# Mojiko Retro

> Beautifully preserved early 20th-century port district with Western-style buildings, museums, and the famous baked curry.

- Prefecture: Fukuoka
- Type: Historic site
- Address: Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan
- Admission: Free
- Official site: https://www.mojiko.info/

Preserved harbor district in Kitakyushu with Meiji and Taisho-era Western architecture from when Moji was a major international trading port. The red-brick JR Mojiko Station, Moji Customs House, and former Osaka Shosen building are the main attractions. Revitalized as a tourism district in the 1990s with museums, galleries, and Kisho Kurokawa's observation room on the 31st floor (views across the Kanmon Strait to Shimonoseki). Local specialty is yaki-curry, baked curry with cheese. A pedestrian tunnel lets you walk under the strait to Honshu.

## FAQ

### What is yaki-curry and where should I try it?

Yaki-curry is Mojiko's signature dish: curry rice topped with cheese and an egg, then baked until the cheese is golden bubbly. Each of the 20+ restaurants in the area has its own recipe. Popular spots include Bear Fruits (the most famous), Curry Honpo, and Princess Pipi. Most dishes cost 1,000 to 1,500 yen. Bear Fruits often has a queue at lunch, so go early or for a late lunch.

### Can I walk from Mojiko to Shimonoseki?

Yes. The Kanmon Pedestrian Tunnel runs 780 meters under the Kanmon Strait between Kyushu and Honshu. It takes about 15 minutes to walk and is free for pedestrians (cyclists pay 20 yen). There's a prefectural border line painted on the floor halfway through (Fukuoka/Yamaguchi), a popular photo stop. The tunnel is open 6 AM to 10 PM. Elevators connect to street level on both sides.

### What are the must-see buildings at Mojiko Retro?

JR Mojiko Station (restored Renaissance-style, designated an Important Cultural Property), the red-brick Old Moji Customs House (1912, free to enter), and the Former Osaka Shosen Building (now a museum). For views, take the elevator to the 31st-floor observation room of the Mojiko Retro Observation Room (300 yen) overlooking the Kanmon Strait. The pedestrian Blue Wing Moji bridge near the station opens to let boats pass; check the schedule for show times.

### How do I get to Mojiko?

From Hakata Station, take the Sanyo Shinkansen to Kokura (16 minutes, 1,500 yen) then transfer to the JR Kagoshima Line for Mojiko Station (13 minutes, 280 yen), about 35 minutes total. Mojiko Station itself is the Renaissance-style 1914 station and the start of the retro district. From Shimonoseki, ferries run regularly across the strait (5 minutes, 400 yen).

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Source: Mojiko Retro — Japan Voyage