Shimonoseki

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 War, the Heike and Genji fought at the Battle of Dan-no-ura near the present Kanmon Bridge. During the Muromachi period, the powerful Ōuchi clan was shugo of both Nagato and Buzen Province in Kyushu and thus controlled trade and diplomatic missions from Ming China and Joseon Korea. In the Edo period, the area was part of Chōfu Domain controlled by the Mōri clan. In February 1691, German explorer Engelbert Kaempfer visited the town as part of his two-year stay in Japan, and described it as having around 400 to 500 houses, and as a major port in the region for supplying ship provisions.{{Cite book|last=Kaempfer|first=Engelbert|title=Histoire naturelle, civile et ecclésiastique de l'Empire du Japon. Tome 2 (translated by François Naudé)|year=1729|location=The Hague|pages=176|language=fr}} During the Bakumatsu period, the Bombardment of Shimonoseki occurred in 1864, and in the early Meiji period, the Treaty of Shimonoseki was signed in 1895, seeing a defeated China hand over Taiwan, Penghu, and Port Arthur to the victorious Japanese at the end of the First Sino-Japanese War. An Imperial decree in July 1899 established Shimonoseki as an open port for trading with the United States and the United Kingdom.US Department of State. (1906). [https://books.google.com/books?id=dKCOAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA759&dq= A digest of international law as embodied in diplomatic discussions, treaties and other international agreements (John Bassett Moore, ed.), Vol. 5, p. 759].

Akamagaseki city was established on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. The city was renamed Shimonoseki on June 1, 1902.

On February 13, 2005, Shimonoseki absorbed the towns of Hōhoku, Kikugawa, Toyota and Toyoura (all from Toyoura District) to create the new and expanded city of Shimonseki. Since October 1, 2005, the city has been designated as a core city by the Japanese government with increased local autonomy.{{citation needed|date=January 2015}}

Shimonoseki is located at the westernmost point of Yamaguchi Prefecture and the westernmost point of Honshu. It borders the Sea of Japan to the west and the Seto Inland Sea to the south across the Kanmon Straits. It is long in the north-south direction and has a fan shape that opens to the Seto Inland Sea. The Asa River flows from the north to the central area, and the Ariho River flows from the northeast to the east, flowing southward into the Seto Inland Sea. The city hall is located on the west bank of the Ariho River mouth.

Yamaguchi Prefecture

• Mine
• Nagato
• San'yō-Onoda

Shimonoseki has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot summers and cool winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, but is heavier in summer.

{{Weather box

|width=auto

|single line = Y

|metric first = Y

|location = Shimonoseki (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1883−present)

