Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [374]
Tōyoko Inn (34-1045; fax 34-1046; www.toyoko-inn.com; 2-7-10 Buzenda-chō; s/tw ¥5565/8190; ) Not far from the station, this is a decent chain hotel with all the usual amenities. There’s LAN internet access in all rooms and there are computer terminals in the lobby.
Shimonoseki Tōkyū Inn (33-0109; fax 23-0285; www.tokyuhotels.co.jp; 4-4-1 Takezaki-chō; s/tw ¥6825/12,600; ) Ideally located just a minute’s walk from the station and ferry terminal, this smart business hotel has comfortable rooms (with LAN internet in all rooms) and wireless access in the lobby.
Kaikyō View Shimonoseki (29-0117; fax 29-0114; www.kv-shimonoseki.com, in Japanese; 3-58 Mimosusogawa-chō; per person with 2 meals from ¥9975; ) On Hino-yama, Kaikyō View has great views and professional service. Japanese- and Western-style rooms overlook the strait. There’s an onsen, which has sea views, and is open to nonguests from 11am to 3pm (for ¥700).
Eating & Drinking
Shimonoseki Ijinkan (22-2262; 4-11 Karato; drinks ¥500-1500; 9.30am-9pm, closed Mon) Tucked away in the British consulate courtyard, the Ijinkan coffee house is famous for the theatrical ministrations of bow-tied ‘coffee meister’ Kunio Kanegae. It’s worth ordering a café au lait (¥1050) for the show alone – but you’ll have to be quick. The performance takes so much out of him that orders are limited to just 10 per day.
Kaiten Karato Ichiba Sushi (33-2611; 2F 5-50 Karato; per plate from ¥105; lunch & dinner) This revolving sushi restaurant in the heart of the fish market is a great place to get your hands on the freshest fish without needing to know what they’re all called. There are normally over 60 different kinds of fish available.
Yabure-Kabure (34-3711; 2-2-5 Buzenda-chō; lunch/dinner set menu from ¥3150/5250;lunch & dinner) There’s only one thing on the menu in this boisterous, pufferfish-themed spot: pick from a range of fugu set menus, such as the Ebisu course (¥5250), which features the cute little puffer in raw, seared, fried and drowned-in-sake incarnations. A lunchtime sashimi setto (sashimi set meal) is ¥3150. There is no English menu, but you can’t go wrong here. Look for the blue-and-white pufferfish outside.
Kappō Nakao (; 31-4129; 4-6 Akama-chō; meals ¥3800-26,250; lunch & dinner Nov-Mar, closed Mon Apr-Oct) Five minutes’ walk from the Karato market, this sophisticated fugu restaurant offers graceful service and splendidly prepared dishes. Courses start at ¥8400, though there are cheaper deals available at lunchtime. Look for the stone lantern and wooden gate out the front.
Close to the fish market is Kamon Wharf, a collection of restaurants and shops specialising in the local goodies – seekers of only-in-Japan culinary experiences can look out for the uni (sea-urchin)-flavoured ice cream (; ¥300) and fugu burgers (; ¥350).
Getting There & Away
Shinkansen trains stop at Shin-Shimonoseki Station, two stops from JR Shimonoseki. From Shimonoseki, a bridge and tunnels connect Honshū with Kyūshū. Eastbound road users can take Rte 191 along the northern San-in coast, Rte 2 along the southern San-yō coast or the Chūgoku Expressway through central Honshū.
Kanmon Kisen (083-222-1488) ferries run two or three times hourly from the Karato area of Shimonoseki to Moji in Kyūshū (¥390, five minutes). Kanmon Kaikyō ferries ply the route between Karato and Kokura in Kyūshū (¥200, 13 minutes). From Shin-moji in Kita-Kyūshū there are ferries to Kōbe and Osaka and to Tokyo.
FERRIES TO KOREA & CHINA
Kampu Ferry (; in Shimonoseki 24-3000, Pukwan Ferry in Busan 051-464-2700) operates the Shimonoseki–Busan ferry from the Shimonoseki International Ferry Terminal (), a five-minute walk from the station. Go straight down the main road from the station and turn right after the Daimaru department store. There are daily departures at 7pm from Shimonoseki, arriving in Busan at 8.30am the following morning. Boarding time is between 6pm and 6.20pm, and one-way fares start at ¥9000 for second class, in an open tatami area. Students under 30 travel