The Kanmon Straits separate Japan’s islands of Honshu and Kyushu at Shimonoseki and Kitakyushu.
The name combines “Kan,” from Shimonoseki’s former name, and “mon,” from Moji, the historic port area now within Kitakyushu. The waterway is also called the Straits of Shimonoseki and, on some 19th-century Western maps, the Straits of Van der Capellen.
The straits connect the Sea of Japan with the Seto Inland Sea, making them a major route for coastal shipping. They are narrow enough that Japan built several crossings, including road, rail, Shinkansen, and pedestrian tunnels, as well as the Kanmonkyo Bridge.
A common mix-up is confusing this passage with the Tsugaru Strait, which separates Honshu from Hokkaido, or the Bungo Channel, which lies between Kyushu and Shikoku. The Kanmon area also has major historical associations, including the 1185 Battle of Dan-no-ura and the 1864 bombardment of Shimonoseki.