This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: "Fukuoka Prefecture" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (June 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
Fukuoka Prefecture
福岡県
Japanese transcription(s)
 • Japanese福岡県
 • RōmajiFukuoka-ken
Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture at night, seen from the top of Sarakura
Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture at night, seen from the top of Sarakura
Flag of Fukuoka Prefecture
Official logo of Fukuoka Prefecture
Anthem: Kibō no Hikari
Location of Fukuoka Prefecture
Coordinates: 33°36′N 130°35′E / 33.600°N 130.583°E / 33.600; 130.583Coordinates: 33°36′N 130°35′E / 33.600°N 130.583°E / 33.600; 130.583
CountryJapan
RegionKyushu
IslandKyushu
CapitalFukuoka
SubdivisionsDistricts: 12, Municipalities: 60
Government
 • GovernorSeitaro Hattori[1] (since April 2021)
Area
 • Total4,986.52 km2 (1,925.31 sq mi)
 • Rank29th
Population
 (June 1, 2019)
 • Total5,109,323
 • Rank9th
 • Density1,000/km2 (2,700/sq mi)
 • Dialects
Chikuzen・Buzen・Chikuho
ISO 3166 codeJP-40
Websitewww.pref.fukuoka.lg.jp/somu/
multilingual/english/top.html
Symbols of Japan
BirdJapanese bush warbler (Cettia diphone)
FlowerUme blossom (Prunus mume)
TreeAzalea (Rhododendron tsutsusi)

Fukuoka Prefecture (Japanese: 福岡県, Hepburn: Fukuoka-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū.[2] Fukuoka Prefecture has a population of 5,109,323 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,986 km2 (1,925 sq mi).[3] 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.[4] 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.[5]

Shrines and temples

Kōra taisha, Sumiyoshi-jinja, and Hakozaki-gū are the chief Shinto shrines (ichinomiya) in the prefecture.[6]

Geography

Map of Fukuoka Prefecture      Government Ordinance Designated City      City      Town      Village
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:[7]

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.[8]

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:

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. Major industries include automobiles, semiconductors, and steel. Fukuoka prefecture is where tire manufacturer Bridgestone[9] and consumer electronics chain Best Denki were founded.

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
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.[10]

Culture

Fukuoka City Museum
Fukuoka City Museum
Fukuoka Asian Art Museum
Fukuoka Asian Art Museum
Bulwarks against Mongol Invasion video

Major events and festivals

Sports

Level5 Stadium, home of Avispa Fukuoka
Level5 Stadium, home of Avispa Fukuoka
Fukuoka Yahuoku Dome, home of the Softbank Hawks
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
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.[11] Its final race took place in 2021.[12]

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 Kyushu Seido-kai.[13] Between 2004 and 2009, and in early 2011,[14] Fukuoka Prefecture led the nation in gun-related incidents.[15] These incidents were mostly related to the local yakuza syndicates, specifically the Kudo-kai, the Dojin-kai, and the Kyushu Seido-kai.[14]

Fukuoka Prefecture had the highest frequency of youth crime among the prefectures of Japan from 2003 to 2007.[16]

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.[17]

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
Fukuoka Tower from Seaside Momochi
Riverwalk Kitakyushu
Riverwalk Kitakyushu
A sightseeing boat in Yanagawa Canal
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.[18] 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.[19]

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.[20]

Transportation

Hakata Station
Nishitetsu Tenjin Ōmuta Line
Hakata Ferry Terminal
Hakata Ferry Terminal

Railway services

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Airports

Sister regions

Citations

  1. ^ Hattori Elected, Fukuoka Governor (April 12, 2021). "Hattori Elected Fukuoka Governor for 1st Time". Jiji Press. NHK. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  2. ^ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fukuoka-ken" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 218, p. 218, at Google Books.
  3. ^ "都道府県 人口ランキング". Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  4. ^ Nussbaum, "Fukuoka" in p. 218, p. 218, at Google Books.
  5. ^ Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" in p. 780, p. 780, at Google Books.
  6. ^ "Nationwide List of Ichinomiya," p. 3 Archived May 17, 2013, at the Wayback Machine; retrieved 2012-10-26.
  7. ^ Statistics Bureau of Japan
  8. ^ "General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture" (PDF). Ministry of the Environment. 1 April 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  9. ^ "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.
  10. ^ Growing Cities, In Japan. "List of cities that are exceeding the birth rate". www.villagehouse.jp. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  11. ^ Nakamura, Ken. Marathon - A history of the Fukuoka International Marathon Championships by K. Ken Nakamura - Part 1 1947-1966. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-02-28.
  12. ^ Johnson, Len (2021-12-06). "Farewell to Fukuoka".
  13. ^ "Retrospection and Outlook of Crime Measure", p.15 Archived 2011-09-27 at the Wayback Machine, Masahiro Tamura, 2009, National Police Agency (in Japanese)
  14. ^ a b "Gunfire, The worst in the nation, None has been solved" Archived 2012-09-05 at archive.today, 23 June 2011, Nishinippon Shimbun (in Japanese)
  15. ^ "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)
  16. ^ 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)
  17. ^ "「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. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  18. ^ "Hakata Dontaku Festival". Japan National Tourism Organization. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  19. ^ "水の国 柳川". 筑後七国よかとこ巡り旅. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  20. ^ "Uomachi-gintengai Street". Kitakyushu City Travel Guide. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  21. ^ Hawaii and, Fukuoka friendship agreement. "HAWAII-FUKUOKA SISTER STATE RELATIONSHIP". http://hawaiifukuokakenjinkai/. Fukuoka Keniinkai. Retrieved 11 May 2022.

General references