Kitakyushu, Fukuoka
From Freepedia
| Kitakyushu City (北九州市) | ||||
| Country | Japan | |||
| Region | Kyushu | |||
| Prefecture | Fukuoka prefecture | |||
| Area | 486.81km² | |||
| Population | 997,266 as of September 1, 2005 | |||
| Density | 2,048.57 per km² | |||
| Mayor | Koichi Sueyoshi | |||
| City symbols | Tree: | ichiigashi (Japanese beech) | ||
| Flower: | tsutsuji (azalea) himawari (sunflower) | |||
| Image:Kitakyushu Symbol.png | ||||
| Kitakyushu City Hall | ||||
| Address | 〒803-8501 | |||
| Kitakyushu-shi, Kokura Kita-ku, Jonai 1-1 | ||||
| Phone | 093-582-2236 (Publicity dept.) | |||
| Latitude & longitude | 33°52' N 130°49'E | |||
| Image:Kitakyushu city.JPG | ||||
| Notes |
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Kitakyūshū (北九州市; Kitakyūshū-shi), literally "north Kyūshū", is a city located in Fukuoka prefecture, Japan of about one million people, though it has steadily decreased in recent years.
Together with Shimonoseki on Honshu the city is the major part of the Kanmon Straits area, which has a total population of about 1.3 million, and Kokura station in Kitakyushu is 20 minutes by shinkansen from the city of Fukuoka which also has a population of about 1.3 million.
The city's symbol flowers are the azalea (tsutsuji) and the sunflower (himawari). The symbol tree is the ichiigashi (a kind of Japanese beech). The symbol mark is a flower with the kanji of "Kita" in the middle and five petals representing the five towns which came together to make the city in 1963.
New Kitakyushu Airport - coming soon! The symbol mark of the airport also makes use of the kanji for "Kita", 北.
Cross FM started in Kitakyushu, and is now also in Fukuoka city.
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Reputation and Reality
Unfair and outdated reputation
Kitakyūshū has suffered unfairly from the unfortunate image and reputation - both domestically and overseas - of an industrial and heavily polluted city with many smokestacks, which it indeed was back in the 1960s when it was a major engine of the Japanese economy and local people took pride in the multi-coloured rainbows of smoke. As a result some superficial and ill-informed guidebooks have described the city as "hideous", "ugly" etc. - but nowadays this is becoming more and more outdated, and it was in any case never the whole story.
The city covers a vast area - it is the largest in Kyushu - and there are many unspoilt and beautiful areas which have never been touched by industry, especially in the southern part. It has some of the best sightseeing spots in Kyushu.
A thoroughly modern city
Kitakyushu is now the most advanced city in Japan with regard to pollution control and recycling technology. In the 1960s it saw the birth of environmental protests in Japan, led by a group of housewives in Sanroku-cho, Tobata ward who were concerned that their washing always became dirty while drying on the lines. Now Kitakyushu advises sister cities such as Dalian on water purification etc.
Kitakyūshū has an international conference centre and is very active in holding and hosting international conferences of various kinds, especially on the environment and education. A theme park called Space World is in East Yahata ward. There is a training centre of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) also.
The present Mayor (Koichi Sueyoshi) is the third since the city's foundation, and was elected in 1987. The Kitakyushu Renaissance [1] project began in December 1988 and is to finish in 2006.
New airport and airline
A new 24-hour offshore international airport (New Kitakyushu Airport) is being built on an artificial island in the South of the city in the Seto Inland Sea to replace the present Kitakyushu Airport. It is scheduled to open on March 16, 2006. StarFlyer, a new airline based in Kitakyushu, will begin flying from there.
Hotels, Ryokan, business hotels etc.
There are many to suit all budgets. The top one is the Rihga Royal in Kokura by the station's North exit. It is the only Rihga Royal in Kyushu.
- Kitakyushu Prince Hotel, near Kurosaki station
- Yahata Royal Hotel, near Space World
History
Kokura prefecture
Kokura prefecture was founded separately from Fukuoka prefecture in 1871 when the clan system was abolished. The old wooden-built Kokura prefectural office is still standing, though it needs a coat of paint, and it is now used as a medical clinic. It is opposite Riverwalk Kitakyushu. In 1876 Kokura prefecture was absorbed by Fukuoka prefecture. The city of Kokura was founded in 1900.
