Kanmon Tunnel Footpath Entrance (Shimonoseki side)

The Kanmon Tunnel Pedestrian Entrance (Shimonoseki side) provides access across the Kanmon Strait, known as one of Japan’s three strongest tidal currents. This undersea tunnel connects Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi Prefecture with Mojiko in Fukuoka Prefecture, stretching 780 meters beneath the sea. Construction took 21 years, and the tunnel opened in 1958. The pedestrian tunnel allows you to walk from Yamaguchi (Honshu) to Fukuoka (Kyushu) in about 15 minutes one way. Visitors take an elevator down to a depth of 50 meters underground, then walk the approximately 780-meter passage. Because undersea pedestrian tunnels that cross prefectural borders are rare even worldwide, it is popular not only with domestic travelers but also with international tourists. Stamps are placed at both prefectural borders, and when you stamp both, they form a single combined design—highly recommended as a travel souvenir. Access to the Kanmon Tunnel Pedestrian Entrance (Shimonoseki side) by car is about 5 minutes from Shimonoseki IC on the Chugoku Expressway, about 2 km away. By public transportation, take a bus for 12 minutes from JR Sanyo Main Line “Shimonoseki Station,” get off at “Mimosusogawa,” and it is right there.