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Kitakyushu

Kitakyushu (Japanese: 北九州市, Hepburn: Kitakyūshū-shi) is a city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of June 1, 2019, Kitakyushu has an estimated population of 940,978, making it the second-largest city in both Fukuoka Prefecture and the island of Kyushu after the city of Fukuoka. It is one of Japan's 20 designated cities, one of three on Kyushu, and is divided into seven wards.

Kitakyushu
北九州市
City of Kitakyushu[1]
Clockwise from top left: the Riverwalk shopping center; Kokura Castle; Mojiko Station; the former Higashida blast furnace; a night view of Kokura from Mount Adachi; and the Tanga Market in Kokura
Location of Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture
Kitakyushu
Location in Japan
Coordinates: 33°53′N 130°53′E / 33.883°N 130.883°E / 33.883; 130.883
CountryJapan
RegionKyushu
PrefectureFukuoka Prefecture
Government
 • MayorKazuhisa Takeuchi [jp] (from 20 February 2023)
Area
 • Total491.95 km2 (189.94 sq mi)
Population
 (June 1, 2019)
 • Total940,978
 • Density1,900/km2 (5,000/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address1-1 Jōnai, Kokura Kita-ku, Kitakyushu-shi, Fukuoka-ken
803-8501
ClimateCfa
Websitewww.city.kitakyushu.lg.jp
Symbols
FlowerTsutsuji (Azalea)
Himawari (Sunflower)
TreeIchiigashi (Japanese beech)

Kitakyushu was formed in 1963 from a merger of municipalities centered on the historic city of Kokura, and its name literally means "North Kyushu City" in Japanese. It is located at the northernmost point of Kyushu on the Kanmon Straits, separating the island from Honshu, across from the city of Shimonoseki. Kitakyushu and Shimonoseki are connected by numerous transport links including the Kanmon Bridge and the Kanmon Tunnels. Kitakyushu's Urban Employment Area forms part of the Fukuoka-Kitakyushu Greater Metropolitan Region, which, with a population of 5,738,977 (2005-2006), is the largest metropolitan area in Japan west of the Keihanshin region.

History Edit

Kokura Prefecture Edit

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 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.

World War II Edit

Yahata in Kitakyushu was the target for the beginning of the US bombing raids on the home islands on June 16, 1944, when 75 Boeing B-29 Superfortresses flew out from mainland China.[2]

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. All three attempts failed due to clouds and smoke from Yahata, which is only 7 km (4.3 mi) west of Kokura and had air raids on the previous day, preventing him from identifying the target clearly. Additionally, a smoke screen was created by industrial workers burning barrels of coal tar and/or electric plant workers releasing steam.[3][4] The bomb was ultimately dropped on the city of Nagasaki, the secondary target, at 11:02 JST.

City Edit

The city of Kitakyushu 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" (, kita) in the middle and five petals representing the towns that merged.

Geography and administrative divisions Edit

Demographics Edit

As of 1 October 2018, the city had an estimated population of 945,595 and a total area of 491.95 km2 (189.94 sq mi).[5] The average population density is 1,922 persons /km2 (4,980/sq mi). It is now the country's 15th most populated city.[5] It has a much larger total area than that of Fukuoka which is only 343.39 km2 (132.58 sq mi).[5]

Wards Edit

Kitakyushu has seven wards (ku):

Wards of Kitakyushu
Place Name Map of Kitakyushu
Rōmaji Kanji Color Land area in km2
1 Kokurakita-ku
(administrative center)
小倉北区   39.27
 
Kitakyūshū wards
2 Kokuraminami-ku 小倉南区   170.25
3 Moji-ku 門司区   73.37
4 Tobata-ku 戸畑区   16.66
5 Yahatahigashi-ku 八幡東区   36.36
6 Yahatanishi-ku 八幡西区   83.04
7 Wakamatsu-ku 若松区   67.86

The city of Nakama, Fukuoka was to become the eighth ward of Kitakyushu in 2005 (to be called Nakama-ku). However, the merger was rejected on December 24, 2004 by Nakama's city council, despite having been initiated by Nakama City.

Cityscape Edit

Climate Edit

Climate data for Yahatañishi-ku, Kitakyushu (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1977−present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 19.0
(66.2)
24.0
(75.2)
25.2
(77.4)
30.1
(86.2)
32.4
(90.3)
34.2
(93.6)
36.9
(98.4)
36.7
(98.1)
34.7
(94.5)
33.0
(91.4)
26.4
(79.5)
24.8
(76.6)
36.9
(98.4)
Average high °C (°F) 9.8
(49.6)
10.9
(51.6)
14.4
(57.9)
19.6
(67.3)
24.2
(75.6)
27.0
(80.6)
30.7
(87.3)
31.9
(89.4)
28.1
(82.6)
23.2
(73.8)
17.7
(63.9)
12.2
(54.0)
20.8
(69.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) 6.2
(43.2)
6.9
(44.4)
10.0
(50.0)
14.7
(58.5)
19.3
(66.7)
22.7
(72.9)
26.8
(80.2)
27.8
(82.0)
24.0
(75.2)
18.8
(65.8)
13.3
(55.9)
8.3
(46.9)
16.6
(61.8)
Average low °C (°F) 2.8
(37.0)
3.2
(37.8)
5.9
(42.6)
10.2
(50.4)
14.9
(58.8)
19.3
(66.7)
23.7
(74.7)
24.6
(76.3)
20.6
(69.1)
14.8
(58.6)
9.3
(48.7)
4.7
(40.5)
12.8
(55.1)
Record low °C (°F) −4.6
(23.7)
−6.2
(20.8)
−3.8
(25.2)
0.5
(32.9)
6.4
(43.5)
10.5
(50.9)
15.4
(59.7)
17.6
(63.7)
8.9
(48.0)
3.5
(38.3)
0.7
(33.3)
−3.6
(25.5)
−6.2
(20.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 87.9
(3.46)
79.2
(3.12)
114.2
(4.50)
125.4
(4.94)
142.9
(5.63)
239.5
(9.43)
314.6
(12.39)
198.1
(7.80)
165.9
(6.53)
85.2
(3.35)
91.8
(3.61)
75.9
(2.99)
1,720.5
(67.74)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 10.8 10.4 10.9 10.0 9.0 12.3 11.8 10.0 9.7 7.3 9.4 9.8 121.4
Mean monthly sunshine hours 101.8 113.2 159.5 188.6 205.0 139.2 167.6 196.2 159.8 170.5 131.5 102.9 1,835.7
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[6][7]


