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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Fukuoka Prefecture
Fukuoka Prefecture (Japanese: 福岡県, Hepburn: Fukuoka-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Fukuoka Prefecture has a population of 5,109,323 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,986 km (1,925 sq mi). Fukuoka Prefecture borders Saga Prefecture to the southwest, Kumamoto Prefecture to the south, and Ōita Prefecture to the southeast.

Fukuoka is the capital and largest city of Fukuoka Prefecture, and the largest city on Kyūshū, with other major cities including Kitakyushu, Kurume, and Ōmuta. Fukuoka Prefecture is located at the northernmost point of Kyūshū on the Kanmon Straits, connecting the Tsushima Strait and the Seto Inland Sea across from Yamaguchi Prefecture on the island of Honshu, and extends south towards the Ariake Sea.

History

See also: List of Historic Sites of Japan (Fukuoka); History of Fukuoka; and History of Dazaifu, Fukuoka

Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen.

Shrines and temples

Kōra taisha, Sumiyoshi-jinja, and Hakozaki-gū are the chief Shinto shrines (ichinomiya) in the prefecture.

There are several historically important Buddhist temples in the Prefecture. Monks would sail back from China after completing their studies and establish temples in the heart of Hakata (now Fukuoka) City. Monk Eisai founded Shōfuku-ji which is known today as the oldest zen temple in Japan, monk Kukai established Tocho-ji, and Joten-ji was built by Enni who is also known for bringing Udon noodles first to Japan. The oldest temple is Kanzeon-ji that was founded by the Emperor in Dazaifu during the 7th century to honor his mother. Kanzeon-ji together with Kaidan-in, that used to be part of the former, was one of the three distinct places in Japan where Buddhist monks could ordain.

During the Tokugawa shogunate when the country was ruled by 300 local feudal lords (daimyo), an important daimyo, Arima Toyōji was relocated to this region and thus he moved his family temple to Kurume City. This zen temple is known today as Bairin-ji and is a main temple for zen practice in Fukuoka Prefecture and Kyushu. It is located on the West bank of Chiguko River, next to the Shinkansen station of Kurume city.

Geography

Map of Fukuoka Prefecture      Government Ordinance Designated City      City      Town      Village

Fukuoka Prefecture faces the sea on three sides, bordering Saga, Ōita, and Kumamoto prefectures and facing Yamaguchi Prefecture across the Kanmon Straits.

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
18901,236,015—    
19031,571,158+1.86%
19131,926,417+2.06%
19202,188,249+1.84%
19252,301,668+1.02%
19302,527,119+1.89%
19352,755,804+1.75%
19403,094,132+2.34%
19452,746,855−2.35%
19503,530,169+5.15%
19553,859,764+1.80%
19604,006,679+0.75%
19653,964,611−0.21%
19704,027,416+0.31%
19754,292,963+1.29%
19804,553,461+1.19%
19854,719,259+0.72%
19904,811,050+0.39%
19954,933,393+0.50%
20005,015,699+0.33%
20055,049,908+0.14%
20105,071,968+0.09%
20155,101,556+0.12%
source:

As of 1 April 2012, 18% of the land area of the prefecture was designated as natural parks: Setonaikai National Park, Genkai, Kitakyūshū, and Yaba-Hita-Hikosan quasi-national parks, and Chikugogawa, Chikuhō, Dazaifu, Sefuri Raizan, and Yabegawa Prefectural Natural Parks.

Fukuoka includes the two largest cities on Kyūshū, Fukuoka and Kitakyushu, and much of Kyūshū's industry. It also includes a number of small islands near the north coast of Kyūshū.

Cities

See also: List of cities in Fukuoka Prefecture by population

Twenty-nine cities are in Fukuoka Prefecture:

  • Fukuoka City
    Fukuoka City
  • Tobata, Kitakyushu
    Tobata, Kitakyushu
  • Kurume
    Kurume
  • Omuta
    Omuta

Towns and villages

These are the towns and villages in each district:

Mergers

Main article: List of mergers in Fukuoka Prefecture

Economy

Fukuoka prefecture's main cities form one of Japan's main industrial centers, accounting for nearly 40% of the economy of Kyūshū. GDP exceeds 154 billion US dollars, comparable to that of a medium-sized country. Major industries include automobiles, semiconductors, and steel. Fukuoka prefecture is where tire manufacturer Bridgestone and consumer electronics chain Best Denki were founded.

