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Travel Guide of Scenic Byways in Kyushu

Kitakyushu City in Fukuoka Pref.－World Industrial Heritage in Meiji, Kokura Castle, and Nagasaki-kaido Road－

Kitakyushu City is a large city in the north

part of Kyushu, and is located on the throat

of Kyushu Main Island, facing the Hibiki

Sea and the Kanmon Strait. The peninsula

in the northeastern end is Moji Ward,

which is connected by three tunnels and

one bridge to the Shimonoseki city in the

Honshu main Island. Therefore, they are

closely tied each other, and the entire

region plays an important role in the land

formation and management of the country.

(See Photo (1) and the map).

The region of “Kitakyushu Hospitality

Roads” is an orange colored area shown in

the map, from Moji Ward to Koyasnose

Town in Yahata-nishi Ward, and the main

route is the historical road, "Nagasaki

Kaido". The route, however, is complicated

in the current road network, since the

Kitakyushu City has developed as an

industrial city along with many National

Routes.

In the current road network, the main

roads from Kanmon Bridge to Koyanose

Town are No.2, 3, 200 and 211 of National

Routes, and the complementation of some

prefectural roads is needed. National Route 199 and 198 for port

logistics are also available in parallel.

(Access) . Access points to this region are Kitakyushu Airport and

Kokura Station on the Sanyo Shinkansen. Besides, many stations of

Kagoshima Main Line of JR Kyushu and Chikuho Electric Railroad

are available as access points to scenic spots by region.

Furthermore, the Kitakyushu Urban Expressway is parallel to the

main route or goes around the scenery area. Therefore, you can

quickly access all the landscape spots from anywhere. (See the Map).

(Scenic Resources). The scenic area of Kitakyushu Hospitality

Road has two themes. One of them is "Nagasaki Kaido Road" which

is an old road between Nagasaki City and Kitakyushu City. Only

Nagasaki Port was able to trade with a limited number of foreign

countries under the national isolation policy, from the 17th century

to 19th century. For this reason, the section of Kitakyushu

Hospitality Road on the Nagasaki Kaido Road was particularly

significant as a historical road. The Dutch trading company went to

Edo through the Nagasaki Kaido, and many people traveled to

Nagasaki for the study on medicine and western science. In addition,

as a system of the Edo shogunate, Daimyos in Kyushu region came

back and forth between each territory and the capital once every two

years through the Nagasaki Kaido.

The other is the fact that the Kitakyushu City is a transportion

hub in the Kyushu region and has developed as an industrial city.

Q-❹ Kitakyushu Hospitality Roads

(2) Monument of Kyushu

Survey by Mr. Tadataka Ino.

(1) Kanmon Strait and Kanmon Kyo Bridge

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Especially in the Meiji Era, the steel industry developed by utilizing

the coal produced in adjacent areas and the functions of large-scale

logistics. Currently, some of facilities are industrial heritage sites,

and are registered as World Culture Heritage Sites. Excellent

activities for new technology industries are continuing while

overcoming environmental problems. Therefore, you can travel on

the theme of industries and ports, in this scenic area.

As shown on the map, the main landscapes on the route are given

by a set of zones (1) to (6), allowing travelers to see the legacies of

industrial modernization in each zone.

(1) Moji Port Retro District

In the middle of Meiji era, Moji-ko Port was opened, and Moji

Station of the Kyushu Railway (currently Moji Port Station of JR

Kyushu) was built next to it. As a result, many domestic and foreign

passenger ships entered the port, and the Moji's port town developed

greatly as a modern city. Half a century later, however, Kanmon

Railway Tunnel was built between the current Moji station of JR

Kyushu and Shimonoseki Station of JR West Japan, and almost all

functions of Moji Port were moved to another location. Along with

this, the role of Moji Port Station as a gateway to Kyushu has shrunk,

and the surrounding port town has gradually declined.