Economy Edit

 
Map of the Kitakyushu Metropolitan Employment Area
 
The Colet Izutsuya department store (formerly known as Isetan and, before that, Sogo)
 
Riverwalk Kitakyūshū and Kokura Castle moat

Nippon Steel Corporation is a major employer, but the Yahata and Tobata plants are much reduced from their heyday of the 1960s. The Zenrin company known for its mapping and navigation software is based here[8] and so is Toto Ltd.[9] and Yaskawa Electric Corporation.[10] StarFlyer, an airline, is headquartered on the grounds of Kitakyushu Airport in Kokuraminami-ku, Kitakyūshū.[11] Previously the airline's headquarters were in the Shin Kokura Building (新小倉ビル, Shin-Kokura Biru) in Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyūshū.[12][13]

A smaller scale shopping center known as Cha Cha Town, next to the Sunatsu bus depot in Kokura Kita ward, was created by the Nishi-Nippon Railroad and bus company.

In 2009 Bridgestone Corporation opened a plant in Kitakyushu to produce large and ultralarge off-the-road radial tires for construction and mining vehicles.

The GDP in Greater Kitakyushu, Kitakyushu Metropolitan Employment Area was US$55.7 billion in 2010.[14][15]

Education Edit

 
Kyushu Institute of Technology (KIT)

Universities and colleges Edit

National universities Edit

Public universities Edit

Private universities Edit

Junior colleges Edit

Technology colleges Edit

  • Kitakyushu National College of Technology

Vocational colleges Edit

  • Kyushu Medical Sports School

Research Institutes and graduate Schools Edit

  • Kitakyushu Science and Research Park
    • Graduate School of International Environmental Engineering, The University of Kitakyushu
    • Fukuoka University Institute for Recycling and Environmental Control Systems
    • Graduate School of Life Science and Systems Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology
    • Graduate School of Information, Production and Systems/Information, Production and Systems Research Center, Waseda University

Transportation Edit

 
Kitakyushu Airport
 
Kitakyushu Expressway
 
Kitakyushu Monorail
 
Wakato Ferry

Located at a strategic position on the south side of the Kanmon Straits, Kitakyushu is an important transport hub for traffic between Honshu and Kyushu and has a large port.

Air Edit

Airport Edit

The Kitakyushu Airport opened on March 16, 2006. It is larger than the previous Kokura 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.

Railways Edit

Kokura Station, the city's central train station, is the penultimate stop on the JR West Sanyō Shinkansen before the Fukuoka terminus and all Shinkansen services stop here. It is served by local and express trains on JR Kyushu's Kagoshima and Nippō Main Lines. In the city, transport is provided the Kitakyushu Monorail and buses.

Mojikō Station in Moji-ku is the northern terminus of the Kagoshima Main Line, the most important line in the JR Kyushu network.

A tram network operated by the Nishi-Nippon Railroad known as the Kitakyushu Line once operated in the city; after dwindling passenger numbers in the 1970s the line was shut down in stages between 1980 and 2000. A railway using tram cars, the Chikuhō Electric Railroad, runs between Kurosaki-Ekimae and Chikuhō-Nōgata stations, serving Yahatanishi-ku and the neighboring city of Nōgata.

Roads Edit

Expressways Edit

The metropolitan area of Kitakyushu is covered by the Kitakyushu Expressway, which has five routes serving the city, totaling 53 kilometers of four-lane expressways. Some of these expressways are elevated, especially around the city center. Route 1 serves the city center, while route 2 serves the port area. Route 3 is a short connector between routes 1 and 2, and route 4 is the longest of the Kitakyushu Expressway network, serving most of the city from north to south. Route 5 is a short link serving the inner port area.

In addition, Kitakyushu is bypassed by the Kyushu Expressway, the main north–south route on the island of Kyushu. The new Higashikyushu Expressway begins in Kitakyushu and runs along the eastern coast of Kyushu. North of Kitakyushu, the Kyushu Expressway crosses the six-lane Kanmonkyo Bridge and turns into the Chūgoku Expressway, the second longest in Japan, serving western Honshu.

Bridges Edit

There are several bridges in Kitakyushu and between the city and other places. The largest ones are the Kanmonkyo Bridge linking Kitakyushu and Shimonoseki (on Kyushu 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 Kitakyushu; on April 1, 2006, the bridge was transferred to the control of the Kitakyushu City Road Public Corporation.

