Nagato (Yamaguchi)
Local Guide
[Nagato & Hagi] Hidden Gem Lunch Spots and Side Trips Worth the Trip

Hagi, a historic castle town, and Nagato, surrounded by beautiful seas. This area is home to a collection of wonderful spots, including a café renovated from a former fishing family’s mansion, a traditional Japanese-style bakery nestled at the foot of the satoyama hills, and an ethnic restaurant hidden in the back alleys of the port town.Let’s set out on a special drive that will satisfy both your stomach and your soul.

Pasta lunch full of Hagi ingredients served in a former samurai residence

An example of the pasta lunch (1,650 yen). Appetizers and pasta dishes change monthly and use a variety of Hagi products from the mountains and sea.
An example of the pasta lunch (1,650 yen). Appetizers and pasta dishes change monthly and use a variety of Hagi products from the mountains and sea.

Located in the Meiki district in the suburbs of Hagi City, this restaurant is a renovated former samurai residence. You can enjoy a pasta lunch that includes an appetizer and a drink (reservations required, time to be specified). The system is to choose one of two types of pasta, and both the appetizer plate and pasta are made with ingredients from Hagi, Nagato, and other nearby areas whenever possible.
You can enjoy the owner-chef's monthly menu of seafood and mountain vegetables, which changes monthly. There are five types of desserts that can be ordered in addition to the "Sake Kasu Matcha Tiramisu," and the photo-worthy decorations are also a treat.

The owner himself renovated the cozy and relaxing space.

The restaurant has been renovated to retain as much as possible of its original appearance as an old private house. The restaurant offers a panoramic view of the rice paddies and the village of Akegi.
The restaurant has been renovated to retain as much as possible of its original appearance as an old private house. The restaurant offers a panoramic view of the rice paddies and the village of Akegi.

The Akegi area where the restaurant is located once prospered as an inn station on the old highway "Hagiokan" (Hagi Okan). The owner hopes that visitors will appreciate the townscape that retains the atmosphere of bygone days and the splendor of the old private homes. The interior and exterior spaces of the restaurant are full of highlights, such as the stately stone walls, the site spreading out at the foot of the satoyama, and the floor plan that retains the appearance of a samurai residence.
In addition to the exquisite products, the coziness of the restaurant is another major attraction. After lunch, the restaurant is open as a café for two hours from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. You can stop by casually without a reservation, and if the weather permits, you can relax on a seat in the garden.


Local Guide

The owner, who has traveled the world to hone his skills as a chef, fell in love with Hagi's ingredients and producers and opened this restaurant. Dinner (5,500 yen, minimum 2 persons, reservations required) is also recommended, and is perfect for anniversaries and other occasions.

Ristorante Hikoroku Matajuro
  • Address 4436 Akegi, Hagi, Yamaguchi MAP
  • Direction Approximately 20 minutes from the Edo IC of the Ogori Hagi Road
  • Business hours Lunch start times 11:00, 12:00, 12:45, 13:30- Café 14:00-16:00
  • Closed Monday, Tuesday, Sunday
  • Phone 080-3055-4336
  • Parking Free
  • Memo Reservations required for both lunch and dinner (dinner is open only when reservations are made); reservations and inquiries can be made by phone after 15:00

Excellent hamburger steak of Choshu black beef served on a Hagiyaki plate

“Chōshū Black Japanese Wagyu Hamburger Steak Plate.” The one-plate lunch is served on a flat Hagi-yaki plate.
“Chōshū Black Japanese Wagyu Hamburger Steak Plate.” The one-plate lunch is served on a flat Hagi-yaki plate.

The town of Hagi, with its historic sites and cafes, is brimming with charm. This restaurant, where you can enjoy lunch while gazing out at a Japanese garden, is one of the area’s popular spots.Their signature “Naga-Hagi Black Japanese Wagyu Hamburger Steak Plate” features “Naga-Hagi Wagyu”—a brand of beef unique to Hagi—and “Mutumi Pork,” and the special red wine sauce is simply exquisite. Served with a generous portion of vegetables, you can savor dishes prepared with great care and attention to detail.
The menu is also packed with other delicious options, such as “Choshu Chicken Tartare Nanban” and the “Local Fish Plate” featuring daily-changing fried fish.

Recommended with lunch! Coffee and homemade sweets are also available!

In addition to the spacious tatami room, there is a Western-style room with a coffee counter. You can also walk around the garden from the back of the building.
In addition to the spacious tatami room, there is a Western-style room with a coffee counter. You can also walk around the garden from the back of the building.

