Discovering the hidden charms of Yamaguchi. A resident photographer introduces hidden spots.

An undersea tunnel you can walk across. The prefectural border is a great spot for taking commemorative photos.

Kanmon Strait

The Kanmon Strait is located between Honshu and Kyushu. It has been the stage for many historical events, such as the Battle of Dannoura, where the Taira clan was defeated, and Ganryu Island, where Miyamoto Musashi and Sasaki Kojiro are said to have fought a duel. The Kanmon Bridge and Kanmon Tunnel connect Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, on the Honshu side, and Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, where Kitakyushu Airport, where JAL also operates, is located, on the Kyushu side.

Did you know that you can actually walk across the Kanmon Tunnel? The tunnel has a double structure, with the upper section being a roadway and the lower section being a pedestrian walkway, and it is said to be rare in the world for people to be able to walk across a strait. The total length of the tunnel is about 780m, and it can be crossed in about 15 minutes on foot. It is used by many people, including tourists, walkers, joggers, and locals who go to work or shop. Another highlight is the border between Yamaguchi Prefecture and Fukuoka Prefecture. Many people take commemorative photos here, making it a hidden popular spot.

Enjoy the fresh seafood of Shimonoseki while taking in the spectacular views of the Kanmon Straits

Karato Market

Once you leave the Kanmon Tunnel on the Honshu side and enter Shimonoseki City, walk along the strait towards JR Shimonoseki Station for about 15 minutes. At Karato Market, a tourist spot in Shimonoseki City, you can enjoy fresh seafood that is unique to Shimonoseki. At the "Ikiki Bakangai" event, which is held only on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, sushi, seafood bowls, puffer fish porridge, soup, fried foods and more are lined up in each store, and the sushi stalls attract large crowds of people, making it a truly spectacular sight.

The rooftop of Karato Market is a hidden gem known only to those in the know. It is an open space covered with grass. You can enjoy seafood while looking out at the Kanmon Straits from the heights, and experience a sense of openness and luxury. In recent years, many tourists from overseas, including China and Korea, have been visiting the market, and it has been loved by many people since the olden days.

The starry sky is also beautiful. A vast karst plateau with 400 underground limestone caves.

Akiyoshidai

Mine city is located almost in the center of western Yamaguchi prefecture, next to Shimonoseki city. Akiyoshidai lies in the center of Mine city. Akiyoshidai was born as a coral reef in the distant sea a long time ago, and after about 350 million years, it became a karst plateau made of limestone. There are more than 400 limestone caves and bowl-shaped depressions called "dolines" that are unique to karst plateaus, and you can experience the rich nature of the four seasons. One of the most recommended places is the Akiyoshidai Karst Observatory. The observation deck on the second floor is circular, and you can enjoy a magnificent 360-degree panoramic view.

Yamaguchi Prefecture is also known as one of Japan's leading starry sky meccas. In the middle of nature, surrounded by mountains and the sea, there is a lot of open land and almost no light pollution, so you can see a beautiful starry sky. Akiyoshidai is also famous as the number one stargazing spot in the prefecture, and in the summer, you can even see the Milky Way with the naked eye. The most popular spot for stargazing is Chojagamori Parking Lot, located along the Akiyoshidai Karst Road, a prefectural road that runs through Akiyoshidai. In winter, when the air is clear and the various meteor showers can be observed, the large parking lot can become filled with cars. Akiyoshidai is beautiful during the day, but we also recommend a drive under the stars for a soothing experience.

A spectacular group of gigantic parabolic antennas set against the backdrop of Satoyama

KDDI Parabola Building

Yamaguchi Prefecture, with its beautiful starry skies, is also home to Japan's largest satellite communications station. Adjacent to the station is the KDDI Parabolic Pavilion. In the woods, where you can enjoy the scenery of the four seasons, the huge parabolic antennas pointing in all directions use communications satellites about 36,000 km above the equator to communicate with other countries by phone, television, ships and aircraft.

The museum, which provides detailed explanations of parabolic antennas and the mechanisms of communication, has an observation deck with a panoramic view of the antennas, a large-screen theater, computer games, an international phone call experience corner, and a corner where you can learn about communication satellites and undersea cables in a fun way, making it a fun place for people of all ages to see and touch. The 24 huge parabolic antennas, with the largest of them measuring 34m in diameter, are definitely worth a visit.

The factory scenery in Ube exudes a fantastic atmosphere at night

Factories in Ube City

The last thing we'll introduce is the night view of factories, which has become a standard sight after a nationwide boom. Ube City, which has made great strides in the coal mining industry, is one of the hub cities in southwestern Yamaguchi Prefecture. One of Ube's attractions is that you can get up close to factories, including Ube Industries. There are plenty of things to see, such as the pipes and large tanks strung across the roads, and the glittering lights.

The sight of the smoke rising from the chimneys is impressive not only at night but also during the day. The Ube Bay Coast Road (Sky Road) and the Ube Industries Private Road, which run close to the industrial area, are also famous as locations for movies and commercials. Please come and see the Ube industrial landscape, which has a different look during the day and at night.

What did you think? Yamaguchi Prefecture has many tourist spots, but this time we introduced new charms of Yamaguchi Prefecture from a slightly different angle. Yamaguchi Prefecture has many different faces in each season, and there are still many hidden charms. The Kanmon and Setouchi areas are easily accessible from Yamaguchi Ube Airport and Kitakyushu Airport, so why not visit them?