Moji-ku, Kitakyūshū

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Mojiko station

Moji ward (門司区, Moji-ku^?) in Kitakyushu is the former city of Moji which was one of five cities merged to create Kitakyushu city in 1963. It faces Shimonoseki across the Kanmon Straits between Honshū and Kyūshū.

Area: 73.37 km². Population: 114,754 (2000 - national census)

Large ferries for Tokyo and Osaka leave from Shin-Moji port on the Seto Inland Sea.

It includes the Moji tourist area (Moji-ko Retro), centred on JR Kyushu's Mojiko Station, which is a replica of Rome's Termini Station and is designated an important cultural property of Japan.

1 History
2 The Moji-ko Retro District
3 Shiranoe Gardens
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] History

Moji was first made into a port by Suematsu Kencho with the financial backing of Shibusawa Eiichi in 1889. It was chiefly used for the transportation of coal, though there is a traditional song about the sale of bananas imported into Moji from Southeast Asia which survives to this day (Banana no tataki-uri). Moji was also the departure point for many troops in the Russo-Japanese War who were ferried across to Korea.

[edit] The Moji-ko Retro District

Old Moji customs building, Moji-ko Retro with rickshaw for hire

Moji-ko Retro which officially opened under this name as a tourist site in 1995 is a charming port town situated along the Kanmon Straits. The area boasts many interesting historic buildings. For instance, the former Moji Mitsui Club once hosted Dr. Albert Einstein and his wife when they visited Japan in the 1920s. Recent developments along the waterfront, such as the renovated customs building, a striking new hotel and a unique pedestrian drawbridge (Blue Wing) add to the charm of Moji-ko and make it a pleasant place for visitors to stroll.