Therefore, while preserving buildings from the Meiji era to the

Taisho era (the old Mitsui Club and former Osaka merchant ship

etc.), the old port town was transformed into a retro town by adding

amenity and commercial facilities. Now you can enjoy the Moji-port

Retoro Town together with the old port facilities and the Kanmon

Strait.

The Mojiko Retro Sightseeing Train (Torokko panoramic train)

(1) Mojiko Station of JR Kagoshima Main Line

Line

(1) Pedestrian Tunnel in Kanmon Strait Tunnel (1) Old Mitsui Club Building of Retro Town

(2)-1 “Tanka Food Market” in Kokura-Kita-Ward (2)-2 Kokura Castle surrounded by City Area

(2)-2 Castle Tower of Kokura Castle (2)-3 Yasaka Shrine in Kokura Castle (2)-3 Kokura Gion Drum of Yasaka Shrine festival

(2)-4 Tokiwa Bashi Bridge (Murasaki River)

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runs about 2km from Moji Port Station to

the Mekari Shrine at the tip of the

peninsula,. From the train, you can see

dramatic landscapes such as Kanmon

Strait, Kanmon Bridge and Shimonoseki

City. The Kanmon Submrine Road Tunnel

has a pedestrian tunnel where you can

experience walking and running on the

bottom of the sea.

(2) Kokura Castle and its Town

In the scenic regions of (1) and (2), there

are National Roads 198 and 199 parallel to

National Road 3, which ties every ports of

Moji, Kokura, Tobata, and Wakamatsu

along the area of Kanmon Strait .

Going west along these national roads

from the Moji port, you will find Kokura

Station on the Sanyo Shinkansen, which

is the hub of current transportation in Kitakyushu

City. On the other hand, in the Edo period, Tokiwa-

bashi Bridge near this station was the starting

point for five historical roads in Kyushu and was a

hub for transportation. In the18th century,

Tadataka Ino started to survey the Kyushu map at

Tokiwa-Bashi.

Philipp Franz Balthasar von Siebold, an in-house

physician at a Dutch trading company, wrote in his

diary; “Crossed the big wooden bridge (Tokiwa-

bashi), advanced the square, and arrived at an inn

not far away" (January 15, 1826)”.

The front area of the bridge is a commercial

district of department store, Arcade Streets, and

restaurants. Tanka Food Market in the center of

Kitakyushu City is crowded as a typical citizen's

kitchen. (See Photo (2) -1).

Kokura Castle, on the other hand, is located on

the west side of the Murasaki River and is

surrounded by the city hall, cultural facilities and large commercial

facilities. It is also surrounded by condominiums and factories, and

the port is on the the sea side of landfill. Photo (2)-2 on page 2 shows

the scenery of the castle as seen from the roof deck of the city hall.

Kokura Castle was built by Hosokawa Clan in the early the 17th

century. However, it has been rebuilt each time a fire is repeated. The

present castle tower was rebuilt in 1959 at the request of the citizens.

This is called "Tang-making structure", and the tower has no eaves

between the 4th and 5th floors, and the 5th floor protrudes beyond

the 4th floor.

Besides, there is Yasaka Shrine founded by

Hosokawa Clan in Kokura Castle, and a famous

shrine festival is held every summer in the parade

of Japanese drum and Mikoshi (portable shrine).

(3) Yahata Distirct and (4) Sarakura Mt.

Block (3) is an industrial area developed in the

direction of Dokai Bay, against the background of

Sarakura Mt. The land use of city consists of the

factory areas of Nippon steel company, commercial

areas, and residential areas for employees.

Yahata Steel Factory was started by the

government in 1901 and some of the facilities at

that time remain. Among them, the pumping

station of the Onga River, the old headquarters

building, the repair shop, and the old blacksmith

factory were registered as World Cultural Heritage.

In addition, Higashida First Blast Furnace was

installed in 1901 and finished its role. Therefore, as

shown in the photo, a memorial park was built and now the first

blast furnace is displayed as a monument of the industrial city.