|Jan record high C = 19.1

|Feb record high C = 23.7

|Mar record high C = 26.6

|Apr record high C = 29.7

|May record high C = 30.9

|Jun record high C = 33.7

|Jul record high C = 36.2

|Aug record high C = 37.0

|Sep record high C = 35.0

|Oct record high C = 30.6

|Nov record high C = 26.9

|Dec record high C = 26.2

|Jan high C = 9.7

|Feb high C = 10.5

|Mar high C = 13.7

|Apr high C = 18.4

|May high C = 22.7

|Jun high C = 25.8

|Jul high C = 29.7

|Aug high C = 31.3

|Sep high C = 27.8

|Oct high C = 23.0

|Nov high C = 17.5

|Dec high C = 12.3

|Jan mean C = 7.2

|Feb mean C = 7.5

|Mar mean C = 10.3

|Apr mean C = 14.7

|May mean C = 19.1

|Jun mean C = 22.5

|Jul mean C = 26.5

|Aug mean C = 27.9

|Sep mean C = 24.6

|Oct mean C = 19.7

|Nov mean C = 14.5

|Dec mean C = 9.5

|Jan low C = 4.8

|Feb low C = 4.9

|Mar low C = 7.4

|Apr low C = 11.6

|May low C = 16.2

|Jun low C = 20.1

|Jul low C = 24.2

|Aug low C = 25.6

|Sep low C = 22.2

|Oct low C = 16.9

|Nov low C = 11.8

|Dec low C = 7.0

|Jan record low C = -6.3

|Feb record low C = -6.5

|Mar record low C = -5.5

|Apr record low C = 0.5

|May record low C = 6.5

|Jun record low C = 9.5

|Jul record low C = 15.1

|Aug record low C = 17.5

|Sep record low C = 12.8

|Oct record low C = 5.9

|Nov record low C = 0.7

|Dec record low C = -4.6

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 80.0

|Feb precipitation mm = 75.9

|Mar precipitation mm = 121.2

|Apr precipitation mm = 130.8

|May precipitation mm = 154.2

|Jun precipitation mm = 253.6

|Jul precipitation mm = 309.4

|Aug precipitation mm = 190.0

|Sep precipitation mm = 162.6

|Oct precipitation mm = 83.7

|Nov precipitation mm = 81.9

|Dec precipitation mm = 69.1

|year precipitation mm = 1712.3

|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 9.3

|Feb precipitation days = 9.1

|Mar precipitation days = 10.1

|Apr precipitation days = 9.6

|May precipitation days = 8.7

|Jun precipitation days = 11.3

|Jul precipitation days = 10.7

|Aug precipitation days = 9.1

|Sep precipitation days = 8.5

|Oct precipitation days = 6.1

|Nov precipitation days = 8.0

|Dec precipitation days = 9.0

|Jan snow cm = 1

|Feb snow cm = 1

|Mar snow cm = 0

|Apr snow cm = 0

|May snow cm = 0

|Jun snow cm = 0

|Jul snow cm = 0

|Aug snow cm = 0

|Sep snow cm = 0

|Oct snow cm = 0

|Nov snow cm = 0

|Dec snow cm = 0

|year snow cm = 2

|unit snow days = 1 cm

|Jan snow days = 0.4

|Feb snow days = 0.6

|Mar snow days = 0

|Apr snow days = 0

|May snow days = 0

|Jun snow days = 0

|Jul snow days = 0

|Aug snow days = 0

|Sep snow days = 0

|Oct snow days = 0

|Nov snow days = 0

|Dec snow days = 0

|humidity colour= green

|Jan humidity = 63

|Feb humidity = 63

|Mar humidity = 65

|Apr humidity = 67

|May humidity = 70

|Jun humidity = 78

|Jul humidity = 79

|Aug humidity = 75

|Sep humidity = 73

|Oct humidity = 67

|Nov humidity = 66

|Dec humidity = 63

|Jan sun = 95.8

|Feb sun = 116.1

|Mar sun = 162.9

|Apr sun = 187.6

|May sun = 207.1

|Jun sun = 146.6

|Jul sun = 172.4

|Aug sun = 207.2

|Sep sun = 161.9

|Oct sun = 176.3

|Nov sun = 134.7

|Dec sun = 102.6

|year sun = 1875.9

|source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency{{cite web

| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_s.php?prec_no=81&block_no=47762&year=&month=&day=&view=a2

|script-title=ja:観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）

| publisher = JMA

| access-date = March 2, 2022}}{{cite web

| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_sfc_ym.php?prec_no=81&block_no=47762&year=&month=&day=&view=p1

|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）

| publisher = JMA

| access-date = March 2, 2022}}}}

{{Weather box

|width=auto

|collapsed = Y

|single line = Y

|metric first = Y

|location = Toyota, Shimonoseki (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1977−present)

