The city prior to 1902 was commonly known as Bakan) and formally Akamagaseki).
On February 13, 2005, the city of Shimonoseki merged with the towns of H?hoku, Kikugawa, Toyota, and Toyoura from Toyoura District to form the new city of Shimonseki. Since October 1, 2005, the city has been designated as a Core city by the Japanese Government.
The geographical position of Shimonoseki has given it historical importance, especially with the Bombardment of Shimonoseki in 1864 and the Treaty of Shimonoseki, where a defeated China handed over Taiwan, Penghu, and Port Arthur to the victorious Japanese in 1895. The Heike and Genji fought at Dan-no-ura near the present Kanmonkyo Bridge.
On January 7, 2006, the wooden station building at Shimonoseki station, which had dated back to 1942, was destroyed in a fire, the cause of which is suspected to be arson
