Japan

JRCS

A shore power container that we were being trained on.

A model of a JRCS shore power container.

Adventures With Puffer Fish

Shimonoseki (下関) is a city in Yamaguchi Prefecture at the westernmost tip of Japan's largest island, Honshu. It is the largest city in Yamaguchi Prefecture and the fifth-largest city in the Chūgoku region in terms of population. The 650 meter wide Kanmon Strait, a very busy sea lane, separates the city from the island of Kyushu. As the gateway to Kyushu, Shimonoseki has long been a major transportation hub, although the construction of bridges and tunnels across the strait has diminished the city's position somewhat.

Surrounded by water on three sides, Shimonoseki is naturally known for its seafood. It is nicknamed the "Fugu Capital" for the locally caught Puffer Fish, and is the largest harvester of the Puffer Fish in Japan. Large numbers of Fugu pass through the local fish markets everyday and are enjoyed by diners at restaurants across the city.

I was lucky enough to be staying in the downtown area of Shimonoseki, just feet from Shimonoseki station and an indoor mall. I have been eating sushi since is was very young, but I had never had the chance to try Puffer Fish. So, when I found out that I was staying in a place called the "Fugu Capital", I had to try it for the first time. I settled on trying it at a high-end restaurant that was walking distance from the hotel. For around $75USD I had a 7 course meal, with every course except 1 (fruit) containing Fugu. Some of it was delicious and some not so much. My favorite was Pan Seared Tail-Section Medallions.

Some Things Around Shimonoseki

Shimonoseki was a working class city, so it was not really geared towards foreign tourists. I think it was much more interesting than somewhere that was a "tourist trap". There was many small alleys and cool things to see. There were even restaurants that served Whale products! And no, I did not partake! There was a large aquarium, a seperate mall from the one attachted to our hotel and a very tall viewing tower within walking distance of our hotel. On the last day of our training there was a typhoon that came through Yamaguchi Prefecture, so they cancelled our last day of training at their harbor facility. This gave my coworker and I the chance to explore some of these things. We visited the aquarium and the viewing tower during the typhoon!