Ube City is an industrial city with an area of approximately 287 square kilometres and a population of approximately 160,000, and is the third largest city in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The city enjoys a mild climate and is comfortable to live in. Yamaguchi-Ube Airport is the gateway by air to Ube and there are flights to Tokyo every day.
The City devotes itself to achieving the city motto of being “the city of greenery, flowers and sculptures” by continuing to hold the UBE Biennale, a sculpture festival that is the third longest running sculpture festival in the world with an aim to create an attractive city with originality.
One of the main attractions of Ube City is Tokiwa Park, a multi-purpose leisure ground built around Lake Tokiwa. The lake is surrounded by thick greenery, flowers, and sculptures. The park includes areas such as Iris Garden, which has over 80,000 irises in 150 different species; UBE Biennale Sculptures Hill; Tokiwa Plant Museum which showcases a wide variety of rare plants, flowers, and fruits from all around the world; Tokiwa Zoo which features animals in natural habitat exhibits; as well as a coal-mining history museum that tells the history of Ube City. The park is also a good place for a walk and do bird watching.
Ube City is home to many fine sculptures. Many of which came out of the UBE Biennale that the city has been holding since 1961. The 1961 exhibit was the first trial of displaying sculptures in Japan with the aim of developing the city area. Since then, Ube City has acquired about 400 sculptures.
The Northern region of Ube City is renowned for the craftsmanship of the Akama-suzuri, inkstones made with Japanese lacquer which are essential tools for calligraphers, and Koto, a traditional instrument that creates mesmerising sounds.
Akama-suzuri is a traditional tool with a history of about 800 years. It is a handcrafted product made with traditional methods, using uncut stones mined in Ube City. These methods have been passed down through the generations and inherited in the present day by the fine craftsmen in the city. Akama-suzuri has been designated as a national traditional craft product due to its reputation for having an elaborate creation process and elegant finish.
The Koto is also a handcrafted product produced in Ube City. Paulownia wood is carefully selected to make the Koto, and they are handcrafted using traditional methods.
