🗺️ Hagi Castle Town萩城下町

Since the construction of Hagi Castle by Mōri Terumoto in 1604, the castle town, with a prosperity of 360,000 koku (where 1 koku is equivalent to the amount of rice sufficient for one adult for a year), thrived for 260 years. The beautiful streets adorned with white walls, namako walls (a traditional Japanese wall painting style used for warehouses, etc.), and black wooden walls have preserved the overall layout of the Edo period intact, and it is said that "one could directly use a map from the Edo period without any changes," as the atmosphere of that time remains strong. In 2015, it was registered as a World Heritage site under the "Meiji Japan Industrial Revolution Heritage." The Hagi region's industrial technology introduction heritage group consists of five assets, with the Hagi castle town being one of them. It represents Japan's political, administrative, and economic assets aimed at industrial development during the Bakumatsu period, comprising three areas: "castle ruins," "former upper samurai district," and "former merchant district," including residences of important figures from the Hagi domain such as the Mōri clan, as well as the birthplace of Takasugi Shinsaku and Kido Takayoshi. Visitors can experience the atmosphere of the castle town while catching glimpses of its historical footprints through the stone walls. In May, when the summer citrus flowers bloom, the entire old street of Hagi Castle is enveloped in a sweet and sour fragrance. The scenery adorned with orange fruits on the white walls is the most famous seasonal sight of the Hagi region.

Registered as a World Heritage Site under "Meiji Japan's Industrial Revolution Heritage." It preserves the appearance of the castle town from the Edo period. There are buildings related to well-known figures from the late Edo period, such as the samurai. Just strolling around allows one to enjoy the atmosphere, and history enthusiasts feel it even more deeply.