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Fukuoka Branch Office snbl.com |
Kitakyūshū (北九州市 Kitakyūshū-shi, lit. "Northern Kyūshū") is a city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Kyūshū, Japan. It is midway between Tokyo and Shanghai.
[edit] Geography
Kitakyūshū has a population of just under one million. Together with Shimonoseki on Honshū the city is the center of an area known as the Kanmon Straits urban area (関門都市圏 kanmon-toshiken) which has a total population of about 1.5 million (Bureau of Statistics definition). There are multiple metropolitan area definitions for this area, with population estimates ranging from 1.15 to 2.4 million people. Some estimates include the nearby cities of Shimonoseki and Ube in Yamaguchi Prefecture, but most exclude Ōita in neighboring Ōita Prefecture. [edit] WardsKitakyūshū has seven wards (ku):
The city of Nakama was to become the eighth ward of Kitakyūshū in 2005 (to be called Nakama-ku). However, the planned merger was rejected on December 24, 2004 by Nakama's city council, despite having been initiated by Nakama city. The reason is that as part of the merger the twenty-one councillors would have been reduced to just three in the enlarged Kitakyūshū. [edit] History[edit] Kokura PrefectureKokura 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, and is being restored. It is opposite Riverwalk Kitakyūshū. In 1876 Kokura Prefecture was absorbed by Fukuoka Prefecture. The city of Kokura was founded in 1900. [edit] World War II
Kokura was the primary target of the nuclear weapon "Fat Man" on August 9, 1945. Major Charles Sweeney had orders to drop the bomb visually, but the city was obscured by clouds. The bomb was ultimately dropped on the city of Nagasaki, the secondary target. [edit] City of KitakyūshūThe city of Kitakyūshū was founded on February 10, 1963 and was designated on April 1, 1963 by government ordinance. The city was born from the merger of five municipalities (Moji, Kokura, Tobata, Yahata and Wakamatsu) centered around the ancient feudal city of Kokura. The city's symbol mark is a flower with the character "north" (北 kita) in the middle and five petals representing the five towns which merged. [edit] DemographicsAs of October 1, 2005, the city has an estimated population of 1,014,608 and the total area is 483.15 km². The average population density is thus 2,063 persons per square kilometre. The population has steadily decreased in recent years. The city has a much larger total area than that of Fukuoka which is only 340.03 km². [edit] Notable Figures
[edit] Culture
[edit] FestivalsThere are several local festivals (matsuri) held in the summer in various parts of the city and 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. [edit] Notable places Hiraodai (平尾台) karst plateau and Mount Adachi (足立山 adachi-san) in Kokura Minami ward and Mount Sarakura (皿倉山 sarakura-san) and Kawachi Dam (河内貯水池 kawachi-chosuichi) in Yahata Higashi ward are all noted walking areas with fine scenery. Sugao and Nanae Waterfalls are nice. Sugao is about 20 meters. Nanae literally means Seven Stages Waterfalls. As you hike up the mountain, you reach the different stages of the waterfall. [edit] 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 bathroom fixture manufacturer.[citation needed] StarFlyer, an airline, is headquartered in Kokura Kita-ku, Kitakyūshū.[2][3]  The major department stores in Kokura Kita ward are Kitakyūshū-based Izutsuya by the Murasaki river and Colet Izutsuya, in front of the South exit of Kokura Station in the former Isetan department store building.[citation needed] A smaller scale shopping centre called Cha Cha Town has been created by Nishitetsu railroad and 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.[citation needed]  Riverwalk Kitakyūshū 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 Kitakyūshū city art museum. It is next to the castle and to Murasaki River which runs through the centre of Kokura Kita ward.[citation needed] The Kitakyūshū Science and Research Park is home to four universities and nine research organisations. It is aiming to become a center for hi-tech research in Asia.[citation needed] In 2009 Bridgestone Corporation opened a plant in Kitakyūshū to produce large and ultralarge off-the-road radial tires for construction and mining vehicles. [edit] TransportationLocated 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. [edit] RailKokura Station is the penultimate stop on the JR West Sanyō Shinkansen before the Fukuoka terminus and all Shinkansen services stop here. It is also served by local and express trains on JR Kyūshū's Kagoshima and Nippō Main Lines. Within the city, transport is provided the Kitakyūshū Monorail and buses. Mojikō Station is the northern terminus of the Kagoshima Main Line which is the most important line on the JR Kyūshū network. Previously, a tram network operated by the Nishi-Nippon Railroad spread across the Kitakyūshū area; however, it was abandoned and replaced by a bus service. [edit] AirThe present Kitakyūshū Airport opened on March 16, 2006. It is larger than the previous airport and supports 24-hour operations thanks to its location on an artificial island in the Seto Inland Sea. It will eventually be connected with Kokura Station by a new fast rail link. A new airline based in the city called StarFlyer began operations when the airport opened. [edit] Sea Kitakyūshū is the largest ferry port in Western Japan. Ferry services operate between Kitakyūshū and Shimonoseki, Matsuyama, Tokushima, Kōbe, Ōsaka, Tokyo, Ulsan (Korea), Busan (Korea) and isolated islands within the city limits. The main ferry port is at Shin-Moji, but there are also ferries at Moji and near Kokura Station. Within the Kanmon-Kitakyūshū area, there are three commuter lines: the Wakato Ferry, the Kanmon Straits Ferry, and the Kanmon Straits Liner. [edit] Roads[edit] Expressways
[edit] BridgesThere are several bridges in Kitakyūshū and between the city and other places. The largest ones are the Kanmonkyo Bridge linking Kitakyūshū and Shimonoseki (on Kyūshū and Honshū respectively) via the Kanmon Straits and the Wakato Bridge linking the wards of Tobata and Wakamatsu. There are smaller bridges over the Onga River on the western border of the city. On September 30, 2005, ownership of the Wakato Bridge was transferred from Japan Highway Public Corporation to Kitakyūshū; on April 1, 2006 the bridge was transferred to the control of the Kitakyūshū City Road Public Corporation. [edit] Miscellaneous
[edit] A modern cityKitakyūshū 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 Kitakyūshū advises sister cities such as Dalian on water purification etc. In 1992, Kitakyūshū was one of twelve world cities given a Local Government Honours Award at the United Nations Earth Summit to honour its environmental programs. Within Japan it is a leading city in anti-pollution measures and recycling with the Ecotown facility in Wakamatsu ward. Kitakyūshū is home to the West Japan Industry and Trade Convention Association, with its Kitakyūshū International Conference Center and the West Japan General Exhibition Center, 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 Yahata-Higashi ward. There is a training centre of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) also. [edit] An unfortunate reputationKitakyūshū has suffered unfairly from an unfortunate image and reputation, both domestically and overseas, of a heavily polluted and industrial city with many smokestacks. Indeed, in the 1960s, rapid post-war development prompted the construction of many manufacturing plants which made it a major engine of the Japanese economy. As a result of this, pollution and smog associated with the factories began to pervade the city. Local people even took pride in the multi-coloured rainbows of smoke created by the reflection of sunlight on the smog. As a result, some guidebooks have described the city as "hideous" and "ugly," among other descriptions. However, in recent decades, this is becoming more and more outdated as, the 1970s, the Municipality started adopting measures to decrease the pollution. Nowadays, Kitakyūshū is making great efforts to show itself as an environmentally-friendly city. Despite its past as a heavily industrialized city, Kitakyūshū retains many unspoilt and beautiful areas which have never been touched by industry; this is especially true in the southern parts of the area, as it boasts some of the best sightseeing spots in Kyūshū. [edit] Sister cities
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