Day 47 Into The Under Water Tunnel! Mojiko To Shimonoseki

Jun 16 • Blog, Honshu, Kyushu • 4249 Views • 2 Comments

I was finally at the end of Kyushu. Mojiko is a port town in Kitakyushu with many retro buildings like this red brick building and the old train station. These European style buildings of the Taisho Era (early 1900′s) made me feel like I was somewhere outside of Japan.

Many huge international ships went by as I stood in the wind with my bike. I was getting close by the minute to cross the channel to get to the other side to Shimonoseki City in Yamaguchi Prefecture.

“I can see Honshu island from here!” I was so very excited.

Rickshaw boys with nice smiles were waiting around for tourists. Unfortunately for them, I had my bicycle to get around on.

I had Mojiko’s cheesy “yaki curry” before I crossed the channel. I was trying to stay in Kyushu as long as I could. The curry was topped with an egg and cheese and grilled in the oven. It was bubbling hot when it came in front of me.

Mojiko port town’s retro style was very cool, and so was this retro Sapporo Beer poster.

What a pretty day with the perfect blue sky! It was as if I was being sent off with a big smile from Kyushu.

After taking a long time, I got to the entrance of the underwater tunnel to cross the channel. This was a separate tunnel just for pedestrians, cyclists and moped riders. Walkers were free to cross, it was 20 yen for me as I had my bicycle.

Before I started crossing, I was trying to take a photograph at the beginning of the tunnel. As I was fiddling with my camera on a bench, someone talked to me from behind.

“Are you traveling far on your bicycle?”

I looked up, and there was a man with a silver Vespa, who seemed to have been heading to the same direction. He told me he’d worked for Mojiko and Shimonoseki tourism before, and gave me a quick history lesson of this tunnel.

My silly fear of leaving Kyushu was immediately taken away by this new friend, who walked the tunnel with me to cross to the other side. He even took a picture of me, standing at the border of Fukuoka and Yamaguchi Prefectures! Yay!

After we came out of the underwater tunnel, he ended up showing me around Shimonoseki. This was the bridge that connects Kyushu and Honshu between Kanmon Straits. We walked the tunnel under this bridge.

This place is known for the famous Battle of Dan-no-ura. It was a major sea battle of the Genpei War, occurring at Dan-no-ura, right here in the Shimonoseki Strait. On March 24, 1185, the Genji (Minamoto) clan fleet, led by Minamoto no Yoshitsune, defeated the Heike (Taira) clan fleet. This powerful looking statue was the head of Heike, Taira no Kiyomori.

Kanmon Kaikyo (straits) Bridge, my friend’s Vespa and my pink Sakura under the bright blue sky.

Shimonoseki is known for its fresh seafood, particularly fugu (blow fish). After he showed me around Shimonoseki’s fish market, we snacked on fried fugu mixed with other fish. I learned something new at this market. Around there, they pronounce fugu differently. They call it, fuku.

Lucky me, I was also guided around the old castle town of Chofu in eastern Shimonoseki, hidden behind the main road. I wouldn’t have noticed this if I’d been cycling by myself. We walked along the beautiful old Japanese homes and pretty streams, surrounded by trees in the quiet calmness.

With my own Shimonoseki tour guide, I got to enjoy a beautiful old town behind the crowded main street.

Not knowing what is going to happen can be scary. Stepping out of the comfort zone takes a little bit of courage, but when you make that move, so many wonderful things and friends are awaiting on the other side. I would have never guessed that my leaving of Kyushu was going to be such a beautiful start of my trip in Honshu island. After all, there was nothing to be worried about!

« Day 46 Don’t Want To Leave Kyushu! Cycling Friendly Fukuoka Day 48-49 Selling Cakes & Resting in a Samurai Mansion in Yamaguchi »