Sea Edit

Port Edit

Kitakyushu is the largest ferry port in Kyushu, Chūgoku, and Shikoku. Ferry services operate between Kitakyushu and Shimonoseki, Matsuyama, Tokushima, Kōbe, Ōsaka, Tokyo, Ulsan (Korea), Busan (Korea) and isolated islands in the city limits. The main ferry port is at Shin-Moji, and there are ferries at Moji and near Kokura Station.

In the Kanmon-Kitakyushu area, there are three commuter lines: the Wakato Ferry, the Kanmon Straits Ferry, and the Kanmon Straits Liner.

Notable places Edit

 
Kokura Castle in central Kokura
 
Night view of Kitakyushu from Mount Sarakura
  • Kokura Castle (小倉城, Kokura-jō) was built by Hosokawa Tadaoki in 1602. It was the property of the Ogasawara clan (from Harima) between 1632 and 1860. The castle was burnt down in 1865 in the war between the Kokura and Choshu clans.
  • Hiraodai (平尾台, lit. Flat Tail Plateau) 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 noted walking areas with fine scenery.
  • Kawachi Wisteria Garden is known for massive flower trellises.

The limestone outcroppings on Hiraodai are said to resemble grazing sheep, so the plateau, the highest in Kyushu at 400–600 meters, is also known as the Yogun Plain. Some of the limestone caverns are open to the public.[16] The area contains the Sugao and Nanae Waterfalls. Sugao is about 20 meters. Nanae means "seven stages".

Culture Edit

The 1986 family movie Koneko Monogatari was filmed here. The English version of the film, which is the story of the friendship of a kitten and a pug dog, was released in America in 1989 as The Adventures of Milo and Otis.

The 1958 comedy Rickshaw Man is based on a local folk hero of Kokura called Muhomatsu or "Wild Pine" and has been called the Japanese "Desperado". He is celebrated in the Kokura Gion Yamagasa festival. Toshiro Mifune plays the taiko drum in this movie.

Kitakyushu is featured in the late 2012 Call of Duty: Black Ops II game developed by Treyarch and published by Activision as a DLC map called Magma. In the map the city has been abandoned due to a volcanic eruption, and parts of the city are completely covered in lava.

Festivals Edit

There are festivals (matsuri) held in the summer in the city, including the Tobata Gion Yamagasa festival in Tobata-ku, Kitakyūshū.

Kurosaki Gion (July)

It has been designated as an intangible cultural asset of Fukuoka Prefecture. People spin highly decorated "battle floats" as they pull them through the streets.[17]

Tobata Gion (July)

People carry yamagasa (tiered floats decorated with flags by day and lanterns by night) on their shoulders.

Kokura Gion (July)

People pull yamagasa parade floats along the street.

All the Gion festivals date back about 400 years. They were instituted to celebrate surviving an epidemic.[18]

Moji Minato Festival (May)

This port-city festival involves colorfully costumed people pulling floats through the streets.[19]

Wakamatsu Minato Festival (July)

This port-city festival celebrates fire, drums, and kappa (mythical amphibious creatures who love cucumbers).[20]

Wasshoi Hyakuman Festival (August)

The Wasshoi Hyakuman Natsumatsuri brings all the festivals together for a grand parade and finale near City Hall in Kokura Kita ward. Kitakyushu was formed by the merging of Kokura, Yahata, Wakamatsu, Moji, and Tobata. As a result, the city began, on its tenth anniversary, to combine these local festivals into one. On the 25th anniversary, it was renamed Wasshoi Hyakuman because the city population had reached one million.

Green Park Flea Market (monthly, except August and December)

There are over 200 shops.[21]

Center for Contemporary Art (CCA) Kitakyushu. Edit

The Center for Contemporary Art opened in May 1997 by former Japan Foundation chief curator Nobuo Nakamura and Akiko Miyake. The centre has shown works of internationally renowned artists such as Maurizio Cattelan and Anri Sala, and runs an internationally acclaimed studio programme for emerging artists.

Sports Edit

Kitakyushu was selected as the host of the 2021 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships and the 2021 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships, both of which will take place in October 2021. The artistic gymnastics championship will take place in Kitakyushu City General Gymnasium, while the rhythmic competition will be contested in the West Japan Exhibition Centre.[22]

Professional teams Edit

Sporting venues Edit

 
Honjo stadium

Sister cities Edit

Kitakyushu is twinned with the following cities outside Japan.[23]

One city in Japan is twinned with Kitakyushu city.

Notable figures Edit

 
Mori Ōgai's house in Kokura Kita ward

Samurai Edit

Writers Edit

Scientists Edit

  • Professor Ted Fujita, popularly known as "Mr. Tornado" in America, was born in Kikugaoka in what is now Kokura Minami ward.

