Hofu Tenmangu Mitokuji temple Izumo Taisha Omori Silver mine Xavier memorial church peace memorialpark miyajima sanctuary_outline Shukkeien Adachi garden Ikouji Rurikouji temple Amida-ji Sourin-ji Kourakuen Japanese trad.Garden_outline Matsue Yonago Shimonoseki Okayama Hiroshima HAB CITY_outline TSUYAMA TSUWANO MATSUE CHOFU IWAKUNI HAGI SAMURAI towns_outline ONOMICHI YANAI TAKEHARA KURASHIKI TOMO SHIMOKAMAGARI Xavier Cathedral SHIMONOSEKI Washi Touken Bizen Pottery Hagi Pottery & Kilns Japanese trad.artcrafts Experience-outline GEGEGENO Kitaro Matsuda museum Naval Base of Kure MAZDA,Hofu plant Modern Japan-outline Kirin beer Park in Okayama Tottori sand dune Mt.Fuji of Sanin DAISEN SHINJI Lake Iwami coast Oki Hagi coast Nagato SANIN COAST-outline SHUHODO Trail to Hikimi Hiruzen Highland Kibi Highland Tsuyama Travel with Stream locomotive Deep Inland Tour-outline SETO-OHASHI Seto-inland seas OANORAMA view Tiboli Park Tokiwa Park Inland-sea-outline List of Japanese terms Bathing in Japan 7seafood of the Lake Shinji Blow fish Stone fish Show Crab Oysters Buchwheat Noodles Peach and Other fruits Okonomiyaki
 
Town with 2 faces
     
  Shimonoseki has been one of Japan's major gateways to Korea and the rest of Asia for centuries now. The port is lively and bustles with ships and ferries going not only to Pusan but ports all over Japan as well.
There are two main sightseeing locations of particular interest to foreigners in Shimonoseki. One is the bustling Karato section located downtown; the other is the Chofu district, which has more in the way of historical preservation.		  
     
 
 
 
     
  Old scattered samurai town
<Chofu district>		  
 
 
     
 
For the artistically inclined, the Shimonoseki Municipal Museum of Art - complete with small sculpture garden - is located a kilometer or so from the Chofu Samurai Town and can be reached via bus from the main station before venturing into the samurai town itself. About a hundred yards away, Chofu Tei-en (Chofu Garden) is scenic and easy to stroll around, and at \200 for admission is one of the better values on offer. The ancestral manse is preserved, and the garden is offers a prototypical Japanese garden experience: stone bridges and lanterns; a teahouse, trees bent into interesting shapes, carp and turtles in the ponds, and paths winding beneath Japanese maples and cherry blossom trees. There's even a small waterfall.

Unlike many other cities with preserved "samurai towns", the Chofu section of Shimonoseki is not all of a piece. Traditional samurai schools and residences are scattered throughout roughly a square kilometer of area. In between are modern residences, shops and so on. Although you can walk around and see quite a bit, those not used to such exercise will want to rent a bicycle and ride. Samurai afficionados will appreciate the historical flavor of the district and enjoy the various gardens and buildings that are open to the public, but children may get tired and irritable from all the walking, especially during the hot summer months.		  
     
 
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  bustling Jack'n Pot of Seaquarium ,Dolfin Show,Fish market  
     
 
< Karato section >
The Karato section, located a short bus ride from Shimonoseki station, however, offers something for everyone. Located along the Kanmon Strait, which separates the main island of Honshu from Kyushu, Karato boasts a large variety of attractions. Foremost among them is the large seaquarium building (KAIKYOU-kan)
that hosts dolphin shows, three floors of marine exhibits, souvenir shops and a restaurant. The Delphino, as it's called, is a must-do for a family that may be tired from all the running around. While the main dishes are average, the desserts are quite good. But the main reason to go there is the view: on one side is a glass wall looking out onto the strait; one the other is a series of large panels looking into a dolphin tank.
Once you're done with the Seaquarium, there is the Karato market area located just a few steps down the pier to keep you entertained. The mall has a variety of restaurants and souvenir shops, and you can sample the local delicacy, blowfish (called fuku in the local dialect), at almost all of them.

There is also a fish market slightly further down the pier for those who want their fish really fresh. But be warned: while you can purchase and eat almost any kind of fish that Shimonoseki offers there (and there are a lot), you will have to put up with the smell of the market while you do so. Wandering the fish market is fun and educational, but you may prefer to dine elsewhere!		  
     
 
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If you’d like to try something delicious and special during the winter in Japan, fugu is strongly recommended.
Blow-fish (or fugu in Japanese) is known as one of the best seafood delicacies in Japan. As the liver and some other organs contain poison, some may feel scared to try the fish. In feudal times until the 19th century, the Shogun government actually banned the eating of fugu. Cooking and eating fugu at home is probably a bad idea. However, in modern Japan you need have no worries about poisoning when you eat the fish at restaurants. Only qualified cooks who hold the national license to cook blow-fish can serve it here.

The fish is mostly served as sashimi (sliced raw fish). Thinly sliced, beautifully translucent fugu sashimi is dipped into soy sauce mixed with citrus juice, making the taste more delicious.
A hot-pot meal using fugu and some seasonal vegetables called fugu-chiri is also popular. And don’t forget to have some fugu made into a porridge with eggs. It is extraordinarily yummy!