Hagi City

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Hagi City is a island city just off the Honshu mainland in South-West area of Japan. It is probably best known for its fine pottery and ancient kilns that are still running. A very picturesque place that is a hot spot for romantic getaways - unfortunately I went with my friend Ryan instead of my girlfriend.


Well we arrived in Hagi after quite a long train ride from Tsuwano, about three hours. The train went along the coast after Hamada city and the views were a real spectacle. It was a really nice sunny day and we turned up at Hagi station with no real clue what the place was going to be like.



We took a taxi and asked to go to a hotel near the beach as a day of relaxation on the beach was in need. A day on the beach for two days was screaming out to me after all the travel. The hotel was expensive, £100 each, but we were nearing the end of our trip so decided to push the boat out and live in luxury.


After settling in we decided to walk the small inner city so headed off to enjoy the sunshine of the day. We walked among so very old style buildings that were homes of local people and then worked our way over a bridge into a area that was full of courts with Kilns (big ovens to bake pottery) and shops selling the local pottery that is famous throughout the nation. I wanted to buy something to take back as a present for my mum but was shocked to see how expensive it was - Japan is expensive anyway but this was taking the Mick.


So after I forked out £7 on a fridge magnet made of clay!!!! We made our way back to the edge of the city to get a boat ride around the Island city. The boat trip was good fun, the boat itself only held 8 people and the driver was a blast. He knew no English at all but was very much up for a sing song so it was a fun hour journey cruising along the coast.



The driver was nice enough to drop us off near Hagi Castle after a flailing of sign language and we made our walk up to a much better Castle ruins compared to Tsuwano's. The view from the top was splendid. The weather the whole journey was pretty much spot also which I was delighted with - you can tell I am a Englishman!!



After the few hours of walking about we went to the beach and chilled out enjoying the sunshine and the sea. That night we had a meal in the hotel and I got to try Fugu (Puffer fish) - it was excellent. After a bottle of Sake I was ready to hit the sack.

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Photos

Hagi City
Beachfront of Hagi.

Boat Ride
Our guide was a true performer with his singing of traditional local songs.