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Stroll the Streets of Yamaguchi in a Kimono

HOME > Japan’s Local Treasures > Stroll the Streets of Yamaguchi in a Kimono

See the Japanese garden and historic pagoda from a rickshaw while wearing a kimono

Yamaguchi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture

Step back into 19th-century Japan at Saikotei, an elegant building which was used as a restaurant as far back as the Meiji era (1868-1912). Change out of your travel clothes and immerse yourself further in Japanese culture with Saikotei’s kimono experience. Choose from a wide range of colors and patterns to pick a kimono that suits your own style.

Suitably dressed, you can take memorable pictures inside the 100-tatami (roughly 1,800-square-foot) banquet room, or in the serenely beautiful Japanese-style gardens. Then refuel with a cup of matcha green tea and some wagashi confectioneries before heading out for a sightseeing ride in a retro rickshaw.

Whether on foot or in a rickshaw, while you’re dressed in a kimono, you’ll blend in perfectly with the traditional atmosphere, which still lingers in this historic city in the far west of Honshu. Take some time to walk around the old town and immerse yourself in Yamaguchi’s Ouchi culture, named after the feudal lord Ouchi Hiroyo (1325–1380), who suggested the town be modeled on Kyoto and promoted the building and patronage of temples and shrines. You’ll see many traces of Ouchi’s era as you explore, including historic buildings like Japan’s tenth-oldest pagoda at Rurikoji Temple. In the temple grounds you will also find a statue of Ouchi Hiroyo on a horse, yet another great spot for taking a photo of yourself dressed in a Yamaguchi kimono.

Please note that Rurikoji Temple’s pagoda will undergo renovation beginning in February 2023 with completion anticipated in March 2026.

How to get there

From Hakata Station, take the Shinkansen bullet train to Shin-Yamaguchi Station (35 minutes). From Shin-Yamaguchi Station, take the Yamaguchi Line to Yamaguchi Station (25 minutes). The destination is 10 minutes by bus from JR Yamaguchi Station.

Saikotei
1-2-7 Tenge, Yamaguchi-shi, Yamaguchi-ken