Rurikoji

The pagoda was completed in 1442 as a memorial to Ouchi Yoshihiro, and it is a national treasure and one of the three pagodas conventionally named as the finest in Japan, with Horyuji and Daigoji. It is 31.2 metres, in the Japanese wayo style, with cypress-bark roofs rather than tile - shingled layers that give the eaves a soft depth quite unlike the harder line of a tiled pagoda - and unusually wide roof projections that make it look broader and lower than it is. It stands in Kozan Park beside a pond that reflects it, which is the standard view, and the setting is a public park rather than a temple compound, so it is freely accessible and lit at night. The Ouchi ruled this region and modelled their capital on Kyoto, which is why Yamaguchi has more of this kind of thing than a town its size would suggest.

What you actually see

• A 1442 national treasure - one of the three pagodas named as Japan's finest.
• Cypress-bark roofs - shingled layers giving softer eaves than tile.
• Wide projections - roof overhangs that make it read broader and lower.
• A public park setting - freely accessible, reflected in the pond, lit at night.

When to go

April for cherry, November for colour, or after dark for the lighting. An hour.

Honest expectations

The pagoda cannot be entered. The site is small and the visit is short. Yamaguchi is off the main tourist routes and services are limited. The adjacent museum is a separate charge.

Nearby

Yamaguchi city centre is south; Tsunoshima and the Nagato coast are north-west.