Kameyama Hachimangu Shrine

Kameyama Hachimangu Shrine, also called “Seki no Ujigami-sama” or “Kameyama-sama,” is a shrine located in the center of Shimonoseki City and is a great place for a leisurely stroll thanks to its many highlights. One major attraction is the “Kameyama Battery,” known as the site where, at the end of the Edo period, cannon fire was first directed at foreign ships—often seen as a symbolic starting point of Japan’s modernization. The shrine’s komainu (guardian lion-dog) statues are also notable because they are depicted with their young, which is rare nationwide; this has led the site to be known as a power spot for prosperity of descendants. Other monuments include a stone marker for the birthplace of barbershops and a marker for the starting point of the Sanyo Road—adding to the historical atmosphere. Access to Kameyama Hachimangu: by public transportation, from JR Shinkansen “Shin-Shimonoseki Station,” take a bus for about 17 minutes, get off at “Karato,” then walk about 3 minutes. From JR Sanyo Main Line “Shimonoseki Station,” take a bus for about 5 minutes to “Karato,” then walk about 3 minutes. By ferry, take the Kanmon Kisen from “Mojiko Pier” for about 5 minutes to “Karato Pier,” then walk about 3 minutes. By car, it’s about 10 minutes (about 4 km) from Chugoku Expressway “Shimonoseki IC.”