A relaxed cultural journey through Mojiko’s historic streets filled with art and creativity

Art & Inspiration Walk in Mojiko

Mojiko is a charming port town filled with beautifully preserved buildings from the Meiji era to the early Showa period. Simply strolling through the streets stimulates the senses. On this course, enjoy an art-focused journey that goes beyond just “looking” — including a hands-on accessory-making experience inspired by local craftsmanship.

Duration : 3 hours

Transportation : Car ＆ Walking

📍Places to visit on this course

  1. Unjōzan Pottery Studio

  2. Sushi Restaurant Mitsumoto

  3. Former Osaka Shosen Mercantile Steamship Co. Building

  4. Former Dalian Shipping Line Terminal

🚩START!

Kyushu Expressway Moji IC

By car (2 minutes)

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1. Unjōzan Pottery Studio

🏺 Create Your Own Ceramic Accessories

Surrounded by rich nature, this pottery studio offers a relaxing hands-on ceramic experience. Enjoy the soothing texture of clay while creating your own unique piece, guided by skilled professionals passionate about their craft.

You can choose between hand-building or using an electric potter’s wheel, making it suitable for beginners and experienced visitors alike.

📍 Basic Info

By car (8 minutes)

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2. Sushi Restaurant Mitsumoto

🍣 A Hearty Seafood Bowl with a Kanmon Strait View

This sushi restaurant serves fresh seafood personally selected by the owner at Kokura’s market. Enjoy local specialties such as Kanmon conger eel, octopus, and even pufferfish at reasonable prices.

The popular Special Seafood Bowl features 12–13 kinds of toppings. First, enjoy it with dashi soy sauce, then add the onsen egg included in the set for a second, richer flavor experience.

📍 Basic Info

Immediately

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3. Former Osaka Shosen Mercantile Steamship Co. Building

🎨 Mojiko Scenes Painted by the “Traveler of Color”

Built during the Taisho era, when ships departed from Mojiko to destinations around the world, this historic building once served as the Mojiko branch of Osaka Shosen Shipping Company.

On the first floor, you’ll find a gallery dedicated to works by Seizo Watase, a Mojiko-born manga artist and illustrator known as the “Traveler of Color.” Exhibitions change twice a year, so each visit offers something new — many works depict Mojiko itself.

📍 Basic Info

By car (2 minutes)

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4. Former Dalian Shipping Line Terminal

🎬 Step into a Retro Movie World of Art Deco Design

Designed by Yoshikuni Okuma, the architect behind Japan’s National Diet Building, this Art Deco–style structure once served as Mojiko’s international ferry terminal.

Today, it functions as a multipurpose event space. On the first floor, the Matsunaga Bunko Film Archive displays over 12,000 movie-related items collected after World War II. Film lovers will be especially impressed by this rare and valuable collection.

📍 Basic Info

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By car (10 minutes)

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Kyushu Expressway Moji IC

🏁GOAL!

  • A bowl of udon noodle soup topped with green onions, tempura, beef, and a fish cake, served alongside onigiri rice balls wrapped in seaweed.
  • Display of packaged cookies with labels that feature a cartoon character holding a leaf, on a wooden surface.
  • A modern building with glass doors and windows, decorated with flags and signs, including a cartoon tiger mascot wearing a white hat and cape, outdoors on a sunny day with trees in the background.