Kitakyushu city
The city of Kitakyushu was founded on February 10, 1963 and was designated on April 1, 1963 by government ordinance. It resulted from the amalgamation of five cities, Moji, Kokura, Tobata, Yahata and Wakamatsu, centred around the ancient feudal city of Kokura.
Lucky Kokura
Kokura was the primary target of the nuclear weapon "Fat Man" on August 9, 1945, but since the city was obscured by clouds and Major Charles Sweeney of the Bockscar had orders to drop the bomb visually, they moved on to Nagasaki, the secondary target, where they dropped their lethal weapon. Consequently, the expression "Kokura's luck" became common in Japan for escaping a horrible situation without being aware of it.
Wards
Kitakyūshū has 7 wards (ku):
- Image:Japan WardColour 100x80x0.png Kokura Kita-ku (小倉北区) Area: 39.27 km²
- Image:Japan WardColour 20x80x40.png Kokura Minami-ku (小倉南区) Area: 170.25 km²
- Image:Japan WardColour 100x40x100.png Moji-ku (門司区) Area: 73.37 km²
- Image:Japan WardColour 100x0x0.png Tobata-ku (戸畑区) Area: 16.66 km²
- Image:Japan WardColour 0x40x100.png Yahata Higashi-ku (八幡東区) Area: 36.36 km²
- Image:Japan WardColour 60x80x0.png Yahata Nishi-ku (八幡西区) Area: 83.04 km²
- Image:Japan WardColour 100x40x0.png Wakamatsu-ku (若松区) Area: 67.86 km²
Nakama city was to become the eighth ward of Kitakyūshū in 2005, to be called Nakama-ku, Kitakyūshū. However, the planned merger was rejected on December 24, 2004 by Nakama city's councillors, despite having been initiated by Nakama city. The reason is that as part of the merger the 21 councillors would be reduced to just three in the enlarged Kitakyushu city.
Demographics
As of March 2005, the city has an estimated population of 998,999 and the total area is 484.18 km². The average population density is thus 2,063.28 persons per square kilometre.
The city has a much larger total area than that of Fukuoka which is only 340.03km².
Culture
Writers
The novelist Mori Ogai lived in Kokura for several years and his house is open to the public in Kokura Kita ward. He wrote Kokura Nikki (Kokura diary) here. It is a ten minute walk from Kokura Station.
The writer Matsumoto Seicho [2] was born in Kokura. A museum dedicated to him is located in the city centre near Kokura Castle.
The writer Hino Ashihei was born in Wakamatsu ward and his birthplace can be visited.
Festivals
There are several local festivals (matsuri) held in the summer in various parts of the city, including the beautiful Tobata Gion Yamagasa festival in Tobata ward and the Wasshoi Hyakuman matsuri which brings all the festivals together for a grand parade and finale near the City Hall in Kokura Kita ward.
Scenic spots
Hiraodai (平尾台) karst plateau and Mount Adachi （足立） in Kokura Minami ward; and Mount Sarakura (皿倉), and Kawachi (河内) reservoir in Yahata Higashi ward are all great walking areas with fine scenery.
Hiraodai includes the Shonyudo cave, where in summer you can walk for about one kilometre in freezing cold water. Very cool, in more ways than one.
Economy
Nippon Steel Corporation is still a major employer but the Yahata and Tobata plants are much reduced from the heyday of the 1960s. The Zenrin company known for its mapping and navigation software is based here, and so is TOTO, the biggest Japanese toilet manufacturer.
The major department stores in Kokura Kita ward are Kitakyushu-based Izutsuya by the Murasaki river and Isetan, in front of the South exit of Kokura Station in the former Sogo department store building.
A smaller scale shopping centre called Cha Cha Town has been created by Nishitetsu bus company next to the Sunatsu bus depot in Kokura Kita ward. It is of course easily accessible by bus and there are lots of free concerts on the stage in the middle of the complex. "Cha" is part of the local Kitakyūshū dialect, and Cha Cha Town is popular with all ages.
