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Rurikoji (瑠璃光寺), Japan’s national treasure, is a Buddhist temple in Yamaguchi City, best known for its five-storied pagoda. Built in 1442, the Rurikoji’s pagoda is ranked among Japan's three greatest pagodas. The other two pagodas which share this honor are of the Horyuji Temple near Nara and Daigoji Temple in Kyoto.

Kozan Park (香山公園) is the common name for the temple grounds of Rurikoji. Kozan Park also houses the main hall, a temple storehouse, a bell tower and a small but thorough museum.  The museum displays pictures and miniature models of the fifty-plus five-storied pagodas in Japan. Though limited in its English explanations, the museum provides interesting information about the pagodas such as their differences in design.

Kozan Park also houses the burial site of members of the Mori Clan, a powerful clan who ruled this region during the Edo Period (1603-1867). The Ugisubari Stone Pavement leads visitors to the burial grounds.  The pavements produces an echoed sound when one clap one’s hands or stomps ones feet.  The echoed sound resembles the noise made by a Japanese Bush Warbler (uguisu) which is how the pavement received its name.

Also in the park stands Chinryutei, a famous tea house in history.  It was here Saigo Takamori and others pretended to practice the tea ceremony, while in reality the plotted the successful overthrow of the Edo Shogunate. This led to the Meiji Restoration and the end of Japan's feudal age in 1868. Admission into Chinryutei is free and visitors can view its simple tatami mat rooms on the second floor. On the first floor are some displays in Japanese about the key members of the Meiji Revolution.

Temple Grounds (Kozan Park)
Hours: Opened All Year Round
Closed: No closing days
Admission: Free

Pagoda Museum
Hours: 9:00 to 17:00
Closed: Opened All Year Round
Admission: 300 yen

Access Information
Rurikoji stands about 2.5 kilometers north of Yamaguchi Station.
**By Foot:  about 40 minutes from Yamaguchi Station
**By Bicycle: rental bicycles are available outside the station (300 yen for two hours or 700 yen for the whole day).
**By Bus:  From Yamaguchi Station, board the bus bound for Yamaguchi Daigaku (山口大学) or Nakaoguchi (中尾口) and stop at Kenchomae (県庁前) bus stop (6 minutes, 170 yen, 2-3 departures per hour). From the bus stop, a ten minutes to walk to Rurikoji Temple.

Yamaguchi Daijingu (山口大神宮, Yamaguchi Daijingū) is a much smaller and simpler version of the Ise Shrines. It was built in 1518 after the local lord had traveled to Ise and returned home wishing to have a shrine that houses the same deities as those at Ise. Henceforth, the locals who were unable to travel to Ise in person had the opportunity to visit Yamaguchi Daijingu instead, and the shrine became known as the "Ise Shrines of the West".

Like the Ise Shrines, Yamaguchi Daijingu consists of an outer and an inner shrine, which are rebuilt every 20 years. Unlike the Ise Shrines, however, the shrines of Yamaguchi Daijingu are located just next to each other. The shrine structures come with a simple, wooden appearance, portraying a purely Japanese architectural style with little influence from mainland Asia. Yamaguchi Daijingu is located within a forest at the outskirts of the city, providing the serene setting for a tranquil visit.

Access:
Yamaguchi Daijingu stands about two kilometers northwest of Yamaguchi Station. It can be reached on foot (30 minutes) or by rental bicycles, which are available outside the station (300 yen for two hours or 700 yen for the whole day).
Alternatively, take a bus from the station bound for Yamaguchi Daigaku (山口大学) or Nakaoguchi (中尾口)　and stop at Kenchomae (県庁前) bus stop (6 minutes, 170 yen, 2-3 departures per hour). From the bus stop it takes five minutes to walk to the shrine.

Hours: Always open
Closed: No closing days
Admission: Free