The owner is also a barista who honed his skills for many years at a coffee stand in Tokyo, so be sure not to miss the homemade desserts that pair perfectly with their carefully selected specialty coffee.There’s a wide selection of recommended sweets, including “Chocolate Terrine,” “Matcha Terrine,” and the Hagi-exclusive “Amagashi Marmalade Cassata.”
Additionally, right at the entrance of the shop is its sister store, “Nero Bake,” a specialty shop offering takeout of house-roasted coffee and baked goods. The product lineup changes daily, and these items are perfect not only as snacks while strolling through the castle town or at your lodging but also as souvenirs.


Local Guide

The store, which was renovated from a 70-year-old former residence of an amimoto, is full of sights, including a large garden. Despite the magnificent gate, you can easily enjoy a cup of coffee or a latte, and the stylish latte artwork is a must-see.

Hotoritei (Kurotei)
  • Address 62 Minami-Katagawa-cho, Hagi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture MAP
  • Direction Approximately 30 minutes from the Edo IC of the Ogori Hagi Road
  • Direction From JR Shin-Yamaguchi Station, take the "Express Super Hagi" bus. 10 minute walk from Hagi Meirin Center stop.
  • Business Hours Hotoritei 11:00 AM–4:00 PM (Last Order 3:30 PM), Nero Bake 12:00 PM–4:00 PM
  • Closed Closed on weekends and holidays
  • Phone 0838-22-1755（Hotoritei)
    0838-22-8644 (Nero Bake)
  • Parking Free of charge (for Hotoritei only; for Nero Bake use, go to the nearby toll parking lot)

An ethnic restaurant specializing in take-out food located in a back alley in a port town

“Gapa Green” and “Yuzukichi Soda,” made with homemade syrup
“Gapa Green” and “Yuzukichi Soda,” made with homemade syrup

The store is located at the end of a narrow alley in the port town of Senzaki, where you can enjoy take-out ethnic cuisine, a rarity in the Nagato City area. Green Curry" and "Gapao Rice" are especially popular, and "Gapa Green," a combination of both, can be ordered as a back-up menu item.
The "Tec-Tec Cup Curry" is a two-layer dish with curry on the bottom and salad on top. You can literally enjoy eating it while strolling around, and it looks cute like a parfait. Since it is a small store, it is recommended to call in advance to place an order and set a pickup time.

The restaurant got its start as a mobile tuk tuk.

The limited-edition menu is posted inside the restaurant, along with cute decorations that change with seasonal events.
The limited-edition menu is posted inside the restaurant, along with cute decorations that change with seasonal events.

The shop began as a mobile vendor operating out of a Thai “tuk-tuk,” and even today, on weekends, they continue to sell from a food truck at nearby locations such as “Michi-no-Eki Senza Kitchen” and various event venues.The food truck primarily offers drinks and desserts, while ethnic dishes like “Ga Pao Rice” are generally exclusive to the hidden gem restaurant. The number of repeat customers falling in love with the addictive flavor—where the spiciness isn’t overpowering—is on the rise, and regulars say they sometimes come across rare menu items.


Local Guide

Ojiyama Park, where you can overlook the entire Senzaki area, and the area around Senza Kitchen, where you can look out over the ocean, are recommended nearby spots where you can visit after takeout while the food is still warm. Ethnic food while feeling the pleasant sea breeze is exceptional.

TukTuk Cafe Hideaway store
  • Address 1899 Senzaki, Nagato City, Yamaguchi Prefecture MAP
  • Direction Approximately 45 minutes from the Mine IC of the Chugoku Expressway
  • Bus Direction Take a bus from JR Nagato City Station, get off at Senzaki Fisheries Cooperative Association-mae and walk 5 minutes.
  • Business Hours 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
  • Closed Days Mondays and Fridays *Open on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays via food truck
  • Phone 090-9563-5968
  • Parking Free
  • Notes Parking is available in the plaza under the Aomi Bridge; look for the mint-colored tuk-tuk.
    Please check social media for the latest operating information, as there may be temporary closures

An old private house bakery located in a good old rural landscape at the foot of a satoyama.

Popular
Popular "cream bun" (220 yen). The savory baked dough is filled with homemade cream.

This old private house bakery is located in the village of Sounose, upstream from the Onshin River that flows through Nagato Yumoto hot spring. The handmade bread made by the owners, who are also sisters, is very popular, and they are only open on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The store is open only on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and its products, which are made with what they consider to be delicious and gentle flavors, have a wide range of fans from children to the elderly.
The store has about 20 kinds of breads, and the lineup varies depending on the season. The shop offers a variety of sandwiches and burgers recommended for lunch as well as snacks, making it the perfect place for a sightseeing drive.

