Hagi Castle

Hagi Castle once stood on a peninsula at the edge of this coastal castle town, and while the keep no longer stands, the stone foundations and surrounding earthworks are worth exploring, especially when cherry blossoms arrive in spring. The town itself is the more compelling draw: Edo-period lanes with white-walled buildings, orange trees, and earthen tile-topped walls run through the old samurai quarter. Hagi was home to Yoshida Shoin, whose small school produced many of the men who drove the Meiji Restoration. His school, Shoka Sonjuku Academy, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Pottery studios throughout town offer hands-on craft experiences.