In addition to the road, you can go to the top of Mt. Sarakura-yama

(622m) by cable-car and slope-car. From the observation deck, you

can enjoy wonderful views of Kitakyushu City, Kanmon Strait and

Shimonoseki City, day or night. (See Photo (4)).

(5) Magarinosato Avenue of Nagasaki-Kaido

Going further west from Yahata District, Kurosaki Station on the

Kagoshima Main Line can be found. Advancing more 500 meters

south from there, you can reach Magarinosato Park, lined with pine

trees.

The section of about 600m is "Nagasaki-kaido" road through the

pine forest. The pine trees were originally kept between

Koyanosejuku Town and Kurosakijuku Town, but are currently only

visible in this section. Walking along a path of pine forests with a

history of hundreds of years makes you feel nostalgic.

(6) Koyanose-juku Town

Koyanose-juku Town is the next post-inn town in the south of

Kurosaki-juku Town on Nagasaki-Kaido. Photo (6)-3 is a stone guide-

sign at the junction of Nagasaki-kaido and Karatsu-kaido in

Koyanose inn-town. The town flourished by the intersection of two

(3) Commemorative Park of Higashida first Blast Furnace.

(3) Old Office of Yahata Ironworks Factory (World Heritage).

(4) View of Kitakyushu City from Mt. Sarakura

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old roads and water transportation on the Onga-gawa River. As

walking through the streets of the town, you can enjoy the historical

buildings and streets that retain the atmosphere of past prosperity.

(See Photo (6)).

Koyanose’s Memorial Hall introduces the history of the town and

exhibits historical materials. So if you get the basic information there,

you can walk easily according to the map. In the whole town, the

streets are winding to protect the town, and there are many narrow

ways with dead ends. In the town, there is a trace of "Ochaya" (a

facility where Daimyo stays or rests).

As mentioned above, Koyanose-juku Town in the Edo period is a

major transportation hub in the northern part of Kyushu. For this

reason, there were three Shoya

responsible for operationof the

town. One is "Mura Shoya", who

oversees the village. The second is

“Yado Shoya”. There were many

inns, and he was the union

president of the post-inn

association. The third person is

“Funa Shoya”. He owned the river

boats on the Onga River and was

entrusted with the right to

manage and transport the annual

tax rice.

Photo (6) -2 is the house of the

Matsuo family who was a Mura-Shoya. The house was built as a

store in the late Edo period, and the pillars were completely made by

plastering the outer walls and back of the eaves. The house of Funa-

Shoya was also built around the same time, with the earthen floor

extending to the back, and the ceiling of Zashiki (reception room) is

made with the image of the bottom of the ship. Visiting them makes

you feel like wandering back 200 years ago.

(5) Magarinosato-matsunamiki (line-up of Pine Trees)

(6)-1 Street View of Koyanose-juku (post-inn town)

(6)-2 House of the Village Headman (Matsuo Family), and the Inside.

(6)-3 Guide-signpost at Turning Point of Nagasaki-kaido and Karatsu-kaido

Tobata Gion Yamagasa Festival

Although Tobata Ward is not in the scope of this scenic road,

but is adjacent to it. Therefore, you can easily add it to your tour

(Photo (4)). In this area, the festival of Tobata Gion Yamagasa

is held in every July and it is registered as UNESCO Intangible

Cultural Heritage together with Hakata Gion Yamakasa and

so on.

This festival is organized by the host of Shrines in four districts

of Tobata-ward. The parade of Oo-Yamakasa is carried by

adults, and Ko-waka-Yamakasa, by middle school students.

Yamakasa is decorated with membrane and fabric in the day

time, but it is changed to Yamakasa decorated by lanterns at

night, as in the photo. There is no other example of Yamakasa

that changes the appearance at day and night. This is the big

feature of Tobata Gion Yamakasa. "Yamakasa" with decoration of clothes in day and with lanterns in night,

in Tobata Gion Yamakasa Festival.

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