Sportspeople Edit

Musicians Edit

Film directors Edit

Actors Edit

References Edit

  1. ^ Kitakyushu's official English name 2012-05-11 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Shigeru Mizuki, A History of Japan Vol 3 Showa 1944-1953, p.152
  3. ^ . Mainichi. Mainichi Japan. 26 July 2014. Archived from the original on 22 November 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  4. ^ "Nagasaki: The Last Bomb". The New Yorker. 7 August 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  5. ^ a b c . City of Yokohama. Oct 1, 2018. Archived from the original on January 13, 2016. Retrieved 2018-11-17.
  6. ^ 観測史上1~10位の値(年間を通じての値). JMA. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  7. ^ 気象庁 / 平年値(年・月ごとの値). JMA. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  8. ^ "Corporate Info." Zenrin. Retrieved on March 6, 2019.
  9. ^ "Corporate Data 2016-02-11 at the Wayback Machine." TOTO. Retrieved on April 9, 2014.
  10. ^ . Yaskawa Electric Corporation. Archived from the original on 2014-12-11. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  11. ^ "会社概要." StarFlyer. Retrieved on December 20, 2010. "本社 〒800-0306 福岡県北九州市小倉南区空港北町6番 北九州空港スターフライヤー本社ビル"
  12. ^ "." StarFlyer. Retrieved on May 26, 2009. Location Shin-Kokura Bldg., 2-2-1 Komemachi Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyusyu-shi Fukuoka 802-0003 JPN
  13. ^ "." StarFlyer. March 24, 2008. Retrieved on December 20, 2010. "本社 〒802-0003 福岡県北九州市小倉北区米町二丁目2番1号 新小倉ビル JR小倉駅より徒歩10分."
  14. ^ Yoshitsugu Kanemoto. "Metropolitan Employment Area (MEA) Data". Center for Spatial Information Science, The University of Tokyo.
  15. ^ Conversion rates - Exchange rates - OECD Data
  16. ^ Kyushu Tourism Promotion Organization (2010). Kyushu's Must-See Tourist Spots.
  17. ^ "Kurosaki Gion Yamakasa (Float) Festival". Crossroad Fukuoka. Fukuoka Prefecture Tourist Association. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
  18. ^ . Fukuoka Internet TV. Archived from the original on 2019-12-15. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
  19. ^ 北九州ぐるりん観光ナビ【門司みなと祭】 2019-07-01 at the Wayback Machine. Kitakyushu-area.jp. Retrieved on 2013-12-09.
  20. ^ Festivals. Kqkicks.antazi.com. Retrieved on 2013-12-09.
  21. ^ フリーマーケット出店者の皆様へお知らせ - グリーンパーク【響灘緑地】 2013-06-13 at the Wayback Machine. Kpfmmf.jp. Retrieved on 2013-12-09.
  22. ^ "Kitakyushu will host Artistic and Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in 2021". gymnastics.sport. Retrieved 2021-07-04.
  23. ^ 姉妹・友好都市の紹介 [Introduction of sisters · friendship cities]. City of Kitakyushu (in Japanese). Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  24. ^ Câmara Municipal de Ipatinga: Lei Nº618 de 24/07/1978 - "Considera Kitakyushu, no Japão, cidade irmã de Ipatinga".
  25. ^ 姉妹都市・交流都市 [Sister city, exchange city]. Minamikyushu city (in Japanese). Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  26. ^ 175R – Free listening, concerts, stats, & pictures at. Last.fm. Retrieved on 2013-12-09.

External links Edit

  • City of Kitakyushu (English) 2019-04-07 at the Wayback Machine
  • City of Kitakyushu City (Japanese)
  • Newsletter Kitakyushu Bridges 2019-07-29 at the Wayback Machine
  • Kitakyushu city travel guide
  • Kitakyushu Science and Research Park
  • CCA Kitakyushu 2019-12-25 at the Wayback Machine
  • Introduction to Kitakyushu (YouTube)