The best products are inevitably sold out. Visit early!

The waiting area is filled with toys and is often visited by parents and children.
The waiting area is filled with toys and is often visited by parents and children.

The store is a renovated 60-year-old private house. With terraced rice paddies and satoyama spreading out in front of the store, the nostalgic atmosphere of the store is irresistible. The wooden deck next to the store is open to the public as an eating and drinking space, and the taste of the bread is exceptional as you enjoy it while feeling the natural breeze.
On early days, the bread is often sold out before noon, so it is best to visit right after the store opens or call to reserve the items you want. There is also a wide selection of chiffon cakes and other items that children will enjoy.


Local Guide

Only a short drive from the hot spring town of Nagato Yumoto. Park your car in the parking lot along the Onshin River, and the 5-minute walk along the small path to the store is part of the fun of visiting. The scenery of stone-wall terraced rice paddies and seasonal flowers and grasses blooming at your feet will allow you to fully enjoy a walk in a farming village.

Pan Kororin
  • Address 1390 Fukagawa-Yumoto, Nagato City, Yamaguchi Prefecture MAP
  • Direction Approx. 30 min. from Mine IC on Chugoku Expressway
  • Business hours 11:00-16:00 (close when sold out)
  • Closed Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
  • Phone 070-3664-2435
  • Parking Free
  • Memo Open only on weekends and holidays; check SNS for business information.

A wide selection of carefully selected local sake. Sake shop where you can drink sake directly inside the store.

The temperature is kept below 16 degrees Celsius year-round, and the restaurant offers a wide selection of sake, mainly local sake from Yamaguchi Prefecture. Shochu, Western-style sake and wine are also carefully selected.
The temperature is kept below 16 degrees Celsius year-round, and the restaurant offers a wide selection of sake, mainly local sake from Yamaguchi Prefecture. Shochu, Western-style sake and wine are also carefully selected.

Yamaguchi Prefecture is a treasure trove of local sake. Hagi City and the adjacent Abu-cho area are also dotted with sake breweries that produce beautiful sake. SAKAYA, which stocks a wide variety of brands from the prefecture, carries only the best products that meet the owner's discerning taste, who says, "I don't carry ordinary products.
Almost all of the sake is junmai sake or junmai daiginjo, which is purchased with an emphasis on rarity as well as taste. In addition to popular brands that are rarely distributed to the general public, such as "Ohmine" (Omine Shuzo), be sure to check out the seasonal limited edition sake available at the time of your visit, such as new sake hatsushibori, hiyaoroshi, and orikarimi.

Enjoy your purchased sake in a relaxed atmosphere at the KAKUCHI eating and drinking space.

Food can be brought in freely, and the restaurant is fully equipped with a refrigerator. Many people linger in the cozy atmosphere (admission fee 500 yen, no time limit).
Food can be brought in freely, and the restaurant is fully equipped with a refrigerator. Many people linger in the cozy atmosphere (admission fee 500 yen, no time limit).

At "KAKUCHI" on the second floor of the store, you can enjoy sake purchased at the store in a relaxed atmosphere. The restaurant is equipped with plates and chopsticks as well as ice and glasses (all self-service), and you are free to bring your own food (no sales). Stores and supermarkets in the neighborhood are well stocked with sashimi and side dishes made from fresh fish and other Hagi's prized ingredients, and you can go out to buy them on the way to the restaurant.
If you want to enjoy a comparison of drinks, we recommend the all-you-can-drink event on the first Saturday of every month (reservations not required, starts at 17:00), where local sake, wine, and Western sake are also on offer.


Local Guide

If you want to know how good sake tastes, this is the perfect place for beginners. The friendly owner will give you detailed advice on what people like to drink and the best situations for drinking sake, such as before or during a meal. Souvenirs and gifts are also recommended.

World Sake Select Shop SAKAYA
  • Address 522-1 Tsuchihara, Hagi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture MAP
  • Direction Approximately 35 minutes from the Edo IC of the Ogori Hagi Road
  • Direction Approx. 5 min. walk from "Hagi Bus Center" bus stop
  • Business hours 10:00-19:30
  • Closed Wednesdays (open on national holidays)
  • Admission Fee 0838-22-8127
  • Phone Free of charge

MAP

Nearby Hoshino Resorts Properties
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*The information provided is current as of the article’s update date. Please check in advance before visiting, as details are subject to change.