We are back in Japan after a lovely day in South Korea, and our first destination is Hagi in Yamaguchi prefecture. The small town is famous for its beautiful pottery and ceramics. We started the day by visiting the Kagaya traditional house in the downtown area, where we saw great examples of tatami floors, Japanese interior design, and a beautiful garden. We had lunch at a local family restaurant in Hagi with multiple dishes including fugu – the Japanese pufferfish – and other delicacies. After lunch, we headed to the pottery museum to learn about the introduction of ceramics and pottery to Japan from Korea. We had time to browse through the selection of handmade teacups, dishes, and bowls. Finally, we visited the Obaku Zen Buddhist temple Toko-ji, famous for its many stone lanterns.
After some damp days, we saw the sun rise again, which is appropriate as we sail farther east to our next destination of Matsue in Shimane prefecture.