kitakyushu, confused, with, kitahiroshima, hokkaido, kitahiroshima, hiroshima, help, expand, this, article, with, text, translated, from, corresponding, article, japanese, december, 2016, click, show, important, translation, instructions, view, machine, transl. Not to be confused with Kitahiroshima Hokkaido or Kitahiroshima Hiroshima You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Japanese December 2016 Click show for important translation instructions View a machine translated version of the Japanese article Machine translation like DeepL or Google Translate is a useful starting point for translations but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate rather than simply copy pasting machine translated text into the English Wikipedia Consider adding a topic to this template there are already 3 534 articles in the main category and specifying topic will aid in categorization Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low quality If possible verify the text with references provided in the foreign language article You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing Japanese Wikipedia article at ja 北九州市 see its history for attribution You should also add the template Translated ja 北九州市 to the talk page For more guidance see Wikipedia Translation Kitakyushu Japanese 北九州市 Hepburn Kitakyushu shi is a city located in Fukuoka Prefecture Japan As of June 1 2019 Kitakyushu has an estimated population of 940 978 making it the second largest city in both Fukuoka Prefecture and the island of Kyushu after the city of Fukuoka It is one of Japan s 20 designated cities one of three on Kyushu and is divided into seven wards Kitakyushu 北九州市Designated cityCity of Kitakyushu 1 Clockwise from top left the Riverwalk shopping center Kokura Castle Mojiko Station the former Higashida blast furnace a night view of Kokura from Mount Adachi and the Tanga Market in KokuraFlagEmblemLocation of Kitakyushu in Fukuoka PrefectureKitakyushuLocation in JapanCoordinates 33 53 N 130 53 E 33 883 N 130 883 E 33 883 130 883CountryJapanRegionKyushuPrefectureFukuoka PrefectureGovernment MayorKazuhisa Takeuchi jp from 20 February 2023 Area Total491 95 km2 189 94 sq mi Population June 1 2019 Total940 978 Density1 900 km2 5 000 sq mi Time zoneUTC 09 00 JST City hall address1 1 Jōnai Kokura Kita ku Kitakyushu shi Fukuoka ken803 8501ClimateCfaWebsitewww wbr city wbr kitakyushu wbr lg wbr jpSymbolsFlowerTsutsuji Azalea Himawari Sunflower TreeIchiigashi Japanese beech Kitakyushu was formed in 1963 from a merger of municipalities centered on the historic city of Kokura and its name literally means North Kyushu City in Japanese It is located at the northernmost point of Kyushu on the Kanmon Straits separating the island from Honshu across from the city of Shimonoseki Kitakyushu and Shimonoseki are connected by numerous transport links including the Kanmon Bridge and the Kanmon Tunnels Kitakyushu s Urban Employment Area forms part of the Fukuoka Kitakyushu Greater Metropolitan Region which with a population of 5 738 977 2005 2006 is the largest metropolitan area in Japan west of the Keihanshin region Contents 1 History 1 1 Kokura Prefecture 1 2 World War II 1 3 City 2 Geography and administrative divisions 2 1 Demographics 2 2 Wards 2 3 Cityscape 2 4 Climate 3 Economy 4 Education 4 1 Universities and colleges 4 1 1 National universities 4 1 2 Public universities 4 1 3 Private universities 4 1 4 Junior colleges 4 1 5 Technology colleges 4 1 6 Vocational colleges 4 2 Research Institutes and graduate Schools 5 Transportation 5 1 Air 5 1 1 Airport 5 2 Railways 5 3 Roads 5 3 1 Expressways 5 3 2 Bridges 5 4 Sea 5 4 1 Port 6 Notable places 7 Culture 7 1 Festivals 7 2 Center for Contemporary Art CCA Kitakyushu 7 3 Sports 7 3 1 Professional teams 7 3 2 Sporting venues 8 Sister cities 9 Notable figures 9 1 Samurai 9 2 Writers 9 3 Scientists 9 4 Sportspeople 9 5 Musicians 9 6 Film directors 9 7 Actors 10 References 11 External linksHistory EditKokura Prefecture Edit 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 and is being restored It is opposite Riverwalk Kitakyushu In 1876 Kokura Prefecture was absorbed by Fukuoka Prefecture The city of Kokura was founded in 1900 World War II Edit Yahata in Kitakyushu was the target for the beginning of the US bombing raids on the home islands on June 16 1944 when 75 Boeing B 29 Superfortresses flew out from mainland China 2 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 All three attempts failed due to clouds and smoke from Yahata which is only 7 km 4 3 mi west of Kokura and had air raids on the previous day preventing him from identifying the target clearly Additionally a smoke screen was created by industrial workers burning barrels of coal tar and or electric plant workers releasing steam 3 4 The bomb was ultimately dropped on the city of Nagasaki the secondary target at 11 02 JST City Edit The city of Kitakyushu 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 towns that merged Geography and administrative divisions EditDemographics Edit As of 1 October 2018 update the city had an estimated population of 945 595 and a total area of 491 95 km2 189 94 sq mi 5 The average population density is 1 922 persons km2 4 980 sq mi It is now the country s 15th most populated city 5 It has a much larger total area than that of Fukuoka which is only 343 39 km2 132 58 sq mi 5 Wards Edit Kitakyushu has seven wards ku Wards of KitakyushuPlace Name Map of KitakyushuRōmaji Kanji Color Land area in km21 Kokurakita ku administrative center 小倉北区 nbsp 39 27 nbsp Kitakyushu wards2 Kokuraminami ku 小倉南区 nbsp 170 253 Moji ku 門司区 nbsp 73 374 Tobata ku 戸畑区 nbsp 16 665 Yahatahigashi ku 八幡東区 nbsp 36 366 