Well-known company headquartered in Fukuoka are as follows:

  • TOTO Ltd. (founded in 1917)
  • Yasukawa Electric Corporation (founded in 1915)
  • PIETRO Co., Ltd. (founded in 1980)
  • ZENRIN CO., Ltd. (founded in 1949)
  • SANIX INCORPORATED (founded in 1975)
  • HASEGAWA Co.Ltd. (founded in 1929)
  • Plenus Co., Ltd. (founded in 1976)
  • LEVEL-5 Inc. (founded in 1998)
  • Star Flyer Inc. (founded in 2002)
  • DAIICHI KOUTSU SANGYO Co., Ltd. (founded in 1960)
  • Shabondama Soap Co., Ltd. (founded in 1910)
  • MoonStar Company. (founded in 1873)
  • Shinoken Group. Co., Ltd. (founded in 1990)

Universities

One of Japan's top 5 universities, Kyushu University, is located in Fukuoka.

Institution Location
Fukuoka University Fukuoka
Kurume University Kurume
Kyushu Institute of Technology Kitakyūshū and Iizuka
Kyushu University Fukuoka and Kasuga
Seinan Gakuin University Fukuoka
Kyushu Institute of Information Sciences Dazaifu
Kyushu Sangyo University Fukuoka
Fukuoka Women's University Fukuoka
Fukuoka University of Education Munakata

Demographics

Fukuoka prefecture population pyramid

According to October 2018 estimates, the population in Fukuoka Prefecture reached 5,111,494 inhabitants, making the prefecture the 9th most populated of Japan's 47 prefectures. It is one of the few prefectures with a steadily increasing population.

Culture

Fukuoka City Museum
Fukuoka Asian Art Museum
Bulwarks against Mongol Invasion video
  • Fukuoka Art Museum – In Ohori Park; contains a wide selection of contemporary and other art from around the world
  • Fukuoka Asian Art Museum – contains art from Asia
  • Fukuoka City Museum – displays a broad range of items from the region's history, including a spectacular gold seal
  • Genko Historical Museum [ja] (元寇史料館, Museum of the Mongol Invasion) in Higashi Koen [ja] (East Park) displays Japanese and Mongolian arms and armor from the 13th century as well as paintings on historical subjects; open on weekends
  • Hakata Machiya Folk Museum – Dedicated to displaying the traditional ways of life, speech, and culture of the Fukuoka region
  • Fukuoka Castle – a castle in Chūō-ku, Fukuoka
  • Hakata Gion Yamakasa – Japanese festival celebrated 1–15 July
  • Ōhori Park – a registered Place of Scenic Beauty
  • Kyushu National Museum – The collections cover the history of Kyūshū from prehistory to the Meiji era with particular emphasis on the rich history of cultural exchange between Kyūshū and neighboring China and Korea
  • HKT48 Theater – where the idol group HKT48 performs every day
  • LinQ – the Kyushu idol group meaning "Love in Kyushu", local theater where the LinQ performs weekly on Saturday and Sunday in Tenjin Best Hall
  • Bairin-ji – Rinzai temple and garden in Kurume
  • Zendō-ji – Jōdo-shū temple in Kurume

Major events and festivals

  • Hakata Dontaku Harbour Festival, Tenjin, Fukuoka on May 3 and 4
  • Hakata Gion Yamakasa, Kushida Shrine, Fukuoka in July
  • Kokura Gion Yamagasa, Kitakyushu in July
  • Tobata Gion Yamagasa, Kitakyushu in July
  • Kurosaki Gion Yamagasa, Kitakyushu in July
  • Kitahara Hakushu Festival, Yanagawa on November 1 to 3

Sports

Level5 Stadium, home of Avispa Fukuoka
Fukuoka Yahuoku Dome, home of the Softbank Hawks

The sports teams listed below are based in Fukuoka.

Football (soccer)
Baseball
Basketball
Rugby
Mikuni World Stadium, home of Giravanz Kitakyushu

The prefecture hosts the Fukuoka International Cross Country competition. The prefecture also hosted the Fukuoka Marathon, which was an elite marathon in which marathon world records were established twice during its 75 year existence. Its final race took place in 2021.

Crime and safety

Fukuoka Prefecture has the most designated yakuza groups among all of the prefectures, at five: the Kudo-kai, the Taishu-kai, the Fukuhaku-kai, the Dojin-kai and the Namikawa-kai. Between 2004 and 2009, and in early 2011, Fukuoka Prefecture led the nation in gun-related incidents. These incidents were mostly related to the local yakuza syndicates, specifically the Kudo-kai, the Dojin-kai, and the Kyushu Seido-kai.

Fukuoka Prefecture had the highest frequency of youth crime among the prefectures of Japan from 2003 to 2007.

According to statistics from the national police, the crime rate in Fukuoka was the eighth-highest in 2017, lower than in Osaka, Tokyo, Hyogo, Aichi, Saitama, Chiba and Ibaraki.