|Jan record high C = 16.7

|Feb record high C = 21.8

|Mar record high C = 25.1

|Apr record high C = 28.4

|May record high C = 31.4

|Jun record high C = 32.2

|Jul record high C = 35.7

|Aug record high C = 36.2

|Sep record high C = 35.0

|Oct record high C = 30.7

|Nov record high C = 26.0

|Dec record high C = 23.2

|Jan record low C = -7.9

|Feb record low C = -9.1

|Mar record low C = -6.2

|Apr record low C = -4.0

|May record low C = 0.0

|Jun record low C = 5.5

|Jul record low C = 12.0

|Aug record low C = 14.3

|Sep record low C = 4.6

|Oct record low C = -0.6

|Nov record low C = -3.7

|Dec record low C = -6.3

|Jan high C = 8.7

|Feb high C = 9.8

|Mar high C = 13.4

|Apr high C = 18.6

|May high C = 23.1

|Jun high C = 25.9

|Jul high C = 29.3

|Aug high C = 30.7

|Sep high C = 27.2

|Oct high C = 22.3

|Nov high C = 16.7

|Dec high C = 11.2

|Jan mean C = 3.6

|Feb mean C = 4.4

|Mar mean C = 7.5

|Apr mean C = 12.4

|May mean C = 17.3

|Jun mean C = 21.2

|Jul mean C = 25.1

|Aug mean C = 25.9

|Sep mean C = 22.0

|Oct mean C = 16.1

|Nov mean C = 10.4

|Dec mean C = 5.4

|Jan low C = -1.1

|Feb low C = -0.8

|Mar low C = 1.7

|Apr low C = 6.1

|May low C = 11.4

|Jun low C = 17.0

|Jul low C = 21.6

|Aug low C = 22.1

|Sep low C = 17.8

|Oct low C = 10.8

|Nov low C = 5.0

|Dec low C = 0.5

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 90.8

|Feb precipitation mm = 88.3

|Mar precipitation mm = 140.5

|Apr precipitation mm = 151.4

|May precipitation mm = 183.7

|Jun precipitation mm = 272.5

|Jul precipitation mm = 342.8

|Aug precipitation mm = 201.2

|Sep precipitation mm = 167.8

|Oct precipitation mm = 93.3

|Nov precipitation mm = 88.2

|Dec precipitation mm = 83.1

|year precipitation mm = 1899.1

|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 11.3

|Feb precipitation days = 10.7

|Mar precipitation days = 11.6

|Apr precipitation days = 10.0

|May precipitation days = 9.5

|Jun precipitation days = 12.4

|Jul precipitation days = 11.6

|Aug precipitation days = 9.9

|Sep precipitation days = 9.5

|Oct precipitation days = 7.7

|Nov precipitation days = 9.3

|Dec precipitation days = 11.1

|Jan sun = 99.8

|Feb sun = 107.6

|Mar sun = 156.1

|Apr sun = 182.9

|May sun = 206.1

|Jun sun = 137.0

|Jul sun = 152.6

|Aug sun = 189.8

|Sep sun = 151.6

|Oct sun = 169.5

|Nov sun = 134.5

|Dec sun = 103.9

|year sun = 1791.3

|source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency{{cite web

| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_amd_ym.php?prec_no=81&block_no=0772&year=&month=&day=&view=h0

|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）

| publisher = JMA

| access-date = May 25, 2022}}{{cite web

| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_a.php?prec_no=81&block_no=0772&year=&month=&day=&view=h0

|script-title=ja:観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）

| publisher = JMA

| access-date = May 25, 2022}}}}

Per Japanese census data, the population of Shimonoseki in 2020 is 255,051 people. Shimonoseki has been conducting censuses since 1920.

{{Historical populations

| 1920 | 192840

| 1925 | 213109

| 1930 | 222702

| 1935 | 237248

| 1940 | 261549

| 1945 | 261982

| 1950 | 280949

| 1955 | 308799

| 1960 | 317029

| 1965 | 317146

| 1970 | 315603

| 1975 | 322300

| 1980 | 325478

| 1985 | 324585

| 1990 | 315643

| 1995 | 310717

| 2000 | 301097

| 2005 | 290693

| 2010 | 280987

| 2015 | 268517

| 2020 | 255051

|align = none

|cols = 1

| footnote = Shimonoseki population statistics[https://www.citypopulation.de/en/japan/yamaguchi/ Shimonoseki population statistics]

}}

Shimonoseki has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 34 members. Shimonoseki contributes ten members to the Yamaguchi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Yamaguchi 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.{{Cite web |date=2022-11-28 |title=公職選挙法の一部を改正する法律 |url=https://www.shugiin.go.jp/internet/itdb_housei.nsf/html/housei/21020221128089.htm |access-date=2025-02-04 |publisher=Shugiin}} Shimonoseki was represented by Shinzo Abe, former Japanese Prime Minister, in the lower house between 1993 and 2022.

