I think wandering around unfamiliar streets might be the real joy of travel. A place that’s everyday life for someone, where they make their living, and maybe the hometown they miss… I want to see for myself what kind of people live there and what stories they have, so I end up walking for ages. Thanks to that, my trips always leave me tired with aching legs.
Shimonoseki Station Hotel, right in front of the station
A cheap hotel by the station with a pretty lame name -_-, so I didn’t expect much, but it was a new building and very clean. I was surprised again when a beautiful receptionist handed me the key at the front desk. The hotel is right in front of the station and has good parking, so if I ever get the chance to come back, I’ll definitely stay here again. I’ll probably end up coming back around winter to eat fugu…
Sunset in front of the station
Feels like a country town, right? But only the station is old; plenty of the buildings are new. Looks like they’re making a bit of money from tourism…
Downtown
It’s quiet because of Golden Week. I’m not sure if it’s always this sleepy.
A building in front of the station
It’s a grand old-style building, but I never found out what it’s used for.
There are flower decorations too.
I guess you could say they’re doing at least the bare minimum as a tourist spot.
Was it the Yume Tower…?
“Why is this here…” I wondered, but hey, whatever… that’s what tourism is all about.
Close-up
There’s usually nothing much inside these observation towers, so I didn’t go in.
Whale sculpture
Besides fugu, the city is also famous for whales, so there’s a structure like this.
Palm trees lining the street
Where on earth did they get these… It can’t have been easy to find palm trees this tall. Shimonoseki was chillier than Kyushu, though, and maybe that’s why the trees looked just so-so. Then again, they’ve done the same thing in Chiba, so it doesn’t feel that out of place. I guess I’m being won over by Japan’s hybrid spirit too.
A small neighborhood park
Having a park in every neighborhood is one of Japan’s strengths. This is where love stories are born, but I don’t have many memories of playing in places like this as a kid. I guess I grew up in a pretty bleak way…
A street that makes you want to walk
A cozy, quiet residential area. There are so many similar houses that after walking a bit you almost feel like you’re lost in a maze. This neighborhood isn’t that big, so I got out before I got lost. Plus I had help from Google Maps. It would have been nice to see a few more people around, but even for Golden Week there was hardly anyone…
A puppy I snapped on the way
Cute little thing. It was tied up outside while its owner was shopping. It was really friendly, so I gave it a little pat and took some pictures, but I wish I’d given it something. Such a sad look in its eyes… but all I had in my pocket was whale bacon at 2,400 yen per 100 grams -_-, so I just left…