While the Shinkansen stops at Shin-Yamaguchi Station, JR Yamaguchi Station on the JR Yamaguchi Line is closer to Yamaguchi’s historic city center and offers excellent access to must-visit tourist spots in the area.

Tourist information center and how to get around
The tourist information center located on the first floor of Yamaguchi Station provides information on sightseeing in the city and helps with travel planning. There are other information centers located near key tourist spots throughout the city, such as the Yuda Onsen Tourist Information Center (with a footbath in front of the building) in the heart of the hot spring town and the Kozan Park Tourist Information Center.
A tourist circulation taxi also runs from Yamaguchi Station and tours major historical and cultural sites for smooth travel.

1. National Treasure Rurikoji Five-storied Pagoda: A masterpiece among Japan's three famous pagodas
At Rurikoji Temple, the Rurikoji Five-story Pagoda, a National Treasure, is the symbol of Yamaguchi City and is considered one of Japan’s three finest pagodas along with those at Horyuji in Nara and Daigoji in Kyoto. This masterpiece from the mid-Muromachi period underwent major restoration work from April 2023 to March 2026, and the scaffolding has already been removed, allowing visitors to fully appreciate its beautiful form once again. You can reach the National Treasure in 15 minutes by taking the community bus from JR Yamaguchi Station to the Kozan Koen Gojunoto-mae stop.

2. Yuda Onsen: Soak in a bath with skin benefits
Located south of Yamaguchi City’s center, Yuda Onsen is known for its highly alkaline waters with cleansing and skin-beautifying properties. To reach the hot spring, it takes about 10 minutes by local bus from Yamaguchi Station or 7 minutes on foot from Yudaonsen Station, one stop away on the JR line.
There is a footbath in front of the Yuda Onsen Tourist Information Center in the city center that offers an opportunity to relish the hot spring atmosphere in a casual way. You can also enjoy a stroll in the small alleys surrounding the hot spring town, which are lined with coffee shops and restaurants.

Yamaguchi is a compact city that doesn’t usually receive large crowds of tourists, but congestion is still expected in specific periods due to historic festivals.

Yamaguchi Gion Festival (July)
This traditional festival dates back approximately 600 years and is held every July 20th to 27th. A portable shrine is carried through the city, led by dashi floats. During the festival, especially from 6 PM to 10 PM on July 20th, 24th, and 27th, traffic restrictions are in place from Yamaguchi Station Street to Hayamada Intersection, making the surrounding areas congested.

Yamaguchi Tanabata Lantern Festival (August)
The festival is a summer tradition held every August 6th and 7th in Yamaguchi, where countless red lanterns illuminate the streets. Traffic restrictions are in place in the city center from 6 PM to 10 PM during the festival, causing congestion on surrounding roads.

While these festivals offer a glimpse into Yamaguchi’s rich history and liveliness, traffic restrictions and congestion can occur in the city center. We recommend using public transportation while being aware of the peak crowd hours.

Yamaguchi City and Yamaguchi Prefecture offer international travelers various convenient digital tickets and sightseeing passes to promote tourism in the area.

Yamaguchi City sightseeing passes and digital services
Convenient services are available to efficiently visit major attractions in Yamaguchi.

Yamaguchi City Sightseeing One-Day Pass
This pass offers one day of unlimited rides on the tourist circulation taxi and all community bus routes for only 500 yen. It departs from JR Yamaguchi Station and stops at key attractions like the Rurikoji Five-storied Pagoda, Yuda Onsen, and the Yamaguchi Prefectural Art Museum. Present this pass to select shops in the city center to access special discounts. It can be purchased on board the community bus or tourist circulation taxi, as well as at tourist information centers throughout the city.

Yamaguchi City Noru Toku Ticket Web to explore further
For sightseeing inside the city starting from Shin-Yamaguchi Station, where the Shinkansen stops, the Yamaguchi City Noru Toku Ticket Web is a cost-effective and convenient option. Tickets are available for 1,000 yen (3 rides) or 3,000 yen (10 rides) and grant users discounted rides exclusively on the Bocho Bus inside Yamaguchi. Tickets can be purchased on the RYDE PASS app, a service where you can buy and use digital tickets valid on buses and trains across Japan. The app is available in both Japanese and English, making it accessible to international visitors.

Wide Area Pass Tabiwa Yamaguchi Central Pass
JR West's tourism navigation service Tabiwa (website and app) provides various features essential for travel in the Hokuriku, Setouchi, and San'in regions.
The Yamaguchi Central Pass is available via Tabiwa and offers unlimited rides for two days on JR lines (local trains) and designated route buses in the central Yamaguchi Prefecture area at a great value. Make use of these services to explore the historic city of Yamaguchi and its surroundings, including the castle towns of Hagi and Tsuwano, and Japan's largest karst plateau, Akiyoshidai. The pass costs 3,500 yen for adults and is valid for two days. The app is available in both Japanese and English, making it accessible to international visitors.

Yamaguchi City, known as the Kyoto of the West, is a charming place where history and culture interweave. Here, you can admire the magnificent Rurikoji Temple Five-storied Pagoda, a National Treasure, the Yuda Onsen, renowned for its waters with skin benefits, and the 600-year-old Yamaguchi Gion Festival. A compact city blending historical and modern streetscapes with convenient digital transportation services, Yamaguchi City promises visitors new experiences and a comfortable journey.