Named by the New York Times as one of the 52 places to go in 2024, Yamaguchi City is often referred to as the ‘Kyoto of the West’. The small, lovely city is capital of the Yamaguchi prefecture, and is long north-south, lying in a narrow valley between the Inland and Japan seas. The Fushino River runs through town. There’s some pleasant running in Yamaguchi, mainly on river paths and several small, lovely parks.
The paths along the Fushino River offer the best opportunity in Yamaguchi City for an easy & longer off-road run. We’ve also put together two routes centered on Kozan Park (home to the Rurikoji Temple) & Kameyama Park, which are connected by paths along the Ichinosaka River. In the southwestern part of town, Ishin Centennial Memorial Park is an athletic centre with several km of pedestrian paths, a great running track, and additional paths along the Yoshiki River. For some views, green space, & serious hills, see our route in Itoyegawa Sabo Garden Park to the Kounomine Castle Ruins observation deck.
Note: Summers in Yamaguchi City are hot and humid. Also, the city gets A LOT of rain — especially in summer.
