Discover the best travel guides, itineraries, and hidden gems in Japan.
Shimonoseki handles more fugu than any other city in Japan. I knew that before checking into RISONARE Shimonoseki — a waterfront resort on the Kanmon Strait where that reputation shows up most clearly at the RISONARE Shimonoseki restaurant table. Over two days, I ate my way through a fugu-heavy buffet, a regional breakfast spread, and … Read more
I’ve visited Shimonoseki more times than I can count, but finding a place to stay with a five-year-old has always been the hardest part — most options near the harbor are cramped business hotels or aging properties with beds too high for a small child. When I heard Hoshino Resorts had opened a new RISONARE … Read more
Traveling through Shimonoseki with my five-year-old, I took him to the aquarium, the fish market, the observation tower — all the sights I thought he’d enjoy. But no matter where we went, his eyes kept drifting toward a giant Ferris wheel sitting at the edge of the sea. So we followed his gaze, crossed the … Read more
Scroll through reviews of Kaikyokan Aquarium in Shimonoseki, and a pattern shows up fast: “small,” “pricey for what it is,” “not as impressive as Osaka or Okinawa.” I have visited this aquarium multiple times over the years, and after its eight-month renovation wrapped up in August 2025, those lukewarm takes made me curious enough to … Read more
I wasn’t planning to visit Kaikyo Yume Tower (海峡ゆめタワー) that afternoon. After a morning at Karato Market — Shimonoseki’s famous seafood market where you can build your own sushi tray on weekends, I took the 25-minute bus ride back to Shimonoseki Station (下関駅), grabbed a coffee, and started thinking about where to go next. I … Read more
Sitting on a concrete ledge with a plastic tray of hand-picked sushi, watching cargo ships drift through the Kanmon Strait while the Kyushu coastline shimmered across the water — that was the moment I understood why Karato Market in Shimonoseki keeps drawing people back. This is not a polished restaurant experience. It is a loud, … Read more
After more than a decade of taking the overnight ferry from Busan, the part I still look forward to most is stepping off at Shimonoseki Port International Terminal just before 8:00 AM. This Shimonoseki ferry terminal area guide covers everything within walking distance of the port — the terminal building, the elevated walkway, JR Shimonoseki … Read more
Flying from Busan to Japan takes about an hour. But when you are traveling with a baby and more luggage than most airlines allow, that hour starts to feel like a gamble. I took the Busan to Shimonoseki ferry instead — an overnight crossing that leaves South Korea at 9:00 PM and pulls into western … Read more
If you are planning to travel from South Korea to Japan without flying, the ferry from Busan is one of the best ways to do it. Three overnight routes connect Busan directly to Shimonoseki, Fukuoka, and Osaka, and they all depart from one place: Busan Port International Passenger Terminal, commonly known as the Busan ferry … Read more