Part 2: Why Yamaguchi Prefecture Should Be High on Your Japan Travel List

A Perfect Day Trip in Yamaguchi: Hagi, Kasayama Camellia Grove and Motonosumi Inari Shrine

It’s an easy driving loop past verdant fields from Yamaguchi City to the charming city of Hagi, perched on the Sea of Japan, and then to the Kasayama Camellia Grove on the coast at the foot of Mount Kasayama. From there it’s a leisurely drive along the western coast to Motonosumi Inari Shrine, certainly one of the most photogenic―and probably most photographed―attractions in Japan.

While Yamaguchi City has been receiving plenty of attention lately, we found the coastal city of Hagi (pronounced “Hahg-e,” not “Hazhi”) to be even more captivating. This charming and accessible city of about 45,000 residents boasts a rich historical and cultural heritage.

Hagi

The Hagi Castle Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is nestled within Shizuki Park and is renowned for its well-preserved samurai-era architecture. Strolling through the narrow streets, you’ll encounter traditional merchant houses and centuries-old samurai residences that offer a glimpse into Japan’s feudal past.

For art and history buffs, the Hagi Uragami Museum showcases an impressive collection of ukiyo-e woodblock prints and exquisite ceramics. To the east, the serene Tōkō-ji Temple features a stunning array of historic stone lanterns, adding to the city’s cultural cachet.

Nature lovers will also find plenty to enjoy in Hagi. If you visit in the spring, Hagi is known for its breathtaking spring cherry blossoms and the lush, forested slopes of Mt. Shizuki.  During the warmer months, Kikugahama Beach draws visitors with its sandy shores and tranquil atmosphere.

Hagi’s captivating blend of history, art, and natural beauty makes it a destination that is both enriching and deeply engaging. No visit would be complete, however, without indulging in its culinary delights. Known as a foodie’s paradise, Hagi is blessed with the Sea of Japan at its doorstep and an abundance of rich farmland all around. As a result, Hagi offers a rich variety of fish and seafood, including delicacies like horse mackerel and swordtip squid, alongside its renowned Kenran beef and Mutsumi pork, each celebrated for exceptional flavor and quality.

Kasayama Camellia Grove

It is a short coastal drive up from Hagi to the Kasayama Camellia Grove.

Along the way, you will pass Myojin Pond. It’s worth a brief stop to enjoy this lovely pond and to feed the large flock, called a 'kettle,' of hawk-like birds. Pay ¥100 and get bread to throw into the air. An acrobatic swarm of Black Kites, called Tonbi, will swoop down and grab the bread in mid-air!

When you reach the Grove, you will find around 25,000 camellia trees of 60 species, spread across a 10-acre network of footpaths, meadows and walkways along the shore. The Camellias begin blooming in late December and early January, and they are in their full glory during the annual Hagi Camellia Festival from mid-February to mid-March.

On weekends and holidays during the festival, there are numerous activities, including guided tours around the camellia grove (running from 10:00 until 15:30), vendors selling camellia saplings and other local goods, music and cultural performances on Sundays, and more. Admission to the garden is free.

Off the parking lot, there is a quaint year-round restaurant facing the sea, featuring a small menu of well-prepared Japanese fare, the Tsubaki no Yakata. Though not fancy, it offers beautiful views of the sea and attracts locals from miles around to eat the fresh-caught fish and other delicious dishes.

Address: Toragasaki, Koshigahama, Chinto, Hagi-shi, Yamaguchi Prefecture

Hours:

• Camellia Grove: Open year-round; accessible 24 hours a day.

  • Note: Peak blooming season is from mid-February to late March.

  
  

Motonosumi Inari Shrine

Unless you visit at the height of the festival to bask in the beauty, your visit to the Camellia Grove is likely to be short, leaving you plenty of time for a 40-minute drive over to the picturesque Motonosumi Inari Shrine further along the coast.

To be frank, Motonosumi Inari Shrine, while undeniably striking and worth a visit, lacks the imposing gravitas of its sister shrine, Fushimi Inari Taisha, in Kyoto. Rather than being masterpieces of carpentry, its 123 torii gates are rather crudely constructed of casually painted poles (having been constructed in 1995, the gates obviously got a fresh and rather slapdash coat of red paint only recently).

It's a steep descent.

Two features contribute to the shrine’s popularity among Instagram influencers and bucket-list visitors. The first is its delightful configuration: it’s 123 torii gates spill down the mountainside like a sweeping red waterfall rushing toward the deep cobalt blue of the Sea of Japan. As a visual spectacle, it simply takes your breath away.

Second is its novel and amusing approach to Shinto prayer. The offertory box is perched high atop an outsized Torii gate at the top of the shrine, and prayers are made not by simply dropping coins into a box at ground level, but rather by tossing them high overhead in the hope they will land in the elevated box. There are a lot of laughs and giggles as coins from flawed throws rain down from above, and both children and adults clearly delight in throw-a-prayer.

Car renters will be glad they chose to drive themselves to visit Motonosumi Inari, because getting there any other way there adds a dimension of difficulty to the visit. If you are not driving, a visit to the shrine requires a lot of thoughtful planning because train, bus and taxi service is infrequent both to and from the shrine.

Address: 498 Yuyatsuo, Nagato, Yamaguchi 759-4712, Japan

Hours: Shrine Grounds: Open daily from sunrise to sunset.

 Note: Specific hours may vary; generally, access is available from around 7:00 AM to 4:30 PM.

Visit Part 3: Yamaguchi's Caves, Karsts and Cool, Clear Water