Department Store within Yamaguchi?

Is Yamaguchi Shi, Yamaguchi Ken a Town/City?

. . . half and half, heh. It's really too big to be a town but too small to be a city. They do have a small covered shopping arcade but forget about any huge food basements. I visited early this year and it's one of the few places in Japan I had to buy my dinner obento at 7Eleven because there was no other good place for obentos.

I don't recall seeing any big department stores like OIOI. Definitely no Sogo's or Mitsukoshi.

I think Hofu Eki was bigger than Yamaguchi Eki and actually had a modern shopping mall. Things are so laid back in this area the McDonald's at Hofu opens at 9:00 am in the morning!

That being said, there are a couple of tourist attractions in both Yamaguchi and Hofu so it's a worthwhile place to visit if you don't like crowds.