A Journey through Yamaguchi’s History & Traditions
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It is said that the spirit of Japan is to be deeply connected with the history, traditions, and culture of its many regions, but what does this mean for those looking to find it?
In Yamaguchi Prefecture, at the westernmost tip of Honshu, traditional Japanese culture is thriving, only about an 1.5 hours by plane from Tokyo and about two hours from Kyoto or Osaka by Shinkansen bullet train.
The first stop on our journey is Hagi City in the northern part of the prefecture, where many of the leaders of Japan’s modernization came from. It has beautiful coasts, a castle townscape preserved from the samurai era, and industrial remnants registered as UNESCO World Heritage sites.
In Hagi City, we meet children practicing kendo, one of Japan’s unique martial arts. A leading kendo practioner shares the values it encompasses, going far beyond winning and losing, to life itself.
The next stop is Yamaguchi City, located in the center of the prefecture.
Called “the Kyoto of the West,” the city is filled links to history and culture in the Zen gardens and at the Ruriko-ji Five-Storied Pagoda.
In Yamaguchi City we meet children learning kyōgen, said to be Japan’s oldest traditional performing art, and experience the stage they perform.
The next leg of the journey takes us to Iwakuni City at the eastern end of the prefecture. Here stands the Kintaikyo Bridge, a wooden arch bridge unlike any other in the world, which has remained virtually unchanged in appearance more than 350 years since its completion. We meet the craftsmen who protect its legacy, and their efforts to share the traditional technique used its structure with children through miniature models.
The final stop of our journey is Hōfu City, facing the tranquil waters of the Seto Inland Sea, with rich natural vistas, cozy spots where you can enjoy matcha and Japanese sweets, and many other charming highlights. Here we meet gardeners who continue to care for a Japanese garden created over 100 years ago.
Yamaguchi, is brimming with history and traditional culture, and experiencing it yourself you can’t help admire and possibly emulate the values, respect, and legacy being passed on to future generations.
Prime examples of the Japanese spirit can be found here, in Yamaguchi.
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