Yamaguchi] Fugu (blowfish) season starts! Fugu cuisine at the best time of the year: Shimonoseki, Hagi, and Yuda Onsen hot springs at a time!

Fugu (blowfish) season is the most anticipated season in Yamaguchi Prefecture every year after the beginning of fall. Fugu sashimi (fugu sashimi), hot fugu hotpot (fugu chiri), crispy donburi, and fragrant fin wine (hiru) are all at their sweetest during this time of the year. This article takes you to lock Shimonoseki, Hagi, Yuda hot springs and other popular areas, selected 9 "fugu cuisine from slow" accommodation, while living and eating, the autumn and winter of the happiness of the taste buds packaged at once!

Why do you think of Yamaguchi when you eat blowfish?

Yamaguchi Prefecture is one of the most famous places for blowfish in Japan, with the Shimonoseki Minami-Fumipo Market offering fresh blowfish every day, and restaurants and lodgings offering a wide variety of styles of cooking. Fugu (blowfish) is mainly eaten during theOctober to MarchThis is the time of year when the meat is at its firmest, and when the sweetness and flavor are at their peak. If you want to try sashimi, nabe (hot pot), and donjon in one sitting, choose a hostel that specializes in "fugu kaiseki" (kaiseki cuisine) for the best experience.

Travel Tips for First Time Tasters

・A quick word search:Fugu Sashimi = Fugu Sashimi / Fugu Nabe = Fugu Chiri / Fin Sake = Hire Sake.
・Safety and Regulations:In Japan, there is a strict qualification system for the handling of blowfish, so please be sure to eat it at a qualified restaurant or inn.
・Booking Advice:Reservations are recommended at least 2 to 4 weeks in advance as the lodges tend to fill up during peak seasons. Some packages are only available in the fall and winter.
・Traffic Tip:Shin-Yamaguchi, Shimonoseki and Hagi stations or Onsen Street are the most convenient locations, and it is more flexible to move around by car or bus.

[Selected 9 Lodgings] Stay for one night and enjoy the "Ten Flavors of Fugu"!

1. Yukine no Juku, Umi no Yurikage, Hagi Komachi (夕景の宿海のゆりかご萩小町／Hagi Komachi)

Highlights:Facing the Sea of Japan and the Kitanagato Coastal National Park, the top floor has an open-air bath with a view of the sunset over the sea and sky. Inside the spacious museum, which is organized in a "small town" style, there are many free facilities.
Recommended Programs:The "Fugu Kaiseki + Ippon Plus (Abalone or Nagahagi Wagyu Beef Potato Plate)" is a set menu that combines both seafood and meat flavors in a double feature.
Reference Price:2 persons, 1 room, 1 berth, 2 food contracts¥19,635～21,945/person(Depends on room type)
Address:6509 Tsubaki-higashi, Hagi-shi, Yamaguchi PrefecturePhone:0838-25-0121
Official Website:http://www.hagi-komachi.jp/

2. Hagi Ichirin (宵待ちの宿 Hagi Ichirin/Hagi Ichirin)

Highlights:There are 29 different types of rooms, including outdoor baths and low-temperature and steam saunas, right in front of Kikunohama, which is one of the "100 best places to stay at sunset in Japan". Free services are available at the hotel.
Recommended Programs:"Fugu kaiseki" is a place where you can enjoy 20 slices of fugu sashimi, fugu chirashi, kuroge wagyu beef, and hagimutsu dolphin shabu-shabu in a single serving of nigirizushi (a type of yundan broth) for a high level of satisfaction at sea and on the land.
Reference Price:2 persons, 1 room, 1 berth, 2 food contracts¥32,670～37,510/person。
Address:482-2 Horiuchi, Hagi-shi, Yamaguchi PrefecturePhone:0838-25-7771
Official Website:https://www.hagi-ichirin.co.jp/

3. Hagijo Sannomaru Kitamoyashiki (Hagijo Sannomaru Kitamoyashiki/Hokumon Yashiki)

Highlights:The only lodging in the World Heritage Site of Hagi Jokashimachi, this lodging is situated in a 3,000 tsubo garden of the former Moriyashiki, and is elegantly landscaped in a Japanese style.
Recommended Programs:Seasonal limited "Honfuri kaiseki "Ginmei"" - sashimi, fugu chiri, tangyaki, okonomiyaki and other classics are all available, and sashimi and chiri can be upgraded to tigress fugu.
Reference Price:2 persons, 1 room, 1 berth, 2 food contractsFrom ¥30,800/person。
Address:210 Horiuchi, Hagi-shi, Yamaguchi PrefecturePhone:0838-22-7521
Official Website:https://www.hokumon.co.jp/

4. Hagi Hakkei Ganjima Bessou (Hagi Hakkei Ganjima Bessou/Ganjima Bessou)

Highlights:All 16 rooms come with a terrace and semi-open-air bath, which is highly rated. Overlooking the canal and the sunset view, you can best experience the slow rhythm of Hagi.
Recommended Programs:"Fugu Matsuri "Snow Scenery"" - Tiger Fugu Sashimi, Fugu Chiri, Tang Yang, Mixed Cooking, and the appetizers are replaced with the flavors of Autumn and Winter.
Reference Price:2 persons, 1 room, 1 berth, 2 food contractsFrom ¥30,800/person。
Address:3092 Tsubaki-higashi, Hagi-shi, Yamaguchi PrefecturePhone:0838-26-2882
Official Website:https://www.ganjima.jp/

