Well known places and hidden gems- Yamaguchi

I went here for a day trip at the beginning of March.  To my surprise the island was covered in cherry blossoms despite there not being any cherry blossoms in other areas of Yamaguchi.

After exploring the island and admiring the cherry blossoms I went to Ojo Hotspring. The hotspring is located in a hotel, but you can go for a day trip without staying in the hotel. There is a medium sized bath inside as well as a sauna. Outside there is a rather tiny  bath that overlooks the sea. It's very pleasant looking out onto the sea and watching the occasional boat pass by.

If your visiting Yamaguchi, then Kintai bridge should be on your bucket list. If it's sunny, then it's  a nice place to go for the day. You can walk across the famous bridge, although they do charge 200 yen each way, so if you think one time is enough then you can walk across a separate bridge that lies parallel  to it on your way back. Once you've got to the other side, you'll notice many people queuing for ice creams. There is a popular ice cream stand  that has about 100 different flavours. Some of them are truly bizarre , but if you're feeling adventurous it might be fun to try one. There is also a cable car, which leads to a castle on the hill. But if you're not up for that then just walking around the grounds on a sunny day is really nice. Kintai Bridge

When I visited it was so overcast and there was a downpour but nonetheless it's a nice island.

One place to definitely visit in Yamaguchi is the Akiyoshido limestone caves. The caves are the longest and have the biggest karst formations. In the summer the caves are nice and cool, so you can get away from the hot and humid weather. The cave is actually bigger than I expected and it can take over 1 hour to walk to the end and back. 

My picture doesn't capture it but Akiyoshidai plateau is covered with limestone rocks.

Hagi, is famous for it's streets lined with white walls as well as Hagi pottery.
A famous Japanese drama called Hana Moyu (花燃ゆ ) was filmed in Hagi and there is a museum dedicated to that drama. 

There are the remains of a castle in Hagi. But without knowing this I payed to enter the castle grounds and to my surprise there was no castle.

This place is most certainly  not in any travel guide. The only reason I know about this lake is because I drove past it on my way to school.
Sugano lake is beautiful especially in the morning when the  mist settles above the lake. In autumn all of the leaves surrounding it are a mixture of oranges, yellows and reds and in summer the leaves are a  vibrant green.

A beautiful Buddhist temple that is a national treasure and is ranked in the top three in Japan.