Akiyoshido & Hagi / YAMAGUCHI

Date:        4-6 Aug 2011
Stay:        4 Aug - 1NT  Plaza Hotel KOTOBUKI at Yuda Onsen
                5 Aug - 1NT  Hagi-Honjin at Hagi
Access:   JR Sainin Honsen from Matsue station to Masuda station.
               From Masuda, I rented a car to travel over Yamaguchi prefecture.

I believe, JR Sainin Line provides one of the best coastal landscape among all JR lines in Japan. It took about 3 hours from Matsue to Masuda station and fare was about 3,000yen. (If you use Limited express, time will be an hour shorter but fare will be additional 2,500yen.)

From Masuda station, I used a rental car to visit sightseeing spots in Yamaguchi. Japanese local region like Yamaguchi doesn't have effective transportation system like Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, so I recommend to use rental car for visiting sightseeing spots efficiently.

Pictures on top is Oumi-Jima. It's a small island located North side of Nagato city and designated as a Japanese national monument. It has various small island and beautiful coastal lines. I saw many divers enjoying their diving.

This night I stayed Yuda-Onsen which located 20min away from Yamaguchi station famous hotspring in Yamaguchi.

Next day, I visited Akiyoshido, is the largest limestone cavern in Japan. It took only 30min from Yuda-Onsen to Akiyoshido entrance. Akiyoshido is also designated as a Japanese national special monument, and located under the Akiyoshidai Plateau.

Inside of cave, temperature consistently stays 17℃ all season. Amazing to see each drop create all those impressive figures over million years.

On a same day, I headed to Hagi also known by the name of Choshu area. Choshu has produced many active Samurai who contributed Meiji Restoration. Hagi is very quiet and has traces of Edo-period. I visited The Hagi Museum, Hagi porcelain museum, Senryuzan Hagiyaki pottery and Shokason-jyuku and all located within 5km area, so easy to access each sightseeing spots.

Last day, I stayed over night at Hagi-Honjin Japanese Hot Spring Inn with very reasonable price like 6,000yen without meal. Room was located old side of their building, but enough space for myself and since no serving lady like other expensive Onsen Ryokan, it was very comfortable and  was able to enjoy the time by myself.