Yamaguchi Prefecture · Japan
Where to stay in Shimonoseki
Shimonoseki is a city in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, home to about 253,000 people. This guide covers 1 hotel in Shimonoseki.
- Places to stay in this guide
- 1
- Nearest airport
- KKJ15 km · Kitakyushu Airport
- Currency
- JPYyen
- Time zone
- Asia/Tokyo
- Language
- Japanese
About
About Shimonoseki
Shimonoseki is a city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. The city used to be referred to as Bakan (馬関).
Guarding the entrance to the Kanmon Straits that separate Honshu from Kyushu, the strategically located "Lower Barrier" played a role in three battles that triggered major changes in Japanese history. In 1185, the Battle of Dan-no-ura took place in the Straits, ending in a decisive victory for the Minamoto clan; the victory brought the Genpei War to a close, and with it the classical Heian period of Japanese culture. Shortly afterward, a new shogunate was established in Kamakura. In 1863, another battle thrust Shimonoseki onto the world stage.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Shimonoseki
See
- Akama Jingū
- Ganryūjima
- Hinoyama
- Kaikyokan Aquarium
- Kaikyō Yume Tower
- Shunpanrō Hall
- Sumiyoshi-jinja
- Former Akita Company Building
- Former British Consulate
- Nabe-cho Post Office
- Chofu Garden
- Chōfu Mōri Residence
Do
- Kanmon Straits Fireworks Festival
- Kaikyo Festival
- Bakan Festival
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Places to stay in Shimonoseki
1 place to stay from the chains this guide covers, each linked to its own website.
| Place to stay |
|---|
| Toyoko Inn Shimonoseki Kaikyo-yume-tower Mae hotel |
When to go
The best time to visit Shimonoseki
Shimonoseki has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 31 °C; July is the wettest, with about 336 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Shimonoseki: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Kitakyushu Airport (KKJ), about 15 km from the city centre in a straight line; Yamaguchi Ube Airport (UBJ, 31 km) and Fukuoka Airport (FUK, 61 km) are also within reach.
Getting around
City buses are run by Sanden Kotsu, with stops that include both major train stations and the tourist attractions in the port and Chofu areas. When you board, take a ticket from the dispenser; when the bus reaches your destination, compare the number on your ticket to the numbers at the front of the bus, and that will tell you how much to pay. Short trips cost ¥170. Shimonoseki was given one of London's distinctive red double-decker buses as that city phased them out. It now runs along the coast on weekends.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
KKJ · Kitakyushu Airport
UBJ · Yamaguchi Ube Airport
FUK · Fukuoka Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Shimonoseki
Eat
Even if you don't usually eat seafood, you may want to make an exception for Shimonoseki's most famous dish: fugu (ふぐ) (pronounced "fuku" in the local dialect). While the flesh and skin are often completely harmless, the internal organs of some species of pufferfish pack enough lethal toxins to paralyze every muscle in the human body. "Fugu" is a generic term that covers many types of pufferfish; Torafugu (Tiger puffer), arguably the most popular type, has extraordinarily poisonous livers, ovaries, and intestines that must be carefully removed before preparation.
Drink
Buzenda-cho (豊前田町) is the local red-light district, packed with karaoke boxes, hostess bars, and restaurants, a short walk east of JR Shimonoseki Station. Bars are also clustered on Hisashi-guchi, near Green Mall.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Shimonoseki: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Shimonoseki?
Shimonoseki has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 31 °C; July is the wettest, with about 336 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Shimonoseki?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Kitakyushu Airport (KKJ), about 15 km from the city centre in a straight line; Yamaguchi Ube Airport (UBJ, 31 km) and Fukuoka Airport (FUK, 61 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Shimonoseki?
yen (JPY).
Nearby
Destinations near Shimonoseki
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.