Having prospered as a port city, Shimonoseki has long had a thriving industry related to shipping, trade, and finance. It is still the center of the prefecture in terms of economy.

File:University of East Asia.jpg

• Baiko Gakuin University
• Baiko Gakuin University Women's Junior College
• National Fisheries University
• Shimonoseki City University
• Shimonoseki Junior College
• University of East Asia

Shimonoseki has 41 public elementary school and 21 public junior high schools and one public high school operated by the city government. The city has nine public high schools operated by the Yamaguchi Prefectural Board of Education. There are also one private junior high school and five private high schools. The prefecture also operates four special education schools for the handicapped.

The city has a North Korean school, {{Nihongo|Yamaguchi Korean Elementary and Junior High School|山口朝鮮初中級学校}}.{{cite web |url=http://www.chongryon.com/j/cr/link3.html |script-title=ja:ウリハッキョ一覧 |publisher=Chongryon |access-date=October 14, 2015 |archive-date=December 19, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151219132215/http://www.chongryon.com/j/cr/link3.html |url-status=live }}(). It formerly housed two other North Korean schools, Yamaguchi Korean High School and {{Nihongo|Shimonoseki Korean Elementary and Junior High School|下関朝鮮初中級学校}}.{{cite web |url=http://www.chongryon.com/j/cr/link3.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051106010302/http://www.chongryon.com/j/cr/link3.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 6, 2005 |script-title=ja:ウリハッキョ一覧 |publisher=Chongryon |date=November 6, 2005 |access-date=October 15, 2015}}

File:Shimonoseki jrnetwork.png

{{ric|JR West|Sanyo Shinkansen|name=}} JR West – San'yō Shinkansen

• {{STN|Shin-Shimonoseki|x}}

File:JR logo (west).svg JR West (JR West) - San'yō Main Line

• {{STN|Ozuki|x}} - {{STN|Chōfu|x|Yamaguchi}} - {{STN|Shin-Shimonoseki|x}} - {{STN|Hatabu|x}} - {{STN|Shimonoseki|x}}

File:JR logo (west).svg JR West (JR West) - San'in Main Line

• {{STN|Nagato-Awano|x}} - {{STN|Agawa|x}} - {{STN|Kottoi|x}} - {{STN|Takibe|x}} - {{STN|Nagato-Futami|x}} - {{STN|Ukahongō|x}} - {{STN|Yutama|x}} - {{STN|Kogushi|x}} - {{STN|Kawatana-Onsen|x}} - {{STN|Kuroimura|x}} - {{STN|Umegatō|x}} - {{STN|Yoshimi|x}} - {{STN|Fukue|x}} - {{STN|Yasuoka|x}} - {{STN|Kajikuri-Gōdaichi|x}} - {{STN|Ayaragi|x}} - {{STN|Hatabu|x}} - {{STN|Shimonoseki|x}}

• File:JP Expressway E2A.svg Chugoku Expressway
• {{jct|country=JPN|Route|2}}
• {{jct|country=JPN|Route|9}}
• {{jct|country=JPN|Route|191}}
• {{jct|country=JPN|Route|435}}
• {{jct|country=JPN|Route|491}}

• The Kanpu ferry to Busan, South Korea regularly.
• The Gwangyang Beech to Gwangyang, South Korea regularly.
• The Orient ferry to Shanghai, China regularly.
• The Orient ferry to Qingdao, China was suspended in November 2015.{{cite web|url=http://www.orientferry.co.jp/schedule/OFsuspension.pdf|script-title=ja:オリエントフェリー運航一時休止について（お知らせ）|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160207030804/http://www.orientferry.co.jp/schedule/OFsuspension.pdf|archive-date=2016-02-07 |title=European Inbound tour operator - OsaTravel }}

{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Japan}}

Shimonoseki is twinned with:{{cite web|title=姉妹友好都市|url=http://www.city.shimonoseki.lg.jp/www/genre/0000000000000/1361524040470/index.html|website=city.shimonoseki.lg.jp|publisher=Shimonoseki|language=ja|access-date=2020-04-08|archive-date=2020-02-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200219100018/http://www.city.shimonoseki.lg.jp/www/genre/0000000000000/1361524040470/index.html|url-status=dead}}

