Shimonoseki Day Trip: Sushi Stalls at Karato Market, the Red Gate of Akama Shrine and a Short Ferry to Ganryujima

This article covers how to reach Karato from the city's rail stops, the market, Akama Shrine, the boat to Ganryujima, the Kaikyokan aquarium, the consulate and the memorial hall, the ways across the strait to Moji Port, and a closing table of ticket prices.

Karato is the stretch of waterfront where the boats across the Kanmon Strait tie up, and the market, the shrine and the aquarium all sit within walking reach of the pier. The ride times from either rail stop are gathered in the first table, and the adult prices in the last one.

Getting to Karato

Each line in the table starts from a rail stop or from the pier and ends at the stop where you get off.

Item	Detail
Bus, JR Shimonoseki Station to the Karato stop	About ten minutes by bus, then a six-minute walk from the stop
Bus, JR Shimonoseki Station to the Akama-jingu-mae stop	Nine minutes by bus, and the shrine is right next to the stop
Bus, JR Shimonoseki Station to the Kaikyokan-mae stop	About five minutes by bus
Kanmon ferry, Karato to Moji Port	About five minutes on the water
JR Sanyo Line, JR Shimonoseki Station to JR Moji Station	About six minutes by train

By car, the drive from JR Shimonoseki Station to Karato Market takes about ten minutes. From JR Shin-Shimonoseki Station, the drive to Karato Market takes about twenty minutes.

Karato Market

Guidebooks describe the market's Ikiiki Bakan-gai seafood stalls as selling sliced raw pufferfish, the city's signature dish, alongside a range of other dishes made from fresh seafood. Ordinary visitors are said to have the chance to watch the seafood auctions that take place inside the market.

The Ikiiki Bakan-gai seafood event runs on Sundays and holidays from eight in the morning until three in the afternoon. Separately, the Karato morning market is held on the second and fourth Thursday of each month, from seven in the morning until ten. From the Kaikyokan aquarium, the walk to Karato Market takes about six minutes. From Shimonoseki City Hall, the walk to Karato Market takes about eight minutes.

Akama Shrine and the Dannoura Shore

According to one travel book, the contrast between the vermilion Suiten Gate and the white walls is what catches the eye on arriving at Akama Shrine. From JR Shin-Shimonoseki Station, the bus to the Akama-jingu-mae stop takes about twenty minutes, and the shrine is right next to the stop.

The shrine's treasure hall is open from nine in the morning until four thirty in the afternoon.

According to one travel book, bronze statues of Minamoto no Yoshitsune and Taira no Tomomori stand side by side in Mimosusogawa Park, where visitors can think back to the battle fought at Dannoura.

The Ferry to Ganryujima

The Ganryujima ferry takes about ten minutes one way.

The shoreline of the island is described as having a pair of statues of Miyamoto Musashi and Sasaki Kojiro, posed in a scene from their duel.

Kaikyokan Aquarium

Regular opening hours at the Kaikyokan aquarium run from nine thirty in the morning to five thirty in the evening. Last entry is at five in the evening.

The blue whale skeleton on display here is described in guidebooks as one of very few complete specimens in the world. One display corner is said to be built around pufferfish, the fish Shimonoseki is noted for producing. Guidebooks describe the Aqua Theater, an outdoor stage facing the Kanmon Strait, as the place where dolphins and sea lions perform together.

Parking at Mirai Park costs one hundred yen per thirty minutes on weekdays between eight in the morning and eight in the evening. The maximum parking fee at Mirai Park between eight in the morning and eight in the evening is nine hundred yen, rising to one thousand two hundred yen on weekends and holidays.

The Former British Consulate and the Memorial Hall

The Former British Consulate in Shimonoseki is open from nine in the morning until five in the evening. It is closed over the year-end and New Year period and every Tuesday, and when a Tuesday is a public holiday the consulate is closed on the next weekday instead.

The first-floor shop is open from nine in the morning until five in the evening. The second-floor tearoom Liz is open from ten in the morning until five in the evening, with last orders at four thirty in the afternoon. Its Afternoon Tea Set is served from eleven thirty in the morning until four in the afternoon.

The Nisshin Kowa Memorial Hall is open from nine in the morning until five in the evening, with entry until four thirty in the afternoon. From JR Shimonoseki Station, the bus to the Akama-jingu-mae stop takes about ten minutes, and the memorial hall is a one-minute walk from the stop.

Crossing the Strait to Mojiko

The Kanmon Pedestrian Tunnel is open from six in the morning until ten at night. From end to end, the walk through the tunnel to the Shimonoseki side takes about fifteen minutes.

The Kanmon ferry runs at twenty-minute intervals during the day. On the Moji Port side, the boarding point is a three-minute walk from JR Mojiko Station.

The daytime Mojiko Retro Cruise costs one thousand yen for an adult and lasts twenty minutes. A separate guide covers Mojiko Retro on the far shore.

Fares and Prices at a Glance

The figures below are for one adult.

Item	Detail
Kanmon ferry to Moji Port, adult one way	Four hundred yen
Ganryujima ferry, adult round trip	Nine hundred yen
Kaikyokan aquarium, adult admission, high school students included	Two thousand five hundred yen
Akama Shrine treasure hall, admission	One hundred yen
The Kanmon Pedestrian Tunnel, on foot	Free for pedestrians
JR Sanyo Line between JR Shimonoseki Station and JR Moji Station, adult ticket	Two hundred thirty yen
Bus, JR Shimonoseki Station to Karato, adult fare	Two hundred twenty yen

If you want to add an activity to the trip, take a look at options around Shimonoseki.