Yamaguchi City Saikotei

The restaurant Saikotei in Yamaguchi was founded circa 1878 and served as a state guesthouse for visiting dignitaries for around 120 years. Now open as a museum, the buildings and garden are important reminders of Japan’s modernization in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Over the years, Saikotei hosted many of Japan’s prime ministers, and their autographs can be viewed in the exhibition hall, along with ceramics, lacquerware, folding screens, hanging scrolls, and other items. Elegant gardens surround the former restaurant and bloom with weeping cherry blossoms in spring. Visitors can dress in a kimono to stroll the grounds, and try on samurai armor.