Riverwalk Kitakyushu is the newest shopping centre in Kokura. It contains many brand name shops, a Starbucks restaurant (note - there is another Starbucks near Kokura Station), the Kitakyūshū studios of NHK TV, two theatres, a multiplex cinema and a branch of the Kitakyushu city art museum. It is next to the castle and to Murasaki river which runs through the centre of Kokura Kita ward.
Transportation
Located at a strategic position on the south side of the Kanmon Straits, Kitakyūshū is an important transport hub for traffic between Honshū and Kyūshū and has a large port.
Trains
Kokura Station owned by JR Kyushu is the penultimate stop on the Sanyo Shinkansen before the Hakata Station terminus and all Shinkansen services stop here. It is also served by local and express trains on the Kagoshima and the Nippo main lines. Within the city transport is provided by buses and a monorail line.
Mojiko Station is the northern terminus of the Kagoshima Main Line (J: Kagoshima honsen) which is the most important line on the JR Kyushu network.
The Kitakyushu Monorail links Kokura station efficiently and cheaply with residents and commuters in Kokura Minami ward. There are not many monorails in Japan. (There is one between Haneda Airport and Hamamatsu-chō in Tōkyō. It is called the Tokyo Monorail.)
Boats
Kitakyūshū is the largest ferry port in Western Japan. Ferry services operate between Kitakyūshū and Shimonoseki, Matsuyama, Tokushima, Kōbe, Ōsaka, Tōkyō, Ulsan (Korea), Busan (Korea) and city's isolated islands. The main ferry port is at Shin-Moji, but there are also ferries at Moji-ko and in Kokura near the station.
Within the Kanmon-Kitakyūshū area, there are three commuter lines: Trans-Dokaiwan (Waka-To) Ferry, The Kanmon Straits Ferry, and The Kanmon Straits Liner.
Planes
A new 24-hour airport (New Kitakyushu Airport, Shin Kitakyūshū Kūkō) is scheduled to open in 2006. It will be much larger than the present Kitakyushu Airport and offshore on an artificial island in the Suo Nada gulf in the Seto Inland Sea, near Kanda town. It will be connected with Kokura Station by a new fast rail link.
Bridges
There are several bridges in Kitakyūshū and between the city and other places. The largest ones are the Kanmon Straits bridge (J: Kanmon Kyo) between Kitakyūshū and Shimonoseki (on Kyūshū and Honshū respectively) and the Waka-To Ō-hashi bridge linking Tobata and Wakamatsu wards. But there are also bridges over the Onga river (J: Onga-gawa) on the western border of the city.
The present mayor Mr. Koichi Sueyoshi is very keen on building bridges and other major construction projects, having been formerly employed by the Construction ministry (Kensetsusho).
See also
Universities:
- Kyushu Dental College
- Kyushu Institute of Technology
- Kyushu Kyoritsu University - Nakano Daisuke, the gymnast who won an Olympic gold medal in Athens 2004 (team event), is a student here.
- Kyushu Womens' University (Kyushu Joshi Daigaku)
- The University of Environmental & Occupational Health
- The University of Kitakyushu
Sister cities:
- Dalian, China
- Incheon, South Korea
- Norfolk, Virginia, USA
- Tacoma, Washington, USA.
Entertainment:
- Kokura Race course (Kokura keibajo)
- Media Dome, Kokura
External links
- Official website in Japanese
- Official website in English
- Kitakyushu page of Fukuoka Prefecture Tourism Association website
- CCA Kitakyushu
- Kitakyushu Film Commission
- Kitakyushu International Association produces Himawari - a monthly newsletter
- Kitakyushu Kicks - an unofficial English language website about Kitakyushu
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| Cities | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Amagi | Buzen | Chikugo | Chikushino | Dazaifu | Fukuoka (capital) | Fukutsu | Iizuka | Kasuga | Kitakyushu | Koga | Kurume | Maebaru | Munakata | Nakama | Nogata | Ogori | Okawa | Omuta | Onojo | Tagawa | Yamada | Yame | Yanagawa | Yukuhashi | |||
| Districts | |||
| Asakura | Chikujo | Chikushi | Itoshima | Kaho | Kasuya | Kurate | Mii | Miike | Miyako | Mizuma | Munakata | Onga | Tagawa | Ukiha | Yamato | Yame | |||
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