HAGI, a castle town in Yamaguchi

Hagi, the birthplace of Japan’s Industrial Revolution

Hagi is a small castle town in Yamaguchi Prefecture, along the coastline of the Sea of Japan. During the feudal age, Hagi was the capital of the powerful Mori Clan before the Meiji Restoration. Hagi is also considered the birthplace of Japan’s Industrial Revolution and UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Despite its historical significance, there has been a decline in shopping districts in cities with vacant stores and shuttered streets. Rural decline in Japan is a pressing issue for future growth and Hagi is no exception.

Hagi was central to eliciting Japan's historical Meiji Restoration. At the end of the Edo Period, many distinguished individuals who played significant roles during the revolutionary stage were born here. All were students of Shokasonjuku, led by Yoshida Shoin.

Yoshida Shoin headed the Shokasonjuku Academy and taught various subjects, including military science, history, geography, and economics. He was also a pioneer of engineering in the field of education.

Let us briefly review the Meiji Restoration. The Edo Period lasted over 260 years from 1603 to 1868, under Tokugawa Shogunate rule. During this time, the Edo Government adopted a national isolation policy, which prohibited international trade with countries other than the Netherlands and China.

The Edo Period ended in 1867, when the new Meiji Government established policies under the emperor’s authority. Hagi was essential in pushing forward Japan’s modernization during this shift.

“TOMOE,” the best Japanese-style Ryokan in Hagi:

When we arrived at the Higashi Hagi station, a pick-up car from Tomoe Ryokan welcomed us. When we crossed the bridge of the Matsumoto Gawa River, Tomoe was close to it. It has been considered Hagi’s best Ryokan (Japanese-style inn) since 1925. The staff kindly showed us the house gallery, where calligraphy by Sato Eisaku, former Prime Minister, and several artwork are displayed.

After checking in at the hotel, we visited Shokasonjuku Academy, which was led by Yoshida Shoin. When Commodore Perry came to Japan asking for the country’s opening, he realized that Japan had to modernize and learn from foreign countries to survive. We visited Shoin’s birthplace, the Shoin Shrine, and the Academy. We discovered that Japan’s modernization had its roots here. We also visited the statue of Ito Hirobumi, the former Prime Minister, and his house and second house, which was relocated from Tokyo.

In a comfortable Japanese room at the inn, dinner is served at approximately 6:00 pm.

The next day, breakfast was provided in the dining room together with other travelers. There are bright windows to view the surroundings. Healthy vegetable smoothies and various local dishes were arranged in a Bento Box.

After breakfast, we visited the Hagi Museum and samurai and merchant district of Hagi. The former castle town was well-preserved. Hagi has been fortunate to have avoided major disasters since the Edo Period. The maze of the white-walled streets is lined with well-preserved merchant houses. Summer orange trees protrude over the walls. The Natsumikan (summer citrus) that hangs over the earthen walls symbolizes Hagi, since Natsumikan was cultivated by samurai to support their finances. Several beautiful traditional samurai and merchant residences were visited. The walls with distinctive tiles and plaster crisscross patterns are called namako-kabe or sea-cucumber walls.

Next, we took a bus to the town’s tourist destination. After lunch at the Meirin Gakusha restaurant, we headed back to the airport.　It was a pleasant day looking back at the history and appreciated the regional culture and local cuisine.