Yahatanishi ku 八幡西区 nbsp 83 047 Wakamatsu ku 若松区 nbsp 67 86The city of Nakama Fukuoka was to become the eighth ward of Kitakyushu in 2005 to be called Nakama ku However the merger was rejected on December 24 2004 by Nakama s city council despite having been initiated by Nakama City Cityscape Edit nbsp Skyline of Kokura 2021 nbsp Kokura Station 2021 nbsp West Japan Industrial Club 2020 nbsp Port of Kitakyushu 2014 nbsp Downtown of Kokura 2014 nbsp Wakato Bridge 2008 Climate Edit Climate data for Yahatanishi ku Kitakyushu 1991 2020 normals extremes 1977 present Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high C F 19 0 66 2 24 0 75 2 25 2 77 4 30 1 86 2 32 4 90 3 34 2 93 6 36 9 98 4 36 7 98 1 34 7 94 5 33 0 91 4 26 4 79 5 24 8 76 6 36 9 98 4 Average high C F 9 8 49 6 10 9 51 6 14 4 57 9 19 6 67 3 24 2 75 6 27 0 80 6 30 7 87 3 31 9 89 4 28 1 82 6 23 2 73 8 17 7 63 9 12 2 54 0 20 8 69 5 Daily mean C F 6 2 43 2 6 9 44 4 10 0 50 0 14 7 58 5 19 3 66 7 22 7 72 9 26 8 80 2 27 8 82 0 24 0 75 2 18 8 65 8 13 3 55 9 8 3 46 9 16 6 61 8 Average low C F 2 8 37 0 3 2 37 8 5 9 42 6 10 2 50 4 14 9 58 8 19 3 66 7 23 7 74 7 24 6 76 3 20 6 69 1 14 8 58 6 9 3 48 7 4 7 40 5 12 8 55 1 Record low C F 4 6 23 7 6 2 20 8 3 8 25 2 0 5 32 9 6 4 43 5 10 5 50 9 15 4 59 7 17 6 63 7 8 9 48 0 3 5 38 3 0 7 33 3 3 6 25 5 6 2 20 8 Average precipitation mm inches 87 9 3 46 79 2 3 12 114 2 4 50 125 4 4 94 142 9 5 63 239 5 9 43 314 6 12 39 198 1 7 80 165 9 6 53 85 2 3 35 91 8 3 61 75 9 2 99 1 720 5 67 74 Average precipitation days 1 0 mm 10 8 10 4 10 9 10 0 9 0 12 3 11 8 10 0 9 7 7 3 9 4 9 8 121 4Mean monthly sunshine hours 101 8 113 2 159 5 188 6 205 0 139 2 167 6 196 2 159 8 170 5 131 5 102 9 1 835 7Source Japan Meteorological Agency 6 7 Economy EditThis section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section Unsourced material may be challenged and removed May 2009 Learn how and when to remove this template message nbsp Map of the Kitakyushu Metropolitan Employment Area nbsp The Colet Izutsuya department store formerly known as Isetan and before that Sogo nbsp Riverwalk Kitakyushu and Kokura Castle moatNippon Steel Corporation is a major employer but the Yahata and Tobata plants are much reduced from their heyday of the 1960s The Zenrin company known for its mapping and navigation software is based here 8 and so is Toto Ltd 9 and Yaskawa Electric Corporation 10 StarFlyer an airline is headquartered on the grounds of Kitakyushu Airport in Kokuraminami ku Kitakyushu 11 Previously the airline s headquarters were in the Shin Kokura Building 新小倉ビル Shin Kokura Biru in Kokurakita ku Kitakyushu 12 13 A smaller scale shopping center known as Cha Cha Town next to the Sunatsu bus depot in Kokura Kita ward was created by the Nishi Nippon Railroad and bus company In 2009 Bridgestone Corporation opened a plant in Kitakyushu to produce large and ultralarge off the road radial tires for construction and mining vehicles The GDP in Greater Kitakyushu Kitakyushu Metropolitan Employment Area was US 55 7 billion in 2010 14 15 Education Edit nbsp Kyushu Institute of Technology KIT Universities and colleges Edit National universities Edit Kyushu Institute of TechnologyPublic universities Edit Kyushu Dental University University of KitakyushuPrivate universities Edit Kyushu International University Kyushu Kyoritsu University Kyushu Nutrition Welfare University Kyushu Polytechnic College Kyushu Women s University Nishinippon Institute of Technology Seinan Women s University University of Occupational and Environmental HealthJunior colleges Edit Higashi Chikushi Junior College Kyushu Women s Junior College Orio Aishin Junior College Seinan Jo Gakuin University Junior CollegeTechnology colleges Edit Kitakyushu National College of TechnologyVocational colleges Edit Kyushu Medical Sports SchoolResearch Institutes and graduate Schools Edit Kitakyushu Science and Research Park Graduate School of International Environmental Engineering The University of Kitakyushu Fukuoka University Institute for Recycling and Environmental Control Systems Graduate School of Life Science and Systems Engineering Kyushu Institute of Technology Graduate School of Information Production and Systems Information Production and Systems Research Center Waseda UniversityTransportation EditMain article Transport in Fukuoka Kitakyushu nbsp Kitakyushu Airport nbsp Kitakyushu Expressway nbsp Kitakyushu Monorail nbsp Wakato FerryLocated at a strategic position on the south side of the Kanmon Straits Kitakyushu is an important transport hub for traffic between Honshu and Kyushu and has a large port Air Edit Airport Edit The Kitakyushu Airport opened on March 16 2006 It is larger than the previous Kokura 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 Railways Edit Kokura Station the city s central train station is the penultimate stop on the JR West Sanyō Shinkansen before the Fukuoka terminus and all Shinkansen services stop here It is served by local and express trains on JR Kyushu s Kagoshima and Nippō Main Lines In the city transport is provided the Kitakyushu Monorail and buses Mojikō Station in Moji ku is the northern terminus of the Kagoshima Main Line the most important line in the JR Kyushu network A tram network operated by the Nishi Nippon Railroad known as the Kitakyushu Line once operated in the city after dwindling passenger numbers in the 1970s the line was shut down in stages between 1980 and 2000 A railway using tram cars the Chikuhō Electric Railroad runs between Kurosaki Ekimae and Chikuhō Nōgata stations serving Yahatanishi ku and the neighboring city of Nōgata Roads Edit Expressways Edit The metropolitan area of Kitakyushu is covered by the Kitakyushu Expressway which