【Kitakyushu】Mojiko Retro & Kyushu Railway History Museum – Port town that supported modern Japan

Mojiko, the city at the northern tip of Kyushu, is the terminus station. The Kanmon Straits connecting Mojiko and Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi Prefecture was an early point of contact with foreign countries. It is a city that was quick to awaken to new sensibilities and led the times. During the Meiji period (1868-1912), Mojiko flourished as one of Japan’s three major ports, with foreign ships with exotic scents entering the docks daily, and the town was filled with rare items that came from abroad.

The area around JR Mojiko Station, centering on buildings from that time, has been named “Mojiko Retro”, and along with the memories of Mojiko’s prosperity, it carries the stories of the many people who worked to preserve the atmosphere of the town in those days for future generations.

Mojiko Station is a neo-renaissance style station building constructed in 1914, and was designated as a National Important Cultural Property in 1988, the first station building in Japan to be so designated. Mojiko Station and Tokyo Station are the only two active station buildings designated as National Important Cultural Properties.

The Former Moji Mitsui Club was built in 1921 as a social club for Mitsui & Co. It is also known that Mr. and Mrs. Einstein stayed here when they visited Fukuoka for a lecture.

The Former Moji Customs House (on the left in the photo) is a brick building with a tiled roof built in 1912. It was used as a customs building until the early Showa period.

Mojiko is actually the birthplace of Kyushu’s railroad system. In 1888, the Kyushu Railway Company was established as the first railroad company in Kyushu. The Kyushu Railway History Museum is a facility where visitors can enjoy learning about the history of Kyushu’s railroads, which began here.

In the “Railway vehicle exhibition,” reminiscent of a station platform, nine cars that have served Kyushu in the past are on display.

The “Main Building” is a restored version of the former Kyushu Railway headquarters building (commonly known as the red brick building) built in 1891.

Kyushu’s railroads can be enjoyed in a large panorama. You can operate the train by yourself.

Feel like a driver with the driving simulator. I tried it myself, but it was not as easy as I thought it would be. I was again impressed by the skill of the driver.

It may come as no surprise, but the items in the store and the capsule toy prizes are all related to trains. The facility also has a kids’ room so that even small children can spend time without getting bored.

The permanent exhibition on the second floor of the main building presents a digest of Kyushu’s railroad history, using photographs from that period. Visitors can also see the actual tickets used in the past and the atmosphere of the station buildings with actual materials, so even those who are not railroad fans can enjoy this section.

At the “Miniature Train Park,” there is a mini train where visitors can experience driving a real train with authentic equipment. Unlike simulators, the children seemed to like the experience of actually driving the train.

We introduced Mojiko Retro, which can be visited within an hour to an hour and a half drive from Fukuoka City.

How about a stroll through the streets with an exotic atmosphere?