Kitakyushu (北九州市,Kitakyūshū-shi,Japanese pronunciation:[kʲi̥.ta.kʲɯꜜː.ɕɯː,kʲi̥.ta.kʲɯː.ɕɯꜜː.ɕi]^[2]) is acity located inFukuoka 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 ofKyushu after the city ofFukuoka. It is one of Japan's 20designated cities, one of three on Kyushu, and is divided into sevenwards.

Kitakyushu 北九州市
Designated city
City of Kitakyushu[1]
Clockwise from top left:Wakato Bridge;Moji; Tanga Market; FormerYahata Steel Works; Kokura Gion Daiko;Kitakyushu Museum of Natural History & Human History;Tobata Gion Yamagasa festival; andKokura Castle
Flag Emblem
Location of Kitakyushu inFukuoka Prefecture
Kitakyushu Location in Japan Show map of Kyushu Kitakyushu Kitakyushu (Kyushu) Show map of Kyushu Kitakyushu Kitakyushu (Japan) Show map of Japan
Coordinates:33°53′N130°53′E / 33.883°N 130.883°E /33.883; 130.883
Country	Japan
Region	Kyushu
Prefecture	Fukuoka Prefecture
Government
• Mayor	Kazuhisa Takeuchi
Area
• Total	491.95 km2 (189.94 sq mi)
Population  (June 1, 2019)
• Total	940,978
• Density	1,900/km2 (5,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address	1-1 Jōnai, Kokura Kita-ku, Kitakyushu-shi, Fukuoka-ken 803-8501
Climate	Cfa
Website	www.city.kitakyushu.lg.jp
Symbols
Flower	Tsutsuji (Azalea) Himawari (Sunflower)
Tree	Ichiigashi (Japanesebeech)

Kitakyushu was formed in 1963 from a merger of municipalities centered on the historic city ofKokura, and its name literally means "North Kyushu City" in Japanese. It is located at the northernmost point of Kyushu on theKanmon Straits, separating the island fromHonshu, across from the city ofShimonoseki. Kitakyushu and Shimonoseki are connected by numerous transport links including theKanmon Bridge and the Kanmon Tunnels (Roadway,Railway, andShin-Kanmon). Kitakyushu'sUrban Employment Area forms part of theFukuoka-Kitakyushu Greater Metropolitan Region, which, with a population of 5,738,977 (2005–2006), is the largestmetropolitan area in Japan west of theKeihanshin region.

Kokura Prefecture was founded separately fromFukuoka 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 oppositeRiverwalk Kitakyūshū. In 1876, Kokura Prefecture was absorbed by Fukuoka Prefecture. The city ofKokura was founded in 1900.

Yahata in Kitakyushu was the target for the beginning of theUS bombing raids on the home islands on June 16, 1944, when 75Boeing B-29 Superfortresses flew out from mainland China.^[3]

Kokura was the primary target of the nuclear weapon "Fat Man" on August 9, 1945. MajorCharles Sweeney had orders to drop the bomb visually. All three attempts failed due to clouds and smoke fromYahata, which is only 7 km (4.3 mi) west of Kokura and had 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.^[4][5] The bomb was ultimately dropped on the city ofNagasaki, the secondary target, at 11:02 JST.

The city of Kitakyushu was founded on February 10, 1963, and was designated on April 1, 1963, bygovernment 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 thecharacter "north" (北,kita) in the middle and five petals representing the towns that merged.

As of 1 October 2018^[update], the city had an estimatedpopulation of 945,595 and a total area of 491.95 km² (189.94 sq mi).^[6] The averagepopulation density is 1,922 persons /km² (4,980/sq mi). It is now the country's 15th most populated city.^[6] It has a much larger total area than that ofFukuoka which is only 343.39 km² (132.58 sq mi).^[6]

Kitakyushu has sevenwards (ku):

The city ofNakama, Fukuoka was to become the eighthward 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.

•  
  Skyline of Kokura (2021)
•  
  Kokura Station (2021)
•  
  West Japan Industrial Club (2020)
•  
  Port of Kitakyushu (2014)
•  
  Downtown of Kokura (2014)
•  
  Wakato Bridge (2008)

Nippon Steel Corporation is a major employer, but the Yahata and Tobata plants are much reduced from their heyday of the 1960s. TheZenrin company known for its mapping and navigation software is based here^[9] and so isToto Ltd.^[10] andYaskawa Electric Corporation.^[11]StarFlyer, an airline, is headquartered on the grounds ofKitakyushu Airport inKokuraminami-ku, Kitakyūshū.^[12] Previously the airline's headquarters were in the Shin Kokura Building (新小倉ビル,Shin-Kokura Biru) inKokurakita-ku, Kitakyūshū.^[13][14]

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

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

TheGDP in Greater Kitakyushu, KitakyushuMetropolitan Employment Area was US$55.7 billion in 2010.^[15][16]

• Kyushu Institute of Technology

• Kyushu Dental University
• University of Kitakyushu

• 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 Health

• Higashi Chikushi Junior College
• Kyushu Women's Junior College
• Orio Aishin Junior College
• Seinan Jo Gakuin University Junior College

• Kitakyushu National College of Technology

• Kyushu Medical Sports School

• 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

Located at a strategic position on the south side of theKanmon Straits, Kitakyushu is an important transport hub for traffic betweenHonshu andKyushu and has a large port.

TheKitakyushu Airport opened on March 16, 2006. It is larger than the previousKokura Airport and supports 24-hour operations thanks to its location on an artificial island in theSeto Inland Sea. It will eventually be connected withKokura Station by a new fast rail link. A new airline based in the city calledStarFlyer began operations when the airport opened. The airport has flights to Seoul, Taipei and Tokyo-Haneda.

The other nearby airport isFukuoka Airport which is located 82 KM away from the city and that airport primarily connects to other major airports in Japan and the world.

Kokura Station, the city's central train station, is the penultimate stop on theJR WestSanyō Shinkansen before theFukuoka terminus and allShinkansen services stop here. It is served by local and express trains onJR Kyushu'sKagoshima andNippō Main Lines. In the city, transport is provided theKitakyushu Monorail and buses.

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

A tram network operated by theNishi-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, theChikuhō Electric Railroad, runs betweenKurosaki-Ekimae andChikuhō-Nōgata stations, servingYahatanishi-ku and the neighboring city ofNōgata.

The metropolitan area of Kitakyushu is covered by theKitakyushu 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 theKyushu Expressway, the main north–south route on the island of Kyushu. The newHigashikyushu Expressway begins in Kitakyushu and runs along the eastern coast of Kyushu. North of Kitakyushu, the Kyushu Expressway crosses the six-laneKanmonkyo Bridge and turns into theChūgoku Expressway, the second longest in Japan, serving western Honshu.

There are several bridges in Kitakyushu and between the city and other places. The largest ones are theKanmonkyo Bridge linking Kitakyushu and Shimonoseki (on Kyushu and Honshū respectively) via theKanmon Straits and theWakato Bridge linking the wards of Tobata and Wakamatsu. There are smaller bridges over theOnga River on the western border of the city.

On September 30, 2005, ownership of the Wakato Bridge was transferred fromJapan Highway Public Corporation to Kitakyushu; on April 1, 2006, the bridge was transferred to the control of theKitakyushu City Road Public Corporation.

Kitakyushu is the largestferry port inKyushu,Chūgoku, andShikoku. Ferry services operate between Kitakyushu andShimonoseki,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 nