ceramics.
Hagi is a city in the northern part of
Yamaguchi
Prefecture, sitting on the coast along the Sea of Japan.
Formerly the capital of the Mori Samurai Clan’s domain
during Japan’s feudal era, the city was built as a castle
town around Hagi Castle. And although the castle keep
was eventually destroyed at the Meiji Restoration, the
heritage town at the foot of the ruin maintains a timeless
air of distinctly Japanese charm. The old-fashioned
shops
and houses are exquisitely maintained; one may easily
imagine, while exploring the area, the lives of the
tradespeople and samurai who once lived there. Many
of
the buildings are open to the public.
Hagi is also well known for its local ceramics. Hagi-Ware
is
prized by pottery collectors for the subtle changes in
color
that tea residue makes on the cup or teapot over time.
Museums dedicated to this style of ceramics are
available
to visit, as well as local pottery workshops that display
the
molding and firing processes.
Please see below for tours that
include Hagi:
