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13 Things To Do In Yamaguchi – Motonosumi Shrine, Tsunoshima Bridge, And Blowfish
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Yamaguchi has many charming spots, including scenic views, culturally significant historical buildings, and hot springs. Whether it’s an excursion around famous places like Tsunoshima Bridge or a taste of Shimonoseki’s blowfish, read on to learn about exciting activities to enjoy for travel here!
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Things to Do in Yamaguchi
Yamaguchi is a prefecture east of the Chugoku Region. There are several notable sights to see here for travelers, including Hagi Castle Town for a sense of history, Motonosumi Inari Shrine with its rows of torii gates, and the scenic Tsunoshima Bridge. Yamaguchi is also known as the birthplace of great figures who changed Japanese history and home to several sites related to those figures.
You can travel to Yamaguchi from Tokyo by Shinkansen (bullet train). It takes four hours and 20 minutes by Shinkansen from JR Tokyo Station to JR Shin-Yamaguchi Station, with fares starting at 20,100 yen. From JR Shin-Yamaguchi Station, it takes 25 minutes to JR Yamaguchi Station on the JR Yamaguchi Line, costing 240 yen.
As points of interest are scattered throughout the prefecture, it is convenient to rent a car at Yamaguchi Station. In this article, we'll tell you about exciting activities you'll want to do in Yamaguchi Prefecture.
1. Pay a Visit to Motonosumi Inari Shrine
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When you visit a shrine in Japan, it's customary to place money in an offertory box at the front of the main hall before praying. However, there is a shrine that has a very hard time collecting monetary offerings. The name of this sacred place is Motonosumi Inari Shrine. Unbelievably, its main hall is located at the end of one-hundred and twenty-three torii gates.
Photo by Pixta
Typically an offertory box is located at the front of the main hall. Here, however, it is located at the top of a torii gate. Visitors must throw their coins towards a box placed five-meters off the ground.
Due to the difficulty of getting your coins into the box, it's a popular belief that your wish will come true if you fortuitously throw it inside.
Photo by Pixta
About a ten-minute drive away from Motonosumi Inari Shrine is a spot with a fantastic view called Senjojiki (literally meaning "one thousand tatami mats"). It's a grassland situated 333 meters above ground, much like the Tokyo Tower, and is where you can gaze out at blue skies with the beautiful sight of the sea. It's a spot where you'll be able to relax, swayed by the pleasant salty breeze.
2. Drive Along Tsunoshima Bridge's Scenic Route
Photo by Pixta
Tsunoshima Bridge is a route you'll want to take if you're driving in Yamaguchi. The bridge crosses over to Tsunoshima, a remote island, and is surrounded by an emerald green sea.
We recommend heading to Tsunoshima Bridge from the mainland to take a commemorative photo. You can capture a superb view with your camera, just like the one pictured above.
3. Stroll Through Hagi Castle Town
Photo by Pixta
Supporters of the Meiji Restoration (*1) were born in Hagi City, located west of the prefecture. One of the first was Shoin Yoshida, a samurai and educator.
Horiuchi, an old samurai quarter around the Hagi Castle Ruins, and Hagi Castle Town, were registered as a World Heritage Site in 2015. The area has retained the original streets townspeople lived on to this day. These historical sites were classified as a component of the "Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining."
Throughout the area, you'll find several renovated cafes from old Japanese homes for you to enjoy tea during your stroll.
*1 Meiji Restoration (Meiji Ishin): a series of reformation from the defeat of the Edo shogunate to the birth of the Meiji government.
4. Feel Refreshed at the Beppu Benten Pond
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The Beppu Benten Pond is a famous photo spot located on the grounds of the Beppu Itsukushima Shrine, about 40 minutes by car from Hagi City.
Many visitors are enchanted by this mysterious pond that is not an even blue hue, but with a slightly deeper color in its center. The pond is spring-fed and. Drinking the water is said to bless you with longevity and wealth.
5. Check out the Five-Storied Pagoda at Ruriko-ji Temple
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A ten-minute drive from JR Yamaguchi Station, Ruriko-ji Temple is a five-storied pagoda built during the 15th century that holds a symbolic existence to Yamaguchi. Referred to as one of the "Three Most Famous Pagodas of Japan," it is ranked alongside Kyoto's Daigo-ji Temple and Nara's Horyu-ji Temple.
Similar to the Gassho-style homes in Shirakawa-go, it has a thatched roof (made out of cypress bark) that gives it a dignified appearance.
