2.2 Tokuyama and Yamaguchi (December 17th)#

On the morning of December 17th, our first stop was Yamaguchi City. Known as the birthplace of Christmas in Japan, the city houses the St. Francis Xavier Memorial Church. Although the current structure is a reconstruction, it is steeped in history and highly worth visiting (I will share more details on this later).

Afterward, we traveled to Tokuyama (now part of Shunan City) specifically to see the local street illuminations.

We arrived at Tokuyama Station around 3:00 PM. Looking out from the station’s west window, my intuition told me this would be a prime location for sunset photography. With the sun set to dip below the horizon around 5:00 PM and the “Golden Hour” beginning shortly after 4:00, we had some time to spare. We decided to visit the Tsutaya Bookstore and the Shunan City Library, which are conveniently connected to the station.

The library was impressive—spacious and beautifully designed, complete with a Starbucks. Sipping coffee surrounded by people engrossed in books created a rich, quiet atmosphere. It was a moment that made me sigh with a touch of envy, realizing this kind of cultural landscape is something rarely found in Hong Kong.

Around 4:00 PM, I headed toward the waterfront. Having not touched my DSLR in ages, I relied on my iPhone to capture a time-lapse of the sunset. Lacking a tripod, I had to stand in the biting cold, holding the phone steady for five grueling minutes until my arms stiffened. The result was exactly as expected: while the accelerated footage had a certain dramatic flair, the shakes from my freezing hands were undeniable.

Tokuyama is a renowned industrial powerhouse, famous for its chemical plants and as a key production hub for critical semiconductor materials (such as developer fluid). Rumors suggested the “Factory Night View” here was spectacular, so I braved the freezing wind and walked nearly two kilometers to the so-called “best viewing spot.” To be honest, the view from the destination was somewhat underwhelming. However, the walk itself—passing by colossal factories and intricate labyrinths of piping—was enough of a “pilgrimage” to satisfy the tech geek in me.

As darkness fell and mindful of our physical limits, we headed back to the station. By then, the illuminations along the main boulevard were lit. The scale was indeed grand, stretching across several streets, and the initial impact was stunning. However, the design was quite repetitive; after walking a block or two, the visual novelty quickly wore off.