Japan Yamaguchi City

We recommend the Ichinosaka-river area.

Yamaguchi City is the prefectural capital of Yamaguchi Prefecture, where shrines and temples blend into the quiet cityscape, including the five-storied pagoda of the national treasure Rurikoji Temple.

Sandwiched between Hiroshima and Fukuoka, the center is located in a basin slightly inland from Sanyo Road. It is known as the "Kyoto of the West" because the entire city was built to imitate Kyoto, and the city retains its history dating back to the Middle Ages and its quiet streets. You can escape from the hustle and bustle of the city and feel the slow flow of time.

The Ichinosakagawa River, which runs from the five-storied pagoda of Rurikoji Temple located on a hill to the city center, has been likened to the Kamo River that flows through Kyoto City, and has a particularly old townscape that remains. The changing seasons create a seasonal landscape: cherry blossoms in spring, fireflies in early summer, autumn leaves in autumn, and snowy landscapes in winter.

Although it is a quiet environment, the Gion Festival, which is lively at night in the summer, and the Tanabata Lantern Festival, which dyes the night sky red, are held, and people born in Yamaguchi remember their childhood and enjoy a lively summer time.

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Yamaguchi City's "Tanabata Lantern Festival" 8.6~8.7

SL Yamaguchi returns for the first time in 2 years

  24.5.3 Yudaonsen Station Watch the video

Click here for the schedule

News Yamaguchi city

2024,7.27 Click here for the video of the Yamaguchi Gion Festival's major event "Citizen Dance"

2024.5.3  Spectacular tour departing from Yuda Onsen until December 28th (Saturday) on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays

2024.5.3  Added an introduction page for SL Yamaguchi (revival)

2024.6.1~7  "Firefly Viewing Week"Ichinosakagawa River in Yamaguchi City

2024.4.18  Yudaonsen Festival Tokiwa Enjoy short videos on YouTube

2024.4.7  Yudaonsen Festival Tokiwa White Fox Parade

2024.3.2  A shared taxi is planned for sightseeing in the five-storied pagoda from JR Yamaguchi Station for around 200 yen (Yamaguchi City)

Talent Chihara Jr. introduced Tokiwa's Landlady Theater on the New York Times news program.

Click here for New York Times article and link

Yamaguchi, Japan

Yamaguchi is often called the Kyoto of the West, though it’s much more interesting than that — and it suffers from considerably less “tourism pollution.” A compact city of about 190,000, it lies in a narrow valley between the Inland and Japan seas.

With its impeccable gardens and its stunning five-story pagoda, Rurikoji Temple is a national treasure. The city’s small winding lanes offer an assortment of experiences: pottery kilns like Mizunoue, situated on the grounds of Toshunji Temple; chic coffee shops like Log and Coffeeboy, and older-style options like Haraguchi; and wonderful counter-only shops that serve oden, or one-pot dishes. Just a 15-minute walk south is the hot-springs village of Yuda Onsen. New York Times article

Introducing the five-storied pagoda of Rurikoji Temple in a video

There are also cobalt blue spring water spots in the Akiyoshido area.

From Yuda Onsen, you can explore the five-storied pagoda and medieval townscape by bus or taxi.

For sightseeing in Yamaguchi city, ``loop taxi'' and ``community bus'' are convenient and economical.

500 yen for a ticket that allows you to hop on and off all day.

An all-day ticket for the circulation taxi and community bus that runs every day (8 times a day) costs 500 yen. Click here for details

Cross-cultural experience

Old house cafe LAWAKU

5 minutes walk from Tokiwa Ryokan. You can experience Japanese culture such as making Japanese sweets, kimono, and the tea ceremony.→Click

Japanese-style room and rickshaw  SAIKOUTEI

10 minutes by car from Tokiwa Ryokan. Odono district. Change into a kimono, take a rickshaw ride around town, and even try your hand at matcha tea.→Click

Welcome to TOKIWA ~Hospitality in Japanese-style rooms