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Honshu island’s southernmost city Shimonoseki is the largest of Yamaguchi Prefecture’s cities. Facing onto the Kanmon Strait, Shimonoseki is the gateway to Kyushu which at some points is just one kilometer away. As the biggest producer of puffer fish worldwide, naturally the city’s activities revolve around seafood which can be discovered everywhere from restaurants and markets to the port and boat trips.
As a port city, Shimonoseki’s selling point is its harbour and the seafood welcomed through it. The myriad restaurants source much of their fresh ingredients from the Karato Market which opens at 5am (8am on Sundays and holidays) and stays open until 3pm allowing the serious fish buyers to makes their purchases early morning before the tourists trickle in at lunchtime.
While Shimonoseki has no lack of variety in its produce with all the usual seafood available such as tuna and oysters, the regional fish of choice is fugu. Fugu, or puffer fish, earned its fame from the locals’ sworn love of this unusual cuisine and continues to produce around 80% of the country’s fugu. Novelist Maruo Shioda once said that people in the region loved puffer fish so much that they would it eat it over 30 times in the winter season. The only catch is that one puffer fish holds enough poison to kill several adults which used to make the fish a risky treat. These days there are a huge number of fugu specialists which makes this national delicacy a safe but undoubtedly unique dish to try on a trip to Shimonoseki.
Shimonoseki’s location in the very west of Honshu has meant it has been used as a portal to Honshu for many centuries. These days ferries go between Shimonoseki and Busan in South Korea, most commonly as an overnight trip. The stretch of water separating Kyushu from Honshu known as the Kanmon Strait is connected by the iconic Kanmon Bridge. Those dedicated to getting the best views over this impressive structure and the city of Shimonoseki should clamber up one of the surrounding hills for far-stretching views over the port city. Hinoyama Mountain is well set up for visitors, adorned with a ropeway, an observation deck (which will be reopening in early 2019), and a number of vending machines and shops at the viewing points.
Kitakyushu, just a short trip across the Kanmon Strait, boasts picturesque towns such as retro town Mojiko and Kokura while those staying on Honshu island shouldn’t miss the pretty castle town of Chofu.Hotel Wing International Shimonoseki
3-11-2 Takezaki-machi Shimonoseki Yamaguchi
- Karato Market
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- Yamaguchi Pref. Shimonosekishi Karatochou 5-50
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- [Monday-Saturday]5:00-15:00(…
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- Hinoyama Ropeway Office
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- Yamaguchi Shimonoseki-shi Mimosusogawacho 7-14
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