yamaguchi

Yamaguchi most commonly refers to Yamaguchi Prefecture, a prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan on the western tip of Honshu. The capital is Yamaguchi city. The prefecture is the westernmost on Honshu, bordered by Shimane Prefecture to the west and Hiroshima Prefecture to the east. It has coastlines along the Sea of Japan to the north and the Seto Inland Sea to the south, with the Kanmon Straits near its eastern edge separating Honshu from Kyushu.

Historically, the area was part of various feudal domains during the Edo period and became a modern prefecture in the 1870s. Shimonoseki in eastern Yamaguchi is notable as the site of the 1895 Treaty of Shimonoseki, ending the First Sino-Japanese War.

Yamaguchi Prefecture contains several notable sites. The city of Shimonoseki is renowned for its seafood markets and fugu; the town of Hagi preserves Edo-period samurai districts; Iwakuni features the wooden Kintaikyo Bridge across the Nishiki River. The city of Yamaguchi hosts Ruriko-ji Temple, whose five-story pagoda is a National Treasure. The Akiyoshidai Plateau and the Akiyoshidō limestone cave are major natural landmarks in the central part of the prefecture.

Economic activity combines agriculture, fishing, and manufacturing, with seafood from the coast and citrus and other fruits among its agricultural products. The region is also known for traditional crafts such as Hagi ware.

Yamaguchi is also a common Japanese surname.