Strolling around Wakamatsu's retro street

Taking a short break at Hatsu beach of Okagaki, we further down the National Highway 495 to Wakamatsu which is our final destination. Wakamatsu is one of the seven wards of Kitakyushu. The ward is located in the northwestern part of the city, and the majority of the land is occupied by the Wakamatsu Peninsula.

We walked the Wakamatsu Minami-dori retro street aka.Wakamatsu bund (若松バンド) between Wakamatsu Station and the Wakato Bridge. Some Western-style buildings are remaining along the sea-front street, such as the Old Furukawa Mining Wakamatsu Building. This building is a made of brick which was built in 1919.

The brick building seems from the sea-front street.

Views of Wakato Bridge and Tobata Ward from nearby the Wakato Ferry Terminal. The red-light bridge that connects between Wakamatsu and Tobata Wards. The bridge was first opened in September 1962. This was the beginning of long-span bridges in Japan; it was the largest suspension bridge in Asia at that time.

A distant view of Mount Sakuraka from the retro street on the south of the ferry terminal.

The old Gonzo-goya (ごんぞう小屋) rest house in the middle of the bund. It was used as a resting place of harbor workers who provided loading coal to ship in the Meiji era. Once the house was disappeared because of waterfront development, but was rebuilt in the 2000s.