Kanmon Strait Museum
The Kanmon Strait Museum is a state-of-the art facility showcasing the history of the vital waterway flowing just outside its doors. The museum was established in 2003 and was reopened in 2019 after extensive renovations. It resembles a giant ship about to leave port, evoking a turn-of-the-century luxury cruise liner or a futuristic space vessel. The museum’s audiovisual and interactive displays take the visitor on a voyage of exploration.
Former Moji Mitsui Club
The Former Moji Mitsui Club’s lavish design embodies Moji’s prosperity in the first decades of the twentieth century. The club was built by the trading company Mitsui & Co., Ltd. and completed in 1921. The following year, it hosted renowned physicist Albert Einstein (1879–1955) during his tour of the country.
The building’s exterior reflects the strong European influence in Japan at the time. The exposed timber, slate roof, and stippled mortar all evoke German design, and the asymmetry of the windows is atypical in Japanese architecture. The club’s first-floor sitting room and parlor are furnished in an Art Deco style, as seen in the ceiling reliefs, marble fireplace, and decorative mantelpiece.
Former Osaka Shōsen Building
This building was originally a passenger waiting lounge and office for Osaka Shōsen Kaisha (OSK), a global shipping company. Constructed in 1917, the building was used as a branch office until 1991, when it was purchased and restored by the city.
This was the tallest structure in Moji at the time it was built, and its conspicuous design likely functioned as an advertisement for OSK. Its edifice would have stood out during Moji’s period as a bustling port filled with competing trading agents, and it still serves as a local landmark today.
Kyushu Railway History Museum
A Rail Fan’s Dream
The former Kyushu Railway head office is now a museum that combines interactive exhibits with objects from the history of railroad development. The exhibits include decommissioned locomotives and a professional-grade train-conducting simulator.
Sankirō
Constructed in 1931, Sankirō is one of Moji’s most beloved historic buildings. Perched on the hillside above Mojikō Station, the large, three-story wooden building overlooks the Kanmon Strait and presents its handsome countenance to the bustling port below. During the early Shōwa era (1926–1989), Sankirō rose to prominence as Moji’s leading luxury restaurant. Not merely a place to dine, it functioned also as a social salon for artists, entertainers, socialites, and executives of some of the nation’s largest companies and financial institutions.
