Moopon

1. Once visitors exit immigration and customs at Kansai Airport, visitors will be on the 1st floor. Follow the signs for “Railways”, taking one of the 4 escalators or 3 elevators to arrive at the 2nd floor.

2. Once on the 2nd floor, follow the signs to one of several walkways and walk across the road to Kansai-airport Station. Visitors need to exit the air terminal building to arrive at the JR Station (two separate buildings connected by a walkway). Two train companies use Kansai-airport Station: JR (blue/green) and Nankai (orange). Only JR can take visitor to the platform Haruka departing from. DO NOT use Nankai.

3. Before entering tickets gate, find JR Ticket Office where visitors can purchase ticket or reserved ticket for JR train.(there is a huge sign in English above their head).JR ticket office staff may or may not speak English, but they can read place names and train types written in the Roman alphabet. 

4. With one’s tickets, go through JR ticket gate and take an escalator to get to Platform 4.

Hagi Town located on the Japan Sea coast of Yamaguchi Prefecture, is a small town with a rich history.  During the Edo Period, Hagi was the capital town for the Mori Clan who presided over Yamaguchi (then known as Choshu). With the castle being located here in Hagi, the castle town flourished.

Whereas other towns and cities have faced destruction and damage since the Edo Period, Hagi Town has been lucky.

Though Hagi Castle no longer exists, the rest of the town, especially certain streets in the downtown area, are very well preserved. Among these streets is the area of the former samurai mansions and merchant quarters.

And among the former merchant quarters is the Kikuya Residence, a well preserved historic residence opened to the public.

The Kikuya family was a samurai turned merchant family.

This family had deep roots in the community and was very well respected.

Their wealth allowed them to build a beautiful house, with attention to fine details.  

For example, the room nearest to the garden has sliding rooms which are able to turn corners.

This provides the occupants of the room unobstructed views of the beautiful garden.

Visitors can also view historic everyday items in this house, including an old public phone box.
 

Hours: 8:30 to 17:30 (entry until 17:15) 
Closed: December 31st 
Admission: 520 yen

The Hagi Uragami Museum, located in Hagi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, was rated by  “Michelin Green Guide Japan 2009” as a two-star tourist attraction.  Next to Iwakuni’s  “Kintai-kyo Bridge”, one of the three most beautiful bridges in all of Japan, this is the highest ranked attraction in Yamaguchi Prefecture.

The Hagi Uragami Museum is located within a short walking distance from the former castle town. It was founded in 1996.  It displays the donated collection of Hagi-born entrepreneur Toshiro Uragami.

Hagi Uragami Museum
The museum features art works of Hagiyaki Pottery, ukiyo-e and contemporary art. Among them are valuable Hagiyaki pieces, some of which have been preserved for centuries. Also on display are documents and films on Hagiyaki wares.

Hours: 9:00 to 17:00 (entry until 16:30)
Closed: Mondays (if Monday is a national holiday, the museum will be closed on the following day), New Year holidays
Admission: 300 yen

Access Information:
**a short walk to the south from the former castle town

Hagi Town in Yamaguchi Prefecture is rich with art and culture.

From its Hagiyaki Pottery, highly praised by the tea ceremony community, to former samurai mansions, visitors can feel Japan’s past in this small quiet town.

Visitors interested in Hagi and Japan’s history are advised to visit the birth house of Kido Takayoshi. 

Takayoshi is an important Japanese statesman who helped overthrow the Tokugawa family’s 264 year regime to restore the power back to the emperor.

Once the new government was formed, Takayoshi became one of the most effective officials in the new government.

His birth home in the Horiuchi quarters in Hagi is a simple, traditional Japanese home. The 250 year old home has many small tatami rooms.

 There is a small garden as well where a pine tree (over 300 years old) stands.

Hours: 9:00 to 17:00
Closed: Opened All Year Round
Admission: 100 yen (Kido Residence only)
310 yen (combination ticket including eight other residences)

Located on the delta of the Abu River facing the Sea of Japan, Hagi is a well preserved historic town, with its samurai heritage and beautiful Hagiyaki Pottery.

Visitors interested in Hagi’s rich past are advised to visit Hagi Museum.

Built in 2004, the museum is centered on the concept of “Hagiology.” Hagiology has many sub-themes such as nature, culture, history and so on, as Hagi is rich with all these elements and more. 

Within the museum, visitors can examine historic artifacts and view the displays.

As Hagi is home to many famous characters of Japanese history, such as Yoshida Shoin (a key player in shaping Japan’s future pre-Meiji Restoration), there are also displays about them here as well. And English information is available.

There is a gift shop within the museum with local souvenirs such as summer tangerine. Books about local historic figures as well as Hagi original items are available here.

In addition to the gift shop, there is a restaurant within the museum as well. Dishes include local Hagi meat and seafood entrees. 

Visitors with a sweet tooth may opt for the summer tangerine ice cream which is supposedly served only here.

Hagi Museum
Hours: 9:00 to 17:00 (last entry at 16:30)
Closed: Opened all year round except for a maintenance day in early September
Admission: 510 yen for adults
           310 yen for College, Senior High School and University Students
           100 yen for Elementary and Junior High School Students
          ***20% discounts for groups of over 20 people and for disabled people

With waves rolling along the beautiful white sand, Kikugahama Beach in Hagi Town of Yamaguchi Prefecture, it is a popular place for locals and visitors. From barbecuing to breathtaking sunsets, in the summertime, visitors can view local fireworks from the beaches of Kikugahama.

Kikugahama Beach is located at the foot of the Hagi Castle Ruins. Also nearby is Mount Shizuki, a local mountain with a height of 143 meters.

Access Information:
From Higashi-Hagi Station (about 2 km)
**on foot: about 30 minutes
**by bicycle: about 10 minutes
**Also can be accessed via “Maru Bus”

Along the Japan Sea coastline of Yamaguchi Prefecture is the small historic town of Hagi. This small town contains both artistic elements (Hagiyaki Pottery) as well as cultural remnants (samurai town). And here, visitors can see how religion can co-exist in a single location.

Enseiji Temple has both a temple and shrine within its grounds. This Shinto and Buddhism coexistence was quite common in the past, but during the Meiji Period, the two religions were separated.

Built in 1254, Enseiji Temple was the worship place for the Ouchi clan.  Another interesting historic fact is Japan’s first Prime Minister, Ito Hirobumi, learned calligraphy and reading here when he was a child.

Hours: 8:00 to 17:00
Closed: Opened All Year Round
Admission: 200 yen