has five routes serving the city totaling 53 kilometers of four lane expressways Some of these expressways are elevated especially around the city center Route 1 serves the city center while route 2 serves the port area Route 3 is a short connector between routes 1 and 2 and route 4 is the longest of the Kitakyushu Expressway network serving most of the city from north to south Route 5 is a short link serving the inner port area In addition Kitakyushu is bypassed by the Kyushu Expressway the main north south route on the island of Kyushu The new Higashikyushu Expressway begins in Kitakyushu and runs along the eastern coast of Kyushu North of Kitakyushu the Kyushu Expressway crosses the six lane Kanmonkyo Bridge and turns into the Chugoku Expressway the second longest in Japan serving western Honshu Bridges Edit There are several bridges in Kitakyushu and between the city and other places The largest ones are the Kanmonkyo Bridge linking Kitakyushu and Shimonoseki on Kyushu and Honshu 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 Kitakyushu on April 1 2006 the bridge was transferred to the control of the Kitakyushu City Road Public Corporation Sea Edit Port Edit Kitakyushu is the largest ferry port in Kyushu Chugoku and Shikoku Ferry services operate between Kitakyushu and Shimonoseki Matsuyama Tokushima Kōbe Ōsaka Tokyo Ulsan Korea Busan Korea and isolated islands in the city limits The main ferry port is at Shin Moji and there are ferries at Moji and near Kokura Station In the Kanmon Kitakyushu area there are three commuter lines the Wakato Ferry the Kanmon Straits Ferry and the Kanmon Straits Liner Notable places Edit nbsp Kokura Castle in central Kokura nbsp Night view of Kitakyushu from Mount SarakuraKokura Castle 小倉城 Kokura jō was built by Hosokawa Tadaoki in 1602 It was the property of the Ogasawara clan from Harima between 1632 and 1860 The castle was burnt down in 1865 in the war between the Kokura and Choshu clans Hiraodai 平尾台 lit Flat Tail Plateau 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 noted walking areas with fine scenery Kawachi Wisteria Garden is known for massive flower trellises The limestone outcroppings on Hiraodai are said to resemble grazing sheep so the plateau the highest in Kyushu at 400 600 meters is also known as the Yogun Plain Some of the limestone caverns are open to the public 16 The area contains the Sugao and Nanae Waterfalls Sugao is about 20 meters Nanae means seven stages Culture EditThis section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section Unsourced material may be challenged and removed May 2012 Learn how and when to remove this template message The 1986 family movie Koneko Monogatari was filmed here The English version of the film which is the story of the friendship of a kitten and a pug dog was released in America in 1989 as The Adventures of Milo and Otis The 1958 comedy Rickshaw Man is based on a local folk hero of Kokura called Muhomatsu or Wild Pine and has been called the Japanese Desperado He is celebrated in the Kokura Gion Yamagasa festival Toshiro Mifune plays the taiko drum in this movie Kitakyushu is featured in the late 2012 Call of Duty Black Ops II game developed by Treyarch and published by Activision as a DLC map called Magma In the map the city has been abandoned due to a volcanic eruption and parts of the city are completely covered in lava Festivals Edit There are festivals matsuri held in the summer in the city including the Tobata Gion Yamagasa festival in Tobata ku Kitakyushu Kurosaki Gion July It has been designated as an intangible cultural asset of Fukuoka Prefecture People spin highly decorated battle floats as they pull them through the streets 17 Tobata Gion July People carry yamagasa tiered floats decorated with flags by day and lanterns by night on their shoulders Kokura Gion July People pull yamagasa parade floats along the street All the Gion festivals date back about 400 years They were instituted to celebrate surviving an epidemic 18 Moji Minato Festival May This port city festival involves colorfully costumed people pulling floats through the streets 19 Wakamatsu Minato Festival July This port city festival celebrates fire drums and kappa mythical amphibious creatures who love cucumbers 20 Wasshoi Hyakuman Festival August The Wasshoi Hyakuman Natsumatsuri brings all the festivals together for a grand parade and finale near City Hall in Kokura Kita ward Kitakyushu was formed by the merging of Kokura Yahata Wakamatsu Moji and Tobata As a result the city began on its tenth anniversary to combine these local festivals into one On the 25th anniversary it was renamed Wasshoi Hyakuman because the city population had reached one million Green Park Flea Market monthly except August and December There are over 200 shops 21 Center for Contemporary Art CCA Kitakyushu Edit The Center for Contemporary Art opened in May 1997 by former Japan Foundation chief curator Nobuo Nakamura and Akiko Miyake The centre has shown works of internationally renowned artists such as Maurizio Cattelan and Anri Sala and runs an internationally acclaimed studio programme for emerging artists Sports Edit Kitakyushu was selected as the host of the 2021 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships and the 2021 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships both of which will take place in October 2021 The artistic gymnastics championship will take place in Kitakyushu City General Gymnasium while the rhythmic competition will be contested in the West Japan Exhibition Centre 22 Professional teams Edit Giravanz Kitakyushu Football J3Sporting venues Edit nbsp Honjo stadiumAnō Dome Mikuni World Stadium Kitakyushu