Tourism

See also: Kyushu National Museum, List of Historic Sites of Japan (Fukuoka), and List of Places of Scenic Beauty of Japan (Fukuoka)
Fukuoka Tower from Seaside Momochi
Riverwalk Kitakyushu
A sightseeing boat in Yanagawa Canal
Dazaifu Tenmangū

The most popular place for tourism is Fukuoka City, especially during the Dontaku festival, which attracts millions of visitors from across Japan during Golden Week. Fukuoka is the main shopping, dining, transportation and entertainment hub in Kyushu.

Dazaifu is popular for its many temples and historical sites, as well as the Kyushu National Museum.

Yanagawa is sometimes called "the Venice of Japan" for its boat tours on the abundant, calm rivers that wind through the city.

Kitakyushu features one of the famous night views of Japan from atop Mt. Sarakura, accessible via cablecar. The Mojiko area features waterfront dining, a market, and several preserved historical buildings. The Kanmon Kaikyo Tunnel which connects Kyushu (Moji ward, Kitakyushu) and Honshu (Shimonoseki) is free to walk through. The city center in Kokurakita ward contains the Riverwalk and Itsutsuya shopping complexes, Kokura castle, and the Uomachi Gintengai shopping arcade, the oldest shopping arcade in Japan.

In the "19 best places to visit in 2019" published by the U.S. CNN, Fukuoka Prefecture was chosen as the only destination in Japan.

Transportation

Railway services

Airports

International relations

Citations

  1. ^ "Hattori Elected Fukuoka Governor for 1st Time". Jiji Press. NHK. April 12, 2021. Archived from the original on May 11, 2022. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  2. ^ "2020年度国民経済計算（2015年基準・2008SNA） : 経済社会総合研究所 - 内閣府". 内閣府ホームページ (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 24, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  3. ^ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric (2005). "Fukuoka-ken" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 218, at Google Books.
  4. ^ "都道府県 人口ランキング". Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  5. ^ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric (2005). "Fukuoka" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 218, at Google Books.
  6. ^ Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" in p. 780, p. 780, at Google Books.
  7. ^ "Nationwide List of Ichinomiya," p. 3 Archived May 17, 2013, at the Wayback Machine; retrieved 2012-10-26.
  8. ^ "Statistics Bureau of Japan". Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  9. ^ "General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture" (PDF). Ministry of the Environment. April 1, 2012. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 21, 2012. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  10. ^ "九州のポテンシャル". 福岡銀行. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  11. ^ "Fukuoka". JETRO. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  12. ^ "Bridgestone Holds the Opening Ceremony for its Kitakyushu Plant". Bridgestone. August 4, 2009. Archived from the original on October 27, 2013. Retrieved September 17, 2009.
  13. ^ "意外と知らない福岡に本社を置く有名企業13社". February 7, 2019. Archived from the original on May 23, 2023. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  14. ^ Growing Cities, In Japan (November 13, 2019). "List of cities that are exceeding the birth rate". www.villagehouse.jp. Archived from the original on May 26, 2022. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  15. ^ Nakamura, Ken. Marathon - A history of the Fukuoka International Marathon Championships by K. Ken Nakamura - Part 1 1947-1966 Archived December 8, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-02-28.
  16. ^ Johnson, Len (December 6, 2021). "Farewell to Fukuoka". Archived from the original on December 8, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  17. ^ ""福岡県内の指定暴力団"". Archived from the original on November 2, 2022. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  18. ^ "Gunfire, The worst in the nation, None has been solved" Archived 2012-09-05 at archive.today, 23 June 2011, Nishinippon Shimbun (in Japanese)
  19. ^ "Fukuoka yakuza groups tackle police pressure in all-out war", 4 May 2010, The Tokyo Reporter, from Friday May 14, p.22-23 (in Japanese)
  20. ^ 非行防げ、捜査員奮闘…少年犯罪全国ワースト１の福岡 Archived 2009-02-12 at the Wayback Machine, Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese)
  21. ^ "「犯罪の県民性」大阪が全国ワースト、殺人1位、すり2位". Diamond Online. June 2, 2018. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  22. ^ "Hakata Dontaku Festival". Japan National Tourism Organization. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  23. ^ "水の国 柳川". 筑後七国よかとこ巡り旅. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  24. ^ "Uomachi-gintengai Street". Kitakyushu City Travel Guide. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  25. ^ "CNN Travel's 19 best places to visit in 2019". CNN travel. January 2, 2019. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  26. ^ Hawaii and, Fukuoka friendship agreement. "HAWAII-FUKUOKA SISTER STATE RELATIONSHIP". http://hawaiifukuokakenjinkai/. Fukuoka Keniinkai. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved May 11, 2022.

General and cited references

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fukuoka prefecture.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Fukuoka Prefecture.
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