Date

2022-12-15, Thursday

Distance

25.59 km biked (3566.43 km in total)

At 8:30 am, we disembarked at Shinmoji Port, greeted by a blast of frigid air. The atmosphere felt worlds apart from Osaka’s bustle — sharper, cleaner, almost like the cold of Hokkaido, though not quite as biting. The mountains here pressed close to the sea, their rugged ridges a reminder that nearly 70% of Kyushu is mountainous, leaving little flat land in between.

From the port, we cycled toward Shimonoseki sitting by the Kanmon Strait. The crossing between Honshu and Kyushu was shorter than we had imagined — almost deceptively close. Unfortunately, we missed the chance to walk through the famous undersea pedestrian tunnel. Still, standing at the strait as ships passed between the two islands felt like a small victory of its own.

Heading west, we reached Kitakyushu and stumbled into an unexpected discovery: this city is a manga stronghold. At the transfer hub, the underground passages were plastered wall-to-wall with massive ads — everywhere we turned, manga culture loomed large. There were panels showcasing the work of Kariya Hitomi (刈谷仁美, 1996 –), a collaboration between the city and Tsukasa Hojo (北条司, 1959 –), a commemorative signature panel for the 18th International Comic Artist Conference, and even a giant map tracking the Galaxy Express 999 manhole project launched in 2018. The crowning moment? Spotting Leiji Matsumoto (松本零士, 1938 – 2023)’s signature right there on the wall! It was here that we learned about the Kitakyushu Manga Museum, and without hesitation decided to visit.

The museum itself was a treasure trove. Since its opening in 2012, its permanent exhibits include the 'Time Tunnel', which traces manga’s evolution from 1945 to 2012, and the 'Seven Wonders of Manga', offering a deep dive into the art form’s techniques and cultural impact. There, we found rare sketches and archival tools, like the Kitaktyshu-native Hisashi Sekiya (関谷ひさし, 1928 – 2008)’s actual drawing desk, safeguarded in the climate-controlled archive alongside original art, wood blocks, and magazines.

The museum even hosts international exhibitions; during our visit, a showcase titled A Mysterious Journey through Taiwanese Manga History was on display — an interesting cultural exchange mounted by the National Museum of Taiwan History, bringing together Taiwanese and Japanese comic traditions.

Beyond that, the galleries displayed exclusive illustrations and manga panels by giants and youngsters alikes such as Tsukasa Hojo, Chiba Tetsuya (ちばてつや, 1939 – ) Asumiko Nakamura (中村明日美子), and Adachitoka (あだちとか). One entire wall was lined with autographed shikishi boards, signed not just by manga artists but also by voice actors, animators, and singers — a hall of fame that captured the sheer breadth of the industry. For manga fans, this city was clearly not just another stop on the map; it was a hidden capital of the medium.

That night, we checked into a newly opened automated hotel operated by Rakuten. Unlike the business hotels we had stayed in before — where at least one staff member manned the front desk — here everything was handled by tablet. You checked in, received a door code, and later checked out entirely on your own. Convenient, yes, but I couldn’t help wondering how this system would work for Japan’s aging population. The answer came the next morning: a grandmother, travelling alone, calmly wheeled her suitcase into the elevator, tapped her way through the tablet checkout without a hitch, and summoned a taxi with her phone app. Japanese seniors really do keep up with technology — impressive!

Tomorrow we’ll backtrack to Hiroshima to visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. Why such a zig-zag in our route? Well… sometimes the only way to make everything fit into a tight schedule is to let money bulldoze space and time. Only then can we hope to make it all the way down to Okinawa.

The full take — 67 more photographs from this day