Asia Travel Blog

If you are a big fan of Japan travel and Kyoto can longer satisfy your travel lust of Japan’s old cities, Hagi Town might be the next alternative. No wonder this small little town is called Little Kyoto, everything is old and more importantly, they are becoming older but preserved.

I was just an ordinary exchange student mixed with other Japanese school students when I first step foot in Hagi Town, a well renowned tourism spot located in Yamaguchi Prefecture. We were there for a school trip, which is a regular event in every Japanese school to have every year, from elementary school to a high school.

It happened in 1990. Probably seems unusual for a 16-year old school student like me to have interest in old city tour. But that’s the way it was. I fail in love with the old Hagi at the first sight. Hagi left behind memories that stay deep and even deeper in my heart….until now.

Old, is an impression from the beginning. When I took a walk along the narrow street within this relatively small town Hagi is a delta town located in the Abu River), my eyes just could not leave off the diamond-shape white pattern, adding the unique and old nuance of the town, found on many wall fence throughout the town.

The best from Hagi is that you can see around the whole town just by bicycle. Bicycles for rent are not hard to find. Make sure you don’t miss to visit the Shoukasonjuku, this is an old school where many of the Meiji Restoration behind the scene thinker went to study in the old Japan time.

I was very impressed with Hagi that I made a vow to my self that if I ever come back again to Japan, I will definitely visit it again. It was a dream come true when in 1997, I had a chance to visit it again. The old Hagi stayed the same. The old nuance brought even stronger romantic kind of feeling.

There were too many spots to enjoy but always too little time to do that. My second visit to Hagi for only 2 days brought me a more intimate feeling with this town. It was strange because the older this town become, the younger and fresher spirit it brought to me. It’s a very romantic contradiction. But I promise you this is true, if you ever want to stay young, try to visit this Old Hagi!

 Print this post