Shimonoseki

Shimonoseki (下関市, Shimonoseki-shi) is a city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. It is at the southwestern tip of Honshu, facing the Tsushima Strait and also Kitakyushu across the Kanmon Straits.

Nicknamed the "Fugu Capital," it is known for the locally caught pufferfish and is the largest harvester of the pufferfish in Japan.

As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 280,386 and a population density of 391.52 persons per km². The total area is 716.14 km².

History

The Heike and Genji fought at Dan-no-ura near the present Kanmonkyo Bridge.

The city prior to 1902 was commonly known as Bakan (馬関) and formally Akamagaseki (赤間関).

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.

The geographical position of Shimonoseki has given it historical importance, especially with the Bombardment of Shimonoseki in 1864 and the Treaty of Shimonoseki, where a defeated China handed over Taiwan, Penghu, and Port Arthur to the victorious Japanese in 1895.