Mojiko Retro

Right at the tip of Kyushu island is a wonderful little throwback town called Mojiko Retro. Another port town, Mojiko is home to many well-preserved Victorian buildings, much like Otaru in Hokkaido.

First stop was the Railway History Museum - a very fitting tourist spot considering how much I adore the Japan train system. The museum was rather small, with quite a few interactive exhibits for the kiddos. Coolest part was seeing the vast collection of old train memorabilia including signs and train tickets.

Also very cool was the line of old railway cars fitted up as they would have been during their heyday. Seeing the wooden frames, tatami mat seats, tiny overnight bunks, and metal washbasins was a wonderful. It was like a Japanese version of the Murder on the Orient Express film from way back when - but without Poirot, and all the stabbings.

 

Walking around Mojiko Retro was also really nice. Lots of old buildings mixed in with modern convenience stores, old Western style landmarks and traditional Japanese architecture, nice walking paths, and lots of water all around.

 

One uniquely popular attraction was the Old Moji Mitsui Club House the claim to fame being that it once house Mr. Albert Einstein when he was in Mojiko for a conference. The house is all made up like it would have been when he visited. You can try to see if you can soak in any excess brain waves he might have left in his hotel room for a mere 50 yen per head. 

Sister city of Norfolk, Virgina was kind enough to donate an anchor statue on a plot of open land that house a nice little coffee shop and marina observation deck. I tried to get a picture of the young dad trying to teach his eager ten-year-old daughter how to unicycle, but I couldn't manage to pull it off discretely.
  

One final very unique attraction was the Kanmon Tunnel - a pedestrian underpass between Kyushu and Honshu island. Tourist placard says tat it is the only such passage in the world. Pretty scary thing about all the water pressure built up around, but considering it hasn't had any issues in the over 50 years since it's construction, I'd say Japanese engineering was probably just as thorough as it was today.