萩城（指月城）
Hagi Castle (Shizuki Castle)
Overview
Hagi Castle, built in 1604 by Mōri Terumoto after the clan was relocated from Hiroshima following the Battle of Sekigahara, served as the base for the Chōshū domain that played a central role in the Meiji Restoration. The castle town of Hagi is one of Japan's best-preserved castle towns, with Edo-period street layouts still intact. Yoshida Shōin's Shōka Sonjuku private academy here produced Itō Hirobumi, Yamagata Aritomo, and Kido Takayoshi — leaders of the Meiji era. The Mōri clan patronized Chōshū swordsmiths, and the blades carried by the Chōshū loyalists who fought for the Meiji Restoration remain important artifacts of this pivotal era.
Connection to Swords
Hagi's sword culture is inseparable from the Meiji Restoration. The Mōri clan patronized Chōshū smiths across generations, and when the domain became the vanguard of the anti-shogunate movement, the demand for new blades surged. Kido Takayoshi (Katsura Kogorō) was himself an accomplished swordsman who always wore a sword. Hagi Museum (formerly part of the Meirinkan domain school) holds swords and armor of the Mōri family and Chōshū samurai, preserving the legacy of the blades that cut a path to the modern era.
Highlights
- Hagi Castle ruins (Shizuki Park) — stone walls and moats preserving the castle's original form
- Shōka Sonjuku (Yoshida Shōin's private academy) — UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Hagi Museum — Mōri clan swords, armor, and Chōshū domain historical materials
- Preserved castle-town streetscapes — Edo-period layout intact with samurai residences
- Kido Takayoshi and Itō Hirobumi former residences — homes of Meiji Restoration leaders
* Opening hours and admission fees are subject to change. Please check the official website before visiting.
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