6. Experience Zen Ideology at Joei-ji Temple
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Ink wash painting is a style that uses an ink stick that is said to have been introduced in Japan from China around the 8th century. A figure named Sesshu was Japan’s most prominent ink wash painter around the 15th century, as well as a Zen priest. The Sesshu Garden in Joei-ji Temple is believed to have been built by this master of ink brush painting.
One of the highlights is the dry landscape garden made using just rocks and sand to express streams and the sea. It is located about ten minutes by car from JR Yamaguchi Station.
7. Tour the DASSAI Sake Brewery
A famous Yamaguchi sake brand, DASSAI was gifted to the 44th United States President Barack Obama and the Russian President Vladimir Putin in commemoration of a visit to Japan. DASSAI's motto is to produce sake by hand without relying on machines. The DASSAI Store Head Brewery is where you can watch the sake brewing process.
Those interested in the brewery tour should make their reservations through the Brewery Tour Application Form on their official website. During this hour-long tour, you can watch as rice is steamed then fermented while learning about the sake brewing process.
8. Cross the Wooden Arches of Kintai Bridge
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Kintai Bridge is a famous spot for viewing the cherry blossoms and autumn leaves. During the 7th century, this structure was built with sturdiness in mind as former bridges had been washed away by floods numerous times here. It has a distinct design that joins five smaller bridges together. Not a single nail was used in its construction.
About ten minutes across the bridge is a ropeway connecting to Iwakuni Castle. The castle’s observation deck is a spot that overlooks the sprawling town below.
9. Soak in Hot Springs
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Yuda Hot Springs, a ten minute drive from JR Yamaguchi Station, is also known by its nickname "Byakko no Yu" as white fox statues decorate the entire town ("byakko" means white fox in Japanese).
The name originated when a temple’s chief priest once found a white fox healing its wounds in Yuda’s hot springs. In this hot spring town, there are Japanese inns and bathing facilities ideal for day trips and footbaths—making it easy for all types of visitors to enjoy a soak.
10. Cycle Through the Vast Akiyoshidai Plateau
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Akiyoshidai, 40 minutes by car from JR Yamaguchi Station, lies Japan’s largest karst plateau (*2). This landscape of sprawling green plains and towering white limestones is incredible. Enjoy walking through three hiking courses here. You can also rent a bicycle at the Akiyoshidai Tourist Exchange Center and ride breezily along a cycling route.
*2 Karst Plateau: a type of topography formed when rainwater and other elements erode limestone-formed land.
11. Explore Akiyoshido Cave
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Right next to the Akiyoshidai Plateau is the Akiyoshido Cave, Japan’s largest limestone cave. Rumored to have a depth of 10.7 kilometers, about one kilometer of the length is open to the public for sightseeing.
Photo by pixta
There are various things to see inside the cave. These include the 100 Plates that look like scores of platters lined up in rows, and the Donai Fuji, which appears like a mountain emerging in view.
The temperature remains 17℃ throughout the year, which allows visitors to sightsee regardless of the season comfortably.
12. Eat Exquisite Pufferfish in Shimonoseki
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Once you’ve had your fill of tourist spots and work up a sweat at the hot springs, it’s time to savor the local cuisine.
Shimonoseki, an hour and 20 minutes by car from JR Yamaguchi Station, is a famous area for high-quality pufferfish. At the Karato Market (Japanese), you can enjoy fresh pufferfish priced relatively inexpensively in the city.
Photo by Pixta
There’s also dishes like Iwakuni sushi—a square-shaped sushi topped with shrimp and egg—and Kawara soba—buckwheat noodles fried on top of a roof tile—in Yamaguchi. They can be eaten at many Japanese restaurants in the prefecture.
13. Shunan Industrial Night Cruising
Photo by pixta
Located east of the prefecture, Shunan is an industrial area that helps sustains local commerce. The entire area transforms into a dazzling night view spot after the sun sets.
Cruises tours are available where travelers can enjoy the industrial night view. For example, the Shunan Industrial Night Scenery Sightseeing Tour (Japanese) travels around the entire Shunan industrial complex in 90 minutes.
Discovery in Yamaguchi Prefecture
Yamaguchi has plenty of charm from its amazing scenery, historical spots, and cuisine. We recommend traveling around this prefecture for several days to take everything in at a leisurely pace. If you don’t have ample time, you should definitely visit after carefully selecting the spots to you'd love to see!
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Main image by Pixta
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I love Kimono and Daifuku.
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