{{div col|colwidth=25em}}

• {{flagicon|BRA}} Santos, Brazil (1971)
• {{flagicon|TUR}} Istanbul, Turkey (1972)
• {{flagicon|KOR}} Busan, South Korea (1976)
• {{flagicon|CHN}} Qingdao, China (1979)
• {{flagicon|USA}} Pittsburg (California), United States (1998)

{{div col end}}

Shimonoseki is home to many festivals, held throughout the year. Of these, the most famous are the Shimonoseki Kaikyo Festival and Shimonoseki Bakan Festival.

• Shimonoseki Fugu Festival (February): Haedomari Market
• Kawatana Onsen Festival (April)
• Shimonoseki Kaikyo Festival (May): Karato, Ganryujima Island
• Suhouteisai Festival (August): Castle town Chofu
• Kanmon Kaikyo Fireworks Festival (August): Karato(Aruka Port area)
• Shimonoseki Bakan Festival (August): Along the street from Karato-cho to Shimonoseki Station
• TOUR de Shimonoseki (October/November)
• Shimonoseki Kaikyo Marathon (November)
• Shimonoseki Fish Festival (November): Shimonoseki Fishing Port
• Little Busan Fest (November): Green Mall

• Akama Shrine
• Kaikyō Yume Tower
• Kōzan-ji - The butsuden completed in 1320 is a National Treasure of Japan.

• Doigahama Site Anthropological Museum
• The Firefly Museum of Toyota Town
• Shimonoseki City Archaeological Museum
• Shimonoseki City Art Museum
• Shimonoseki City Museum of History
• Shimonoseki Marine Science Museum (Shimonoseki City Aquarium) (Kaikyo Kan)
• The {{Nihongo|Yamagin Archive|やまぎん史料館}} of the Yamaguchi Bank

• The {{Nihongo|Mimosusogawa Park|みもすそ川公園}} in Shimonoseki commemorates the final stage of the Genpei war between the feudal Taira clan and Minamoto clan (1180–1185). There is a historical monument with cannons.

• FC Baleine Shimonoseki (Football)

• Nogihama General Park (Football stadium)
• Shimonoseki Baseball Stadium
• Shimonoseki Boat Race Stadium (Shimonoseki Kyōtei)
• Shimonoseki City Gymnasium
• Shimonoseki city swimming pool
• Shimonoseki Track and field stadium

The Goda-ikka yakuza syndicate is headquartered in Shimonoseki. A designated yakuza group, the Goda-ikka is the largest yakuza syndicate in Yamaguchi Prefecture.[http://www.minato-yamaguchi.co.jp/yama/news/digest/2009/1021/7.html "The 7th President announces the succession, The Goda-ikka, The Prefectural Police on red alert"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008061013/http://www.minato-yamaguchi.co.jp/yama/news/digest/2009/1021/7.html |date=2011-10-08 }}, 21 October 2009, Yamaguchi Shimbun {{in lang|ja}}

{{see also|Category:People from Shimonoseki}}

• Arata Izumi (Indian footballer)
• Yūsaku Matsuda
• Toshihiro Nagoshi (video game director, game designer and producer)
• Atsushi Tamura (Comedian, actor and singer)
• Kinuyo Tanaka, actress

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi}}

• [http://www.city.shimonoseki.yamaguchi.jp Shimonoseki City official website] {{in lang|ja}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20141020094055/http://www.city.shimonoseki.yamaguchi.jp/seisaku/kokusai/gaikoku/ Shimonoseki City official website] in other languages
• {{Wikivoyage-inline|Shimonoseki}}
• {{osmrelation-inline|4016541}}
• {{Cite AmCyc|wstitle=Shimonoseki |short=x}}
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDsEJUSW6Vg　Shimonoseki City Tourism Promotion Film] Shimonoseki City Official Channel

{{Yamaguchi}}

{{Metropolitan cities of Japan}}

{{Most populous cities in Japan}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Cities in Yamaguchi Prefecture

Category:Port settlements in Japan

Category:Populated coastal places in Japan