Mekari Parking Area

Welcome to the Mekari Parking Area, an essential threshold for any traveler traversing the Japanese archipelago. As we stand here at the northernmost tip of Kyushu, you are positioned at a geographical and historical crossroads. …

Before us stands the Kanmon Ohashi, or Kanmon Bridge, a structure that fundamentally altered the logistics of Japan when it opened in 1973. At that time, it was celebrated as the longest bridge in the East, a title that reflected…

Directly across the water lies the city of Shimonoseki, a place where history has been written in blood and seawater. If you look toward the shoreline at the base of the bridge's northern pier, you are looking at the area of…

Looking slightly to your left and down toward the coastline, you will see the structures of the Mekari Jinja. This shrine, with a history spanning over 1,800 years, is the oldest in the region and holds a sacred duty to protect…

While most visitors focus on the bridge, there is another, perhaps more intimate way to cross the straits: the Kanmon Pedestrian Tunnel. Located near the base of the parking area, this tunnel is a unique piece of infrastructure,…

From this vantage point, looking south toward the heart of Moji, you can see the red brick buildings and old-fashioned charm of the Mojiko Retro district. During the Meiji and Taisho periods, Moji was one of Japan's most…

As you observe the water from this final section of the parking area, pay close attention to the variety of vessels passing through the straits. This is the Kanmon Route, a vital passage for the movement of global goods. …

As we conclude our time here at the Mekari Parking Area, I invite you to take a final moment of reflection. We have stood at the edge of Kyushu, looking across a narrow strip of water that has seen the rise and fall of samurai…