Shimonoseki

About Shimonoseki

Shimonoseki is a city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. As of 30 June 2023, the city had an estimated population of 248,193 in 128,762 households and a population density of 350 persons per km2. The total area of the city is 716.18 square kilometres (276.52 sq mi). It is the largest city in Yamaguchi Prefecture and the fifth-largest city in the Chūgoku region in terms of population. It is nicknamed the 'home of Fugu' for the locally caught and cooked pufferfish, and is the largest harvester of the pufferfish in Japan.

Shimonoseki is part of ancient Nagato Province. It has prospered since ancient times as the gateway to Honshu island from the Asian continent, including Kyushu, China, and the Korean peninsula. According to the Nihon Shoki, the semi-legendary Emperor Chuai constructed a palace at the location of what is now the Shimonoseki city hall during the Kofun period. The name of "Shimonoseki" appears in Heian period documents from 869 AD as the location of a checkpoint controlling maritime access to the Seto Inland Sea; however, by the Kamakura period, the name of "Akamanoseki" was in more common use. During the Genpei...

Overview adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA. Photography via Wikimedia Commons.