What to know
Shimonoseki (下関) is a city in Yamaguchi Prefecture at the westernmost tip of Japan's main island, Honshu. The 650-meter-wide Kanmon Strait, a busy shipping lane, separates it from Kyushu. As the gateway to Kyushu, Shimonoseki has long been a major transport hub, though bridges and tunnels across the strait have somewhat reduced its importance.
Surrounded by water on three sides, Shimonoseki is naturally famous for its seafood, especially pufferfish—locally called fuku. Large quantities of pufferfish pass through the city's fish markets daily and are enjoyed at restaurants throughout town.
The Kanmon Strait was the site of two historic battles. In the late 12th century, the decisive Battle of Dannoura—the final clash of the Genpei War, Japan's first large-scale civil war—took place here between the Minamoto and Taira samurai clans. The Minamoto won, establishing a new government in Kamakura.
Seven centuries later, Shimonoseki was controlled by the Choshu Clan, which played a key role in overthrowing the Tokugawa shogunate during the Meiji Restoration. Angered by Western imperialism and the shogunate's weakness, Choshu forces repeatedly attacked Western ships in the Kanmon Strait, leading to a bombardment of Shimonoseki by Western powers in 1864.
Central Shimonoseki, near the tip of Honshu, offers several attractions, including a pleasant waterfront area with a fish market and an aquarium.