Mojikō Retro
門司港レトロ
A cluster of Meiji and Taisho-era port buildings beside the Kanmon Strait. Highlights include Mojiko Station, the former Mojiko Mitsui Club, and night views of the strait.
Mojikō Retro, in Moji Ward of Kitakyushu, is a group of buildings left from the period when Moji flourished as an international trading port during the Meiji and Taisho eras. It includes JR Mojikō Station, completed in 1914 and designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan; the former Mojiko Mitsui Club, where Einstein once stayed; the former Osaka Shosen Kaisha building; the former Mojiko Customs House; and the "Blue Wing Moji" pedestrian lift bridge that can open and close. You can look over the Kanmon Strait from the Mojiko Retro observation deck, or walk through the pedestrian tunnel under the Kanmon Strait (about 780 meters) to Shimonoseki on the Honshu side. Eating fugu (pufferfish) and grilled curry are must-dos. Getting there: take the Shinkansen from JR Hakata Station to Kokura, then transfer to the Kagoshima Main Line, about an hour in total.
Opening hours
Open all day (individual halls approx. 9:00 am–5:00 pm)
Nearby sights
- Mekari Shrine
- Kanmon Pedestrian Tunnel
- Sino-Japanese Peace Treaty Memorial Hall
- Karato Market
- Akama Shrine
- Shimonoseki Aquarium Kaikyokan
- Hinoyama Park
- Kaikyo Yume Tower