Kikuya Yokocho

Narrow alley in Hagi's historic merchant quarter, running past white-walled townhouses with dark timber lattice facades that have barely changed since the Edo period. The Kikuya family, wealthy merchants who served the ruling Mori clan, built the estate at the corner, and the main house is open for visitors to walk through the merchant living quarters and storerooms. Potted plants and stone-paved lanes give the alley a lived-in feeling despite its age. It connects with the broader samurai district, where low earthen walls mark the boundaries of old clan residences. The whole area is flat and easy to cover on foot in a half morning.