narrow down
narrow down
  • Free Word Search

  • Tag search *Up to 2 can be selected

    Domestic
    abroad
    feeling
Find a Tour
JUL 23 2019

A trip to Ube City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, a city with a fusion of greenery, modern art, and a proud industry (Part 1)

What kind of image comes to mind when you think of Yamaguchi Prefecture? The city of Dassai, the Choshu Domain, puffer fish, Akiyoshidai... and because it is located in the westernmost part of Honshu, some people may feel that it is a faraway place. However, Ube City, which we will introduce this time, is about 1.5 hours from Tokyo and about 10 minutes by car from the airport to the city center, making it a very convenient city. It has both the sea and the mountains, and is a city supported by industry. We went on a trip to discover the depths of Ube City, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
画像: 緑と現代アートの融合、そして誇れる産業がある街・山口県宇部市の旅(前編)

Ai Nishimura

Administrator of the blog "My Diary," which began in 2004. A writer who has traveled to all 47 prefectures and loves local culture and history.
Author of Shimane's "Geography, Place Names, and Maps" Mysteries (Jitsugyo no Nihonsha), My Town is the "Number One in Japan" Dictionary (PHP Institute), and Prefectures Explained in Neko Neko Japanese History (Jitsugyo no Nihonsha). Official blogger for Suntory Gourmet Guide, official top user for Retty, and official platinum blogger for Excite.

The northern part of Ube City, a mountainous area, is an area with a long history where post towns were built as well as other important places on the Sanyo Road. While taking a bus to enhance the travel mood, we stop at Okusu, which is the origin of the name of this powerful area, in Funaki, Ube City, and a cafe in a closed school in the Yoshibe area. The very popular sculpture "Grandpa had the universe in his nostrils" is located in this area.

We head to the Funaki area where we are greeted by a 700-year-old camphor tree.

It takes about 40 minutes by bus from Ube-Shinkawa Station. The destination is "Yoshibe". However, you will need to transfer buses, so get off at the transfer stop "Funaki" and walk around the town.
Funaki was once a post town on the Sanyo Highway, and was a crossroads for many people. It also had a magistrate's office, and it is said that feudal lords would stop by here when they were making alternate attendance trips to Edo. Remnants of this can be seen in the large, white-walled wooden houses.

The former name of this town, which became Ube City after the merger, was "Kusunoki-cho". The name was derived from "Okazaki Hachiman Shrine". A large camphor tree, 700 years old and 20 meters tall, was planted here and has been watching over this area since ancient times. This camphor tree is infested with a long, thin snail shell called "Siebold's kogisel", which can be seen by looking into the cracks in the trunk.
It is also one of the few shrines in Japan where brewing sake on-site is permitted, and there are stone lanterns modeled after sake barrels.

From factories that continue the production of traditional crafts to popular sweets, Funaki offers a variety of ways to enjoy the area.

In Funaki, there is a craftsman who makes a traditional instrument that is now rare. The instrument is the "Koto." It is a Japanese instrument in which strings are stretched around a wooden body and the strings are plucked with fingernails to produce sound. There are probably many people who have never played this instrument in modern times, but it requires quite a bit of strength to pluck the long strings with your fingertips. I have some experience and I had been hoping to start again someday, but I never expected to encounter a koto being made.
Tamashige Koto Factory, which manufactures and sells kotos, is currently run by the fourth generation and has a history of over 100 years. They are known for being particular about the tone, and for sparing no time or effort in handcrafting each one, making them elegant works of art in appearance. They performed a song on the spot, and everyone in the room was instantly captivated by the charm of the koto.

The Western confectionery shop "Air La Porte" is located just a few minutes' walk from the bus stop, and is a cute cake shop that suddenly appears in the midst of a tranquil landscape of spreading fields.
The most popular item is the "Croquant Choux," with its rough dough and overflowing cream. They are particularly particular about their custard cream, and use delicious local eggs. It has just the right amount of saltiness, making it a popular menu item with both adults and children.

Very popular! The "Grandpa" sculpture that suddenly appears on the roadside and the "Staff Room Cafe" in an abandoned school building.

From Funaki, it's another 20-minute bus ride to the Staff Room Cafe, a renovated cafe in a closed elementary school that is used by the local community.
As the name suggests, the "Staff Room Cafe" was renovated from the old Yoshibe Elementary School staff room into a cafe that anyone can use. On the day we visited, we were served a special set of rice balls and side dishes made with Yoshibe's delicious rice, but usually a caterer prepares curry or set meals for us.

The former Yoshibe Elementary School is also used as an event space to foster connections with the local community. Classrooms are used to hold markets and run mini 4WD cars, making it an effective community space for the entire area. Nearby, you can also experience the feeling of exploring in the former Funaki Railway tunnel, made of stone and brick.
Installed on the side of the road is a sculpture called "The Universe Was in Grandpa's Nostrils."

When I looked inside my nose, I really was in space! This piece won first place in the popularity vote at the 25th UBE Biennale.
It is located on the road from Ube towards Akiyoshidai and has a large parking lot, so it would be a good place to stop by during a drive.

Read the second part here

The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.

This article is a sponsored article by
''.

No Notification
日本語
English
简体中文
繁體中文
Translated by AI