Travel Guide Yamaguchi

A fortified city of 200,000 inhabitants, it was founded by Hiroyo O'uchi, who wanted to give it the same layout as Kyōto. The city had a rather curious destiny, as it benefited from the Onin civil war (1467-1477) which particularly troubled Kansai for ten years. Indeed, the nobility and artists deserted Kyōto to take refuge in Yamaguchi. It was also here that St. Francis Xavier stopped for two months in 1550, before seeking an audience with the emperor. The Daimyō Yoshitaka O'uchi invited him to evangelize the province. It is said that Francis Xavier walked the streets of the city preaching and denouncing Japanese vices (idolatry, infanticide and sodomy). Then he left for Kyōto to meet the emperor, but found only a ruined capital and could never find him! So he returned to Yamaguchi. The Jesuits then called Yoshitaka O'uchi the king of Yamaguchi. The Daimyō controlled the trade with China and Korea. His city had become flourishing, and he invited artists like Tōyō Sesshū and Sōgi. But soon after, the Daimyō was forced to commit suicide by his vassal Harukata Sue. Later, the city would play a key role in the Meiji government, as it had clearly sided with the Meiji. Today, Yamaguchi is a quiet city which offers some points of interest. Shin-Yamaguchi station is 50 min away from Hiroshima by Kodama.