Kanmon Strait, Japan

It is billed as a scenic cruise through the Kanmon Strait. For me, it was a roll out of bed at dawn and a climb to the upper deck in the cold damp morning mist to capture some once-in-a-lifetime pictures. Yes, the channel was narrow, and there were buildings on both sides of the channel. Do you remember when it was a “thing” to drive (cruise) down the main street of town on a Friday or Saturday evening? The ships had to travel under the bridge in single file.

The strait is a passage between two of Japan’s four major islands, Honshu on the north and Kyushu on the south. There is a suspension bridge over the strait connecting the cities of Shimonoseki on the north and Kitakyushu on the south.

From the warmth and comfort of wherever you are, enjoy this timelaps video of the Diamond Princess sailing under the Kanmon Bridge. Imagine an icy wind driving rain pellets into your face.

Here are a few more picturs of the shore-line of Shimonoseki. The strait is also known as the Shimonoseki Strait.

And now a few pictures of the Kitakyushu shore.

Here is another video of a scan of the shore. If your computer permits it, the pictures and videos can be seen in full screen and video speed and quality can be selected for your preferred viewing.

There was a last minute change of plans in the Itinerary. Due to weather conditions, we will be heading to Buson, Korea instead of Jeju Island. They have a better harbour there for a ship our size when the weather is more of a challenge. Things like this are part of the travel adventure.

– Where do you want to go today? –