Misumi West Port

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Misumi West Port

A historic, western-stylized port built by Japanese Meiji era artistry.

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Misumi West Port was opened in 1887 as an export point for coal sourced from Miike Coal Mine. It’s one of the 3 biggest ports built in the Meiji Era and the only one of which to still remain today in its original form since its building approximately 100 year ago. In 2015 it received UNESCO World Heritage status as of one of the Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution.

The port was designed by Dutch architect A. Rouwenhorst Mulder and built by Amakusa stone masons. Stretching for 756 meters, the beautiful and stately stone coastline was made as the first of its kind, fusing Japanese and Western masonry techniques. However, a rail line was added just 12 years later in 1899 rendering the port unneeded, a short-lived tenure that lent to it’s old-world being able to survive to this day.

Around Misumi West Port you’ll find a number of preserved streetscapes and related facilities, making this retro spot a perfect spot for history-themed film sets or tourists looking for a step into the past. Lafcadio Hearn (aka Koizumi Yakumo) once made a trip here and stayed at the colonial style hotel Urashimaya, a veritable symbol of Misumi West Port.

Highlights

  • One of the three World Heritage Sites in Kumamoto.
  • This is the only port in Japan that was built in the Meiji Era and still stands in its original form.
  • Nearby area is dotted with Urashimaya, Ryujokan, and other age-old, retro buildings.

Photos

  • The masonry-stone wharf made with andesite volcanic rock cut from Hidake on the opposite shore.

    The masonry-stone wharf made with andesite volcanic rock cut from Hidake on the opposite shore.

  • Hotel Urashimaya

    Hotel Urashimaya

  • The Old Takada Shipping Office, a registered cultural property whose interior is open to the public.

    The Old Takada Shipping Office, a registered cultural property whose interior is open to the public.

  • Misumi West Port seen from above. A snapshot frozen in time.

    Misumi West Port seen from above. A snapshot frozen in time.

  • The area looking extra festive when lit up at night.

    The area looking extra festive when lit up at night.

Reviews

2

Some reviews are AI-translated.

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    I finally got to ride the A-Train this time!

    I don't know if it was because of the torrential rain warning, but the train was almost empty. Or maybe it was because I took an afternoon train. Either way, the whole ride was unexpectedly relaxing.

    After getting off, I walked around nearby first. Since I had reserved a different A-Train for the return trip, I had a total of two and a half hours to wander around here.

    But... unfortunately, I hadn't done any research at all.

    Everyone, please make sure to take the boat to Matsushima to see the dolphins. Don't be like me!

    I wandered around here, wandered around a convenience store, then went to a supermarket, and eventually even went to a clothing store? The whole trip was just me wandering around aimlessly because I didn't know what to do 😔

    Later, when I was getting ready to take the train back, I suddenly noticed that everyone was carrying a blue souvenir bag.

    I even went out of my way to ask a Malaysian person, and that's when I learned that you could take a boat to see dolphins. And his Chinese was so good!

    Then, when I went back to board the A-Train, I couldn't help asking the couple in front of me where they'd gone.

    Then I saw the blue bag... They enthusiastically showed me their dolphin photos.

    All I could do was console myself by thinking that I get seasick, so it wouldn't have suited me anyway.

    Misumi Port is very pretty too, but it was cloudy today...

    Great, that didn't make me feel better at all, and now I've even started blaming myself...( ・᷄ὢ・᷅ )

    Also, look at the JPY 500 sparkling drink I just bought. I even asked the train attendant which one they recommended, and after happily bringing it back,

    I knocked it over the very next second!

    Then I had to go ask the attendant if they had a mop...

    I did clean it all up myself in the end!

    But

    what is going on today? 🥲 Ugh, I hate this.

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    This time, I visited Misumi West Port in Kumamoto for a day trip exploring a World Heritage Site~

Details

Name in Japanese
三角西港
Postal Code
869-3207
Address
Misumimachimisumiura, Uki City, Kumamoto
Telephone
0964-32-1111(Uki City Tourism Department)
Hours
Free to walk around anytime
Access
From JR Misumi Station, take a Sanko Bus to Misumi Nishikoumae and get off to arrive.
Official Website
Official Website (Japanese)
Hokkaido Tohoku Kanto Chubu Hokuriku Kansai Chugoku Shikoku Kyushu Okinawa