Area Characteristics
Yamaguchi Prefecture, which is located at the westernmost tip of the main island of Honshu, sandwiches the Kanmon Straits with the Sea of Japan in the north and the Seto Inland Sea in the south. Beginning with the coastline which shows different expressions in the north and south, Yamaguchi is an area with a lot of natural variety including Japan’s largest karst (irregular limestone deposits) plateau, limestone caves, primeval forests, Tsunoshima and Suo Oshima Islands. There are also many historic sites including areas related to patriots who were active during the end of the Tokugawa Era such as Shinsaku Takasugi and Shoin Yoshida, and Ganryu Island where Musashi Miyamoto and Kojiro Sasaki had their duel.
Major Sites
In the famous Yamaguchi tourist site of Akiyoshidai Quasi-National Park, there is Akiyoshidai Plateau, which is a karst plateau, along with many limestone caves including Akiyoshi and Taisho Caves. Hagi City has 5 places which have been registered as World Heritage sites under the Sites of Meiji Japan’s Industrial Revolution including the town around Hagi Castle and the Shoka Sonjuku private school. There are also many scenic spots such as the Tsunoshima Bridge, the Senjojiki Grassland, and Omijima Island. Historic sites are also popular with Kintai Bridge which is one of Japan’s 3 Famous Bridges, Iwakuni Castle, Ruriko-ji Pagoda and the Old Nosumi Inari Shrine. In the Shimonoseki area, there are sites including the Karato Market which sells the famous Yamaguchi product of blowfish, the Shimonoseki Aquarium Kaikyokan and the Kanmon Tunnel.
Food
Blowfish is a famous product in Yamaguchi Prefecture. It is famous for being a highly-prized fish but along with the expensive restaurants known as ryotei, blowfish can also be eaten at kaiten sushi restaurants and other reasonably-priced eateries. The prefecture is also known for local dishes such as Iwakuni-zushi, Itoko stew and mikan hot pot. There are also noodle dishes including kawara soba which is fried on a roof tile, bari soba which involves vegetables topping a bed of crispy noodles and beef bone ramen. For Yamaguchi sweets, there are many examples of wagashi such as uiro rice cakes.
Transportation
Getting to Yamaguchi from Tokyo by Shinkansen (Bullet Train) is very convenient. Transferring at Shin-Osaka or Hiroshima will get you to Shin-Iwakuni within about 4 hours and 30 minutes and to Shin-Yamaguchi in about 5 hours. Using rental car to get around the prefecture is convenient. There are also plenty of rental cycles to traverse through areas such as Akiyoshidai Plateau, Hagi City and Nagato City. As well, there are many other conveyances to enjoy sightseeing including SL trains, trolleys and excursion boats.
Accommodations
There are accommodations at Shin-Yamaguchi Station and nearby Yuda Onsen along with Iwakuni, Shimonoseki and Hagi among other places.