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Kanmon Tunnels
It makes me nervous to think that I am walking in the undersea tunnel of Kanmon Straits. The Kanmon Tunnels are undersea tunnels that connect the Honshu side (Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture) and the Kyushu side (Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture). Three Kanmon Tunnels penetrate under the seabed of the Kanmon Straits: the Kanmon Railway Tunnel for the Sanyo Main Line (conventional railway), the Kanmon Roadway Tunnel for the road (National Highway No. 2), and the Shin-Kanmon Tunnel for the Sanyo Shinkansen Bullet Train. The Kanmon Roadway Tunnel is also equipped with the tunnel for pedestrians. The first Kanmon Tunnel connecting Honshu and Kyushu was the Kanmon Railway Tunnel, opened in […]
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Mekari Shrine
In Seicho Matsumoto’s novel “Manners and Customs at time,” the culprit uses the ritual at Mekari Shrine to set up an alibi. Mekari Shrine is located in Moji-ku, Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, at the northernmost tip of Kyushu (in Mekari Park). It is the setting for Seicho Matsumoto’s novel “Manners and Customs at time,” and is famous for the Mekari Shinto ritual held early in the morning on New Year’s Day of the lunar calendar. There is a literary monument of Seicho Matsumoto in the precincts of the shrine. According to shrine legend, the shrine was founded in the 9th year of the Emperor Chuai era (200 AD) by Empress […]
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Mekari Park
Recommended sightseeing spots in Mekari Park Mekari Park is located at the western edge of Setonaikai National Park, in Moji-ku, Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, the northernmost part of Kyushu, it is an urban park that developed in the area of Mt. Kojo (altitude about 175m), where the ruins of Moji Castle are located. It is also close to Mojiko Retro District. Its total area is 37.1 ha. The vast park also includes a waterfront area with up-close views of the Kanmon Straits, the Kanmon Bridge and passing ships. Mekari Park has the “Second Observation Deck” that offers a spectacular view of the Kanmon Straits and Kanmon Bridge. From the Second […]