Hagi Castle Town, Historic castle town in Hagi, Japan
Hagi Castle Town is a Jōkamachi, a castle town, in Hagi, Japan, and forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The streets still follow the original layout from the early Edo period, and many of the old walls, houses, and castle ruins have survived to the present day.
Hagi's castle was built in 1604 by the Mori clan and became the center of a growing castle town that developed over two centuries. When feudal rule ended in the 19th century, the castle was torn down, but the town's street plan and many buildings remained untouched.
The narrow lanes of the district still show their white earthen walls with a namako coating, a raised grid pattern made of dark plaster lines. Many visitors rent a kimono from nearby shops to walk the old streets, which adds to the feeling of being in another era.
The area is best explored on foot, as the streets are narrow and most sights are close together. Early morning or late afternoon tends to be the quietest time to walk through, with fewer visitors around.
The Kikuya Residence, one of the oldest surviving merchant homes in Japan, still stands in the castle town and is open to visitors. Inside, it holds a dry-stone garden, a feature rarely found in a merchant townhouse.
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