Castle town
Meirin-kan
Established by the Choshu-han, this school for gifted children was originally on the third floor of Hagi Castle, but moved to its own facilities in 1863. The school building is still in use as a part of elementary school. Visitors are free to tour the grounds, but not the interior.
The Horiuchi area å å , just southeast of Shizuki Park, was a residential section for wealthy merchants and the samurai elite. Many old houses, temples, and shrines remain in good condition, with virtually no modern structures among them. Just to the east of Horiuchi, the Jokamachi area also has several interesting old houses that are open to the public.
Kikuya House
The Kikuya merchant family lived in style, with a large house and a lovely garden. Today, their house is open to the public with over 5,000 period items on display, from dolls to a vintage phone booth.
Continuing east from Jokamachi, the Teramachi area features a cluster of old temples that were intended to double as barracks in case of enemy attack. Among the notables is Jonen-ji, whose carved front gate was transported from Kyoto by the Mori clan.
Ishii Chawan Museum
A good place to check out hagi-yaki see Buy, with a particular emphasis on tea bowls.
Shizuki Park
Surrounding the castle ruins, this park is a popular spot for cherry blossom parties in the spring. Also here are a small shrine, a teahouse, the Jozangama pottery kiln å山窯, and a hiking path leading up to the peak of Mt. Shizuki about 140 meters.
Hagi Castle
Hagi Castle served as the political center of the Choshu-han for over 250 years, only to be dismantled when the Choshu took the lead in modernizing Japan. Castles are sooo feudal. Stone walls, the moat, and gardens mark the remains of the castle today. Admission includes the Mori House, which is just south of the park.
Keep an eye out for "bent key" kaimagari éµæ² paths while wandering through the castle town. These sharp right angles were designed to confuse enemies and make it easy for warriors who knew the terrain to corner them, so adjust your invasions accordingly.
Others
Kasayama
ç¬ å±± is the smallest active volcano in East Asia, and offers panoramic views of the Sea of Japan. Look for the lovely camellia flowers during February and March, and the small Myojin Pond at the foot of the mountain, which houses saltwater fish. It's accessible from JR Koshigahama Station, which precedes Highashi-Hagi on the San'in Line.
Reverberating Furnace
This massive furnace was built in 1858 for the production of modern weapons, but rarely used. It's partially in ruins today, but still an impressive sight, located northeast of the city center.
In the southeast corner of the city, the Aibagawa Canal èå ´å· was built for transportation of goods, and also to supply water for extinguishing fires. Today, the path along the canal makes for a nice stroll.
Daisho-in
The Mori warlords who aren't at Toko-ji are buried here — along with the graves of several retainers, who committed seppuku upon the death of their masters. The atmosphere at Daisho-in is strikingly calm, though, compared to the pomp of Tokoji.
Choshu Five
The ChÅshÅ« Five é·å·äºå ChÅshÅ« Goketsu were members of the ruling class of the ChÅshÅ«-han. In 1863, they disguised themselves as English sailors and went to study in England at University College London, despite the policy of sakoku, which made leaving Japan illegal under penalty of death. Each went on to play a major role in the modernizing of Japan, and they remain heroes in Hagi today.Hirobumi Ito - the first Prime Minister of JapanKaoru Inoue - Minster for Foreign AffairsYozo Yamao - prominent engineerKinsuke Endo - the first head of the National MintMasaru Inoue - known as the "Father of the Japanese Railways"
shoin-jinja area
This area is a few minutes southeast of JR Higashi-Hagi Station, across the Matsumoto River from the city center.
hiyako area
In the southwestern part of the city is the Hiyako area å¹³å®å¤, which features a few museums of interest and more old houses that are open to tourists, such as that of Giichi Tanaka, another former Prime Minister.