5. Sea Rakugo. Healing Resort Hotel Mihagi (海が奏でる癒しの宿 リゾートホテル 美萩)

Highlights:Standing on the heights of Kikunohama, some rooms have ocean-view balconies, and in winter you can enjoy the Yukimi Buro. AdoptionAll-inclusive (Auerlインクルーシブ)Style, rest and relaxation.
Recommended Programs:"Tsunazawa Fugu Kaiseki" - Fugu Sashimi (20 pieces per person) + Fugu Nabe + A4 Kuroge Wagyu Beef Teriyaki - Enjoy both land and sea.
Reference Price:2 persons, 1 room, 1 berth, 2 food contracts¥18,700～20,900/person(Depends on room type)
Address:485 Horiuchi, Hagi-shi, Yamaguchi PrefecturePhone:0838-21-7121
Official Website:https://www.resorthotel-mihagi.com/

6. Yufu Sightseeing Hotel Nayuyu Yumi no Sato (湯免觀光ホテル名湯 ゆめの郷)

Highlights:Yufu Onsen" is said to be the hot spring where injured rabbits recover; it is located about 20 minutes away from Hagi and is a popular spot for sightseeing in North Nagato.
Recommended Programs:"Fuku Kaiseki Standard" - Enjoy sashimi (approx. 12 slices), donjon, nabe, kama-ryori, etc., featuring Maki-Fuku!Full set of itemsThe Can also be upgraded to Tiger Fugu 50 slices for sashimi or with abalone.
Reference Price:2 persons, 1 room, 1 berth, 2 food contracts¥12,870～16,500/person(Depends on room type)
Address:Yamaguchi Prefecture, Nagato-shi, Misumi-chu 272Phone:0837-43-2000
Official Website:http://www.yume-spa.jp/

7. Yuda Onsen ユウベル Hotel Matsumasa (湯田温泉 ユウベルホテル 松政／Hotel Matsumasa)

Highlights:A century-old popular onsen inn in the center of Yamaguchi.Source 100% Hanging StreamsThe open-air bath, spacious large bath and sauna are all in place, making it a comfortable place to stay for three generations of parents and children.
Recommended Programs:The "Furekosu Kaiseki" (Furekosu banquet) features everything from shiroko, furekosu sashimi, chirimenabe, donjon, and sukiyaki; and you can also enjoy local sake at your own expense.
Reference Price:2 persons, 1 room, 1 berth, 2 food contractsFrom ¥23,210/person。
Address:3-5-8 Yuda Onsen, Yamaguchi-shi, Yamaguchi PrefecturePhone:083-922-2000
Official Website:https://www.matsumasa.jp/

8. Sumire Ryokan (割烹旅館壽美禮/Sumire Ryokan)

Highlights:Lower Kwan's old shop, specializing in cooking innsGenuine Tiger SearchThe Happiness of the World. From sashimi to fugu chiri and fin sake, we offer a complete interpretation of "Happiness = Bite Size". You can also enjoy a relaxing private bath.
Recommended Programs:"Manabu Tour: Torafugu All-you-can-eat" - in-room dining, about 50 slices of sashimi, sake with bones, and nabe (hot pot), all filled with a sense of luxury.
Reference Price:2 persons, 1 room, 1 berth, 2 food contractsFrom ¥31,500/person。
Address:3-13-23 Takesakizaki-cho, Shimonoseki-shi, Yamaguchi PrefecturePhone:083-222-3191
Official Website:https://sumire-ryokan.com/

9. Honge Fugu Cuisine Pride Sekimonojuku Genpei-so (Sekimonojuku Genpei-so/Genpei-sou)

Highlights:An inn with a view of the Kansai Strait and a signature "fugu-tea" breakfast. Rooms include a Japanese-style room, a Japanese-style room, and a barrier-free room.
Recommended Programs:What is the "FUJIKA SEATING OPTION"--Freshness is king with the classic sashimi, chiri-nabe, and tang-yang delivered directly from Nanfunpo Market.
Reference Price:2 persons, 1 room, 1 berth, 2 food contractsFrom ¥24,000/person。
Address:8-8, Mimosukawa-cho, Shimonoseki-shi, Yamaguchi-kenPhone:083-235-8888
Official Website:http://www.genpei-sou.com/

Pre-trip Tips/Reservation & Dining Tips

Prices and availability are subject to change depending on the date, room type and number of people.Please refer to the official website or booking page of each hotel.。
・Some of the programs are only available in fall and winter, so if you want to have a full "fugu kaiseki", please choose a date for your stay from October to March.
If you are not driving, please take the new route to the airport.Shin-Yamaguchi Station or Shin-Shimo-Kanji StationIt is most convenient to transfer to local buses and taxis.

Conclusion｜Take a trip to "Yamaguchi Fureai" to get the best flavor of fall and winter!

Fugu (blowfish) in season is a reason to come here. Pick the best "Fugu Cuisine" hostel, soak in the soup and watch the sea during the day, and then enjoy tiger fugu sashimi and hot pots and pans in your room at night - this is the ultimate fall and winter treat. Get your itinerary and appetite ready now, and I'll see you in Yamaguchi!