Choshu Domain Shimonoseki Maeda Battery: Gun Emplacements at the Strait
The Remains of the Choshu Domain Shimonoseki Maeda Battery (長州藩下関前田台場跡) are late Edo-period gun emplacements in Maeda, Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, built by the Choshu (Hagi) domain in 1863 and 1864 and designated a national Historic Site in 2010.
According to Yamaguchi Prefecture, the battery stands on high ground 10 to 16 metres above sea level near the eastern mouth of the Kanmon Strait, with views from the strait in the west to the Suo Sea in the east. It has two parts: a Low Battery built in 1863 in preparation for expelling foreigners, and a High Battery added before the bombardment of Shimonoseki by the four-nation allied fleet in 1864. The Agency for Cultural Affairs gives the designated area as 5634.11 square metres.
Why It Was Designated
The Agency describes the Remains of the Choshu Domain Shimonoseki Maeda Battery as the scene of the 1864 bombardment of Shimonoseki by the allied fleet: it was occupied by British marines, in the episode that marked the start of Choshu's turn from expelling foreigners to opening the country.
The Kanmon Japan Heritage commentary tells the story in detail. In the fifth month of 1863, Choshu fired on the American merchant ship Pembroke, the French dispatch vessel Kienchang and the Dutch warship Medusa as they passed through the strait. The next month the American warship Wyoming retaliated, and French troops landed east of the Low Battery, occupied it and wrecked it. Choshu hurriedly built the High Battery in 1864, but that summer the allied fleet, led by Britain, bombarded the coast and a landing party took the position.
Excavation has filled in the picture. Yamaguchi Prefecture reports levelled platforms for guns at the Low Battery, with a lower terrace behind whose floor held burnt earth, probably from the burning of the battery. At the High Battery, earthworks still visible on the surface were confirmed, and bullets and shells embedded in the ground were recovered. Plans and photographs made by the British during the occupation survive and match the excavation closely.
What to Look For
Start with the view from the Maeda Battery. From the high ground the sight lines open from the Kanmon Strait in the west to the Suo Sea in the east, and the reason Choshu set its guns here becomes obvious.
At the High Battery, trace the low earthen banks that still show above ground. One of the cannon carried off in 1864 has come back from the Musée de l'Armée in Paris and is on display at the Shimonoseki City Museum of History, according to the Japan Heritage commentary.
Visiting the Maeda Battery
According to the Japan Heritage information, the Remains of the Choshu Domain Shimonoseki Maeda Battery are at 1-7 Maeda, Shimonoseki, with a car park; there is no fee and no closing day. The official website also offers a virtual-reality tour of the site.
No official public transport directions were found. Enquiries go to the Shimonoseki City Board of Education cultural properties division on 083-254-4697. Wear sturdy shoes, as the high ground may be uneven.
Q&A
- What are the Remains of the Choshu Domain Shimonoseki Maeda Battery?
- The site of gun emplacements built by the Choshu (Hagi) domain near the eastern mouth of the Kanmon Strait, a Low Battery of 1863 and a High Battery of 1864, designated a Historic Site in 2010.
- What happened at the Maeda Battery?
- In 1863 French troops landed and occupied it, and in 1864 the allied fleet led by Britain bombarded and took it. The episode began Choshu's turn from expelling foreigners to opening the country.
- What has been excavated at the Maeda Battery?
- Levelled gun platforms, burnt earth thought to come from the burning of the battery, earthworks of the High Battery, and bullets and shells embedded in the ground.
- Is there a fee to visit the Maeda Battery?
- The Japan Heritage information lists no fee and no closing day, and there is a car park.
- Do any of the Maeda Battery cannon survive?
- One cannon taken away in 1864 has returned from the Musée de l'Armée in Paris and is shown at the Shimonoseki City Museum of History.
Basic Information
| Name | Remains of the Choshu Domain Shimonoseki Maeda Battery (長州藩下関前田台場跡) |
|---|---|
| Location | 148-1 Maeda 1-chome and other lots, Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture |
| Designation | Historic Site |
| Year Designated | Designated 2010/8/5 (Heisei 22) |
| Quantity | 1 site (Low Battery and High Battery) |
| Dimensions | Designated area 5634.11 square metres, on high ground 10 to 16 metres above sea level |
| Owner | Managed by Shimonoseki City |
| Public Access | Outdoor site. No fee; car park |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Choshu Domain Shimonoseki Maeda Battery (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/401/00003682
- Cultural Heritage Online: Choshu Domain Shimonoseki Maeda Battery (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/147124
- Yamaguchi Prefecture Cultural Properties: Maeda Battery (Japanese)
- https://bunkazai.pref.yamaguchi.lg.jp/sp/bunkazai/summary.asp?mid=110110
- Japan Heritage Kanmon Nostalgic Strait: Maeda Battery (Japanese)
- https://www.japanheritage-kannmon.jp/bunkazai/index.cfm?id=36
Last verified: 2026.09.27