Moji In the Spring of Things

Oct 24, 2011 19:17 No Comments

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Are spring’s warm rays luring you outdoors, but not quite prompting a dip in the ocean? A visit to Moji could be just the right mix of sunshine and sea breeze. For Japanese, this former port town with its 1920’s European trading houses has an east-meets-west air of romance. Its charming architectural sights include JR Moji Station ミ Kyushu’s oldest wooden station building ミ and Osaka Shosen Historic House. There’s also the five-year-old Mojiko Retro Hotel, shops at Kaikyo Plaza and sparkling views of the Kanmon Straits at Moji Retro Tenboshitsu observatory. The Kaikyo Drama Ship, a museum celebrating local history and culture, opened on April 26. Recently, areas beyond Moji’s pretty, harborside promenade ミ its sightseeing core ミ have also come alive. Of note is the Mojiko Art Mura (Tel. 093-322-1235). This artist’s village lets visitors watch artists and craftspeople at work in their studios, inside a former school in shoji-machi. In nearby Tani-machi, a pointy-roofed former trading house now comprises the Kabocha Dokiya National Art Museum, which is very cutely filled with pumpkin-inspired artworks. And if that’s still not enough excitement, visit during the Mojiko Retro Festa when you’ll catch street dances, acrobats, and banana auctions ミ a colorful reference to the days bananas were a rare luxury. In late May, check out the Moji Minato Matsuri, a weekend of festive parades. Moji is close, yet far enough from Fukuoka to make the perfect springtime getaway.

Mojiko Retro Festa
When: May 3 (hol.) ミ May 5 (hol.)
Where: Mojiko Retro district 
Inquiries: 093-332-0106 (Mojiko Retro Club)
Home page: http://www.qbiz.ne.jp/retro/

Moji Minato Matsuri
When: May 24 (Sat.) ミ 25 (Sun.)
Where: Where: Mojiko Retro district 
Inquiries: 093-321-2381 (Moji Minato Matsuri Kyosankai Jimukyoku)

Getting there:
Train: 15 min from JR Kokura to JR Mojiko Station
Car: 8 min from Moji IC on the Kyushu Expressway, or 5 min from the Kasuga IC of the Kitakyushu Urban Expressway

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