Cycled the Shimanami Kaido, and Yamaguchi, Saga, Nagasaki etc.

[rbjhan]

Shimonoseki 下関 is a very important city historically.
In chronological order:
1. During the Genpai War, the Heike and Genji fought their famous last battle here, near the Kanmon Bridge location now.
2. Meiji Restoration period, local Choshu clan played a key role in defeating the Tokugawa shoguante. Till this day, politicians from this region hold significant power in Japan thanks to that legacy （Abe was from Yamaguchi.）
3. 1895, the Treaty of Shimonoseki was signed here and China handed over Taiwan to Japan at the end of First Sino-Japanese War (also ended China's tributary relations with Korea).

We'll talk about 1 & 3 more later.

 

[rbjhan]

First thing first, lunch!

Next to Karato Market there's a shopping centre called Kanmon Wharf.
Found a Kaiten Sushi place that looked promising.




More Fugu


Tuna


Another serve of seared Nodoguro


Crab miso

 

[rbjhan]

I'm not really a fan of markets, but Karato Market was just next door...




Wanna guess what's their best fish?

 

[rbjhan]

This period after lunch rain was the heaviest....ah yes my shoes were soaked....the mistakes when they came back to bite with force

Shunpanro (Sino Japanese Peace Memorial Hall)
The aforementioned Treaty of Shimonoseki was signed here.



Representing Japan, then Prime Minister Ito Hirobumi & Foreign Minister Mutsu Munemitsu.
**Ito Hirobumi was from Yamaguchi which circles back to our Point 2 above.


Representing China, Li Hong Zhang & Li Jing Fang.


Calligraphy works by Li Hong Zhang & Ito Hirobumi.


The Treaty of Shimonoseki shattered the traditional Chinese dominance in this region. Had huge impact to all three countires in the region, China, Japan and Korea. Not to mention place Taiwan under Japanse rule which lasted till WWII and set the island on a much different trajectory leading to the tension we see now...