This handsome building was originally a high-end restaurant named Gion Saikotei from 1878 to 1996. In 2004 it was converted into this cultural museum, where you can observe or learn calligraphy, wear a kimono (¥2800 for two hours), drink green tea (¥410, first and third weekends) or admire the garden. The homepage lists all that's on offer; reservations are required for activities.
Saikotei
Top choice in Western Honshū
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
10.26 MILES
Within the Akiyoshi-dai Quasi-National Park, Akiyoshi-dō is the largest limestone cave in Japan. It extends about 10km (though public access is limited to…
25.43 MILES
Within walking distance of town, this thriving shrine, built in 1773 by the seventh lord Kamei Norisada, is one of the five major Inari shrines in Japan…
16.3 MILES
As official merchants to the daimyō, the Kikuya family's wealth and connections allowed them to build a house well above their station (they were…
0.35 MILES
North of the town centre is Kōzan Park, where the five-storey pagoda of Rurikō-ji (瑠璃光寺), a National Treasure dating from 1442, is picturesquely situated…
15.86 MILES
East of the river, pretty Tōkō-ji, built in 1691, is home to the tombs of five Mōri lords. The stone walkways on the hillside behind the Zen temple are…
18.98 MILES
About 6km northeast of central Hagi is this 112m dormant volcano. The top has gorgeous views of the Sea of Japan and a tiny 30m-deep crater. There is also…
17.01 MILES
Within this park, there's not much of the old Hagi-jō to see, apart from the castle's typically imposing outer walls and the surrounding carp-filled moat…
St Francis Xavier Memorial Church
0.6 MILES
Built in 1952 in honour of St Francis Xavier, this church burned down in 1991 and was rebuilt in 1998 with a clinically modern interior and geometric…
Nearby Western Honshū attractions
0.04 MILES
A wooden shrine dating from 1520, most notable for Gion Matsuri, a festival that opens with the Sagi-mai (Egret Dance) held held here on 20 July each year…
2. Yamaguchi Furusato Heritage Centre
0.22 MILES
The ground floor of this 1886 sake-merchant building (Manabi-kan; まなび館) has a small display of local crafts, including some Ōuchi dolls (lacquerware…
0.35 MILES
North of the town centre is Kōzan Park, where the five-storey pagoda of Rurikō-ji (瑠璃光寺), a National Treasure dating from 1442, is picturesquely situated…
4. Yamaguchi Prefectural Museum
0.4 MILES
Opened in 1912, this museum's impressive permanent collection includes science and technology, astronomy, natural science and humanities sections.
5. Yamaguchi Prefectural Art Museum
0.52 MILES
This interesting gallery focuses on the art of the region, with three rooms showing work from its varied permanent collection; leafy grounds featuring…
6. St Francis Xavier Memorial Church
0.6 MILES
Built in 1952 in honour of St Francis Xavier, this church burned down in 1991 and was rebuilt in 1998 with a clinically modern interior and geometric…
0.6 MILES
The ground-floor Christian museum in the St Francis Xavier Memorial Church covers the life of the namesake Jesuit missionary and the early history of…
1.05 MILES
This temple is notable for its simple, stone-dotted Zen garden, Sesshutei, designed by the painter Sesshū. From the garden, a trail leads uphill through…