MOJI AND SHIMONOSEKI
1
These two towns are situated on either side of Shimonoseki Straits, the western entrance of the Inland Sea-Moji with a population of 116,677 on the south and, Shimonoseki with a population of 98,000 on the north. Shimono- seki (recently amalgamated with Hikoshima Island-population 126,385), is under: the jurisdiction of Yamaguchi (population 35,000), 51 miles away, and Moji under that of Fukuoka (population 285,057), 47 miles away. The foreign merchants. formerly all had their offices in Shimonoseki, but owing to the very rapid growth of Moji during the last 20 years, due mainly to its becoming an important coal and industrial centre, most of the foreign and Japanese main and local branch offices have removed to Moji. The city has now fine roads, and commercial buildings with most up to-date trama, bus.and motor car services. The head office of the Kyushu section of the Railway Bureau at Moji controls also part of the mainland and the eight hour Fusan ferry service. An imposing Government building houses the Customs Harbour, Marine Bureaux etc., at Moji, and now wharves, capable of mooring steamers drawing 30 feet, are made nearby. Moji has important trade with the following neighbouring cities:-Kokura, population 94,000; Yawata (Government Steel Works) 194,000; Tobata 54,000; Wakamatsu, 68,000 and Moji has absorbed the adjacent town of Dairi (on the West side), where there are now many factories and some foreigners' offices. There is a fairly strong tidal current through the Straits, but the anchorage, which is at Moji, is only affected by an eddy, and good, holding ground is general. However, most of the larger vessels engage one of the numerous Buoys controlled by the Harbour Master. Steamers entering from the West can get pilots at Rokuren Light, where boats have to stop in any case for medical inspection and harbour-master's instructions. From the eastward this inspec- tion takes place at Hesaki Light. Means of transport are good. Liners run regularly to all foreign ordinary ports of call; and, while from Shimonoseki the Sanyo Railway taps the north, from Moji the Kiushiu Railway taps the south of Japan The Shimonoseki Station Hotel provides good accommoda- tion for foreigners. The Imperial Railway Department has also four large ferry boats plying between Moji and the Shimonoseki Station, while a ten-minute ferry plies between the usual landing places at Moji and Shimonoseki. There is a project on foot to construct a tunnel under the Straits, also a scheme for bridging the Straits is now on foot, and the work may be started in 1934 if tests are satisfactory. Both towns have municipal waterworks, are lit by electricity, and are con- nected by telephone with the principal towns, from Kagoshima and Nagasaki, in the south, to Tokyo in the north-east. It should be specially noted that photographing and sketching are forbidden within a radius of ten miles round Shimonoseki and Moji on land and sea. The law in this respect is strictly enforced and ignorance is not accepted as an excuse.
*