Journeys in Japan: 12x4

Moji: Gateway to the World

Moji, just over 800 kilometers west of Tokyo, is on the northernmost tip of Kyushu. Facing the Kanmon Strait — an easy access route for Japan’s main island and mainland Asia — Moji prospered as a major sea transportation post from the Meiji to early Showa periods. Businesses catering to the port visitors, including foreigners, cropped up. And much of the Western-style architecture of the time has been preserved. On Journeys in Japan, Winnie Hsu strolls around the old port town, tracing its legacy.