ALBO Banana Drink 500JPY I visited five locations where Pokemon manhole covers are installed: near Space World Station on the footbridge near River Walk, near a mobile phone shop next to Kokura Memorial Hospital, in the grassy area in a park next to Moji Port Retro District, near the Bananaman statue in the retro district, and near the anchor sculpture at Norfolk Square near Kanmon Bridge. There are seven Pokemon characters depicted on the manhole covers, but I didn't recognize any of them. After visiting all these locations, I planned to go to an udon restaurant at Norfolk Square, but it was closed due to COVID-19 restrictions. I lost my appetite after returning to the retro district, so I bought a drink here and enjoyed it.

Gelato Single Cone S Amato 450

I rented a bicycle from Mojiko and rode to Shimonoseki. The weather was nice and it felt great. I tried various foods like chikuwa, fugu tempura, but didn't have any beer. Now that I've returned to Mojiko Port, I'm thinking of going for beer or local sake. The retro area around Mojiko Port is more for tourists, so I'll try to find a place where locals go. I also need to buy souvenirs, so I'll start by looking for those. There are many souvenir shops, and it's fun to browse through them one by one. I found a shop selling "Mojiko Port Limited Russian Satsuma Age" along with soft serve ice cream. While enjoying this, I thought about having beer. Even though this shop didn't have beer, there were a few shops nearby that sold it. I went back to buy beer and returned to the shop. The "Mojiko Port Limited Russian Satsuma Age" had three types of satsuma age - cheese, curry, and super spicy. I couldn't tell which one was the super spicy, so it was like playing Russian roulette. But next to it, there was a "Satsuma Age Three Types Skewer" with corn, edamame, and mentaiko. I decided to go for that. They told me to wait a bit as they were frying it fresh. It's nice to get it freshly fried. While waiting, I noticed a foreigner showing interest in the "Mojiko Port Limited Russian Satsuma Age," but I wondered if Caucasians can handle super spicy food. In the end, they left without trying it. Soon, I got the hot skewer. There were tables outside facing the harbor. It was late afternoon, so there were fewer people around. I ordered a retro "Sakura Beer" for 550 yen. I had been craving beer all day, and it was delicious. The satsuma age was also tasty. It wasn't as good as the one I had in Kagoshima, but the freshly fried ones were great. I planned to find a standing bar to have more drinks, but time was running out. It was still nice to have beer while enjoying the harbor view, feeling like I was in Venice, Italy. I will take a train back to Mojiko and then a ferry back to Osaka from Shinko Mojiko Port. This time, I mainly focused on Shimonoseki, so I only explored a small area around Mojiko Port. I didn't even get to visit the public bathhouse, which is my lifelong goal. Maybe I'll revisit this place someday.

Moji Ward, Kitakyushu City. A shop that opened in Moji Retro Kaikyo Plaza Higashikan, operated by Nishihara Shokai. While they have outlets in stations, this is their first standalone shop. Primarily a souvenir shop, they offer a variety of local souvenirs. Among them, you can also purchase their sweets "Nishidori Pudding" and "AIVO" for takeout. I ordered the Moji Port limited edition Banana Cup Single (370 yen) from "AIVO". It tastes strongly of banana, with a hint of milk. The gelato is firm, which I personally enjoy. I'm delighted to have a convenient place to buy the Nishidori Pudding I used to love when I lived in Fukuoka. Thank you for the meal.