Home stadium for Giravanz Kitakyushu Honjō Athletic Stadium Kitakyushu City General Gymnasium Kitakyushu Media Dome Indoor Keirin stadium Kitakyushu Municipal Baseball Stadium Kitakyushu Municipal Gymnasium JRA Kokura Racecourse Sayagatani Stadium Wakamatsu Kyōteijō Wakamatsu Boat RacesSister cities EditKitakyushu is twinned with the following cities outside Japan 23 nbsp Surabaya Indonesia Since 1992 nbsp Dalian Liaoning China nbsp Incheon South Korea nbsp Norfolk Virginia United States nbsp Tacoma Washington United States nbsp Haiphong Vietnam nbsp Davao City Philippines nbsp Phnom Penh Cambodia nbsp Ipatinga Minas Gerais Brazil since July 24 1978 24 One city in Japan is twinned with Kitakyushu city nbsp Minamikyushu Kagoshima Japan 25 Notable figures EditThis 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 2012 Learn how and when to remove this template message nbsp Mori Ōgai s house in Kokura Kita wardSamurai Edit Miyamoto Musashi samurai swordsman author of The Book of Five Rings and founder of the Hyoho Niten Ichi ryu famous for its use of two swords He lived in the Kokura castle under the patronage of the Ogasawara and Hosokawa clans from 1633 until his death Writers Edit The novelist Mori Ōgai lived in Kokura for 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 Seichō Matsumoto was born in Kokura The Matsumoto Seicho Memorial Museum dedicated to his work is located in the city center near Kokura Castle The writer Ashihei Hino was born in Wakamatsu ward and his birthplace can be visited Scientists Edit Professor Ted Fujita popularly known as Mr Tornado in America was born in Kikugaoka in what is now Kokura Minami ward Sportspeople Edit Masanobu Fuchi Japanese professional wrestler All Japan Pro Wrestling Musicians Edit 175R a Japanese punk rock band 26 Ena Fujita Japanese musician and gravure idol Ayaka Umeda former Japanese idol and singer AKB48 the subunit DiVA and NMB48 Film directors Edit Yamazaki Tokujirō director of Call of the Foghorn and the Jiken Kisha series Aoyama Shinji director of Eureka and Sad Vacation Oda Motoyoshi director of Godzilla Raids Again Hirayama Hideyuki director of Forget me NotActors Edit Kazuhisa Kawahara Aibō Initial D and Kamen Rider Decade Takahiro Fujimoto Saka no Ue no Kumo Jin and Segodon Saaya Irie God s Left Hand Devil s Right Hand Tsuyoshi Ihara Ninja Dirty Hearts Letters from Iwo Jima and Samurai Hustle real name Yun Yu gu Hangul 윤유구 Junichi Haruta Dai Sentai Goggle V Kagaku Sentai Dynaman Kamen Rider Blade Kamen Rider W Returns and Zyuden Sentai KyoryugerReferences Edit Kitakyushu s official English name Archived 2012 05 11 at the Wayback Machine Shigeru Mizuki A History of Japan Vol 3 Showa 1944 1953 p 152 Steel mill worker reveals blocking view of U S aircraft on day of Nagasaki atomic bombing Mainichi Mainichi Japan 26 July 2014 Archived from the original on 22 November 2015 Retrieved 29 July 2014 Nagasaki The Last Bomb The New Yorker 7 August 2015 Retrieved 8 August 2015 a b c Population News of Major Cities City of Yokohama Oct 1 2018 Archived from the original on January 13 2016 Retrieved 2018 11 17 観測史上1 10位の値 年間を通じての値 JMA Retrieved March 3 2022 気象庁 平年値 年 月ごとの値 JMA Retrieved March 3 2022 Corporate Info Zenrin Retrieved on March 6 2019 Corporate Data Archived 2016 02 11 at the Wayback Machine TOTO Retrieved on April 9 2014 Corporate Data Yaskawa Electric Corporation Archived from the original on 2014 12 11 Retrieved April 9 2014 会社概要 StarFlyer Retrieved on December 20 2010 本社 800 0306 福岡県北九州市小倉南区空港北町6番 北九州空港スターフライヤー本社ビル Company Profile StarFlyer Retrieved on May 26 2009 Location Shin Kokura Bldg 2 2 1 Komemachi Kokurakita ku Kitakyusyu shi Fukuoka 802 0003 JPN 会社概要 StarFlyer March 24 2008 Retrieved on December 20 2010 本社 802 0003 福岡県北九州市小倉北区米町二丁目2番1号 新小倉ビル JR小倉駅より徒歩10分 Yoshitsugu Kanemoto Metropolitan Employment Area MEA Data Center for Spatial Information Science The University of Tokyo Conversion rates Exchange rates OECD Data Kyushu Tourism Promotion Organization 2010 Kyushu s Must See Tourist Spots Kurosaki Gion Yamakasa Float Festival Crossroad Fukuoka Fukuoka Prefecture Tourist Association Retrieved 2013 12 09 Kokura Gion Fukuoka Internet TV Archived from the original on 2019 12 15 Retrieved 2013 12 09 北九州ぐるりん観光ナビ 門司みなと祭 Archived 2019 07 01 at the Wayback Machine Kitakyushu area jp Retrieved on 2013 12 09 Festivals Kqkicks antazi com Retrieved on 2013 12 09 フリーマーケット出店者の皆様へお知らせ グリーンパーク 響灘緑地 Archived 2013 06 13 at the Wayback Machine Kpfmmf jp Retrieved on 2013 12 09 Kitakyushu will host Artistic and Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in 2021 gymnastics sport Retrieved 2021 07 04 姉妹 友好都市の紹介 Introduction of sisters friendship cities City of Kitakyushu in Japanese Retrieved 25 January 2015 Camara Municipal de Ipatinga Lei Nº618 de 24 07 1978 Considera Kitakyushu no Japao cidade irma de Ipatinga 姉妹都市 交流都市 Sister city exchange city Minamikyushu city in Japanese Retrieved 23 February 2015 175R Free listening concerts stats amp pictures at Last fm Retrieved on 2013 12 09 External links Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kitakyushu nbsp Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Kitakyushu City of Kitakyushu English Archived 2019 04 07 at the Wayback Machine City of Kitakyushu City Japanese Newsletter Kitakyushu Bridges Archived 2019 07 29 at the Wayback Machine Kitakyushu city travel guide Kitakyushu Science and Research Park CCA Kitakyushu Archived 2019 12 25 at the Wayback Machine Introduction to Kitakyushu YouTube Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Kitakyushu amp oldid 1178724412, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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