Kasa-yama

Western Honshū

LoginSave

About 6km northeast of central Hagi is this 112m dormant volcano. The top has gorgeous views of the Sea of Japan and a tiny 30m-deep crater. There is also a walking track around the coast. From late February to late March, a beautiful grove of camellias blooms here.

The pond at the mountain's base, Myōjin-ike (明神池), is connected to the sea and shelters a variety of saltwater fish. Look and listen for birds in the surrounding trees.

About a five-minute walk up the mountain from the pond is Hagi Glass, where quartz basalt from the volcano is used to make extremely tough Hagi glassware. The showroom and shop display beautiful coloured vases and you can watch the glassblowing process. Next door is Hagi's own beer and citrus-juice factory, Yuzuya Honten. Stop in here to see the very small team at work, taste juice in the attached shop, or have a refreshing mikan-flavoured (satsuma) soft cream.

Buses go to Kasa-yama from Higashi-Hagi Station once every one to 1½ hours (¥280, 15 minutes); get off at the Koshi-ga-hama stop, about eight minutes' walk from the base of the mountain and Myōjin-ike.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Akiyoshi-dō

    Akiyoshi-dō

    16.64 MILES

    Within the Akiyoshi-dai Quasi-National Park, Akiyoshi-dō is the largest limestone cave in Japan. It extends about 10km (though public access is limited to…

  • Taikodani-Inari-jinja

    Taikodani-Inari-jinja

    21.03 MILES

    Within walking distance of town, this thriving shrine, built in 1773 by the seventh lord Kamei Norisada, is one of the five major Inari shrines in Japan…

  • Kikuya Residence

    Kikuya Residence

    2.92 MILES

    As official merchants to the daimyō, the Kikuya family's wealth and connections allowed them to build a house well above their station (they were…

  • Kōzan-kōen

    Kōzan-kōen

    18.79 MILES

    North of the town centre is Kōzan Park, where the five-storey pagoda of Rurikō-ji (瑠璃光寺), a National Treasure dating from 1442, is picturesquely situated…

  • Tōkō-ji

    Tōkō-ji

    3.22 MILES

    East of the river, pretty Tōkō-ji, built in 1691, is home to the tombs of five Mōri lords. The stone walkways on the hillside behind the Zen temple are…

  • Saikotei

    Saikotei

    18.98 MILES

    This handsome building was originally a high-end restaurant named Gion Saikotei from 1878 to 1996. In 2004 it was converted into this cultural museum,…

  • Shizuki-kōen

    Shizuki-kōen

    2.56 MILES

    Within this park, there's not much of the old Hagi-jō to see, apart from the castle's typically imposing outer walls and the surrounding carp-filled moat…

  • St Francis Xavier Memorial Church

    St Francis Xavier Memorial Church

    19.43 MILES

    Built in 1952 in honour of St Francis Xavier, this church burned down in 1991 and was rebuilt in 1998 with a clinically modern interior and geometric…

View more attractions

Nearby Western Honshū attractions

1. Yuzuya Honten

0.48 MILES

On Kasa-yama, this is Hagi's own beer and citrus-juice factory, where you can stop in to see the very small team at work, taste juice in the attached shop…

2. Hagi Glass

0.49 MILES

At Kasa-yama, 6km north of Higashi-Hagi, this Hagi glassware showroom and shop displays some beautiful coloured-glass vases and cups, and you can watch…

3. Shizuki-kōen

2.56 MILES

Within this park, there's not much of the old Hagi-jō to see, apart from the castle's typically imposing outer walls and the surrounding carp-filled moat…

5. Hanano-e Tea House

2.69 MILES

Within the Shizuki-kōen, this mid-19th-century teahouse serves matcha (powdered green tea). It's sometimes closed for renovations, so check ahead.

6. Hagi-jō

2.72 MILES

There's not much of the old Hagi-jō to see, apart from the typically imposing outer walls and the surrounding moat. The castle was built in 1604 and…

7. Hagi-yaki Museum

2.79 MILES

This small hagi-yaki (Hagi ceramic ware) museum displays bowls, cups and interesting ornamental figures, mostly from the 1600s.

8. Hagi-jō Kiln

2.82 MILES

Hagi-yaki (Hagi ceramic ware) is noted for its fine glazes and delicate pastel colours, and connoisseurs of Japanese ceramics rank it as some of the best…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting: 
    {
  "url": "japan/western-honshu/hagi/attractions/kasa-yama/a/poi-sig/1233238/356853",
  "destination": "Western-Honshū",
  "continent": "Asia",
  "country": "Japan",
  "region": "Western-Honshū",
  "position": "superzone"
}