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Hagi, Yamaguchi

Hagi (萩, Hagi^?) is a city located in Yamaguchi, Japan and was incorporated as a city on July 1, 1932. Formerly part of Abu District.

On March 6, 2005, the former city of Hagi merged with Asahi, Fukue, Kawakami, Mutsumi, Susa and Tamagawa to form the new city of Hagi.

Iwami Airport in nearby Masuda, Shimane Prefecture serves Hagi.

History

In the medieval period, Hagi was dominated by the Yoshimi clan, who built Hagi Castle, of which the ruins can be visited today. The Mōri clan became daimyo of Chōshū Domain at the beginning of the Edo period and built Hagi Castle at the foot of Mt. Shizuki in 1608. They transferred the capital of the domain from Hiroshima to Hagi at the same time. Since then, Hagi developed as the political center of Chōshū for over 250 years.

When the Meiji Restoration came about in the 1860s, as the result of efforts by samurai from Chōshū and a number of other domains, this small city gained great historical significance. Many Japanese statesmen and Prime Ministers were born and brought up in this city.

Population

Source: National Census by Statistics Bureau Japan[1]

One of the factors underlying the continual decrease of population is said to be its poor public transport. Industry didn't grow at all and the rapid economic growth of Japan only caused the town to decline. But it also left the traditional precious town as it is.

Hagi-yaki

The city was the capital of the Chōshū Domain during the Edo period (ca. 1603–1868). Hagi is renowned for hagi-yaki, a form of Japanese pottery dating from 1604 when two Korean potters were brought to Hagi by Mori Terumoto. Hagi was also the location for an International Sculpture Symposium in 1981. Twenty-six international sculptors working worked together to create a seaside park. They created many functional sculptures, including tables and benches.

People

• Ito Hirobumi, Japan's first modern prime minister, was born in Hagi and studied at Yoshida Shoin's Shōka Sonjuku, a school in the town. Ito's birthplace is preserved next to a shrine that includes the school building in its compound.
• Inoue Masaru, known as the "Father of the Japanese Railways".
• Inoue Kaoru
• Katsura Taro, former prime minister of Japan.
• Kido Takayoshi
• Omura Masujiro
• Takasugi Shinsaku
• Tanaka Giichi, former prime minister of Japan.
• Yamagata Aritomo, former prime minister of Japan.

Sister cities

Since 1968, Hagi has been a sister city to Ulsan (울산광역시, 蔚山廣域市), a fishing port and market centre in the southeast of South Korea.

External links

• Hagi official website in Japanese
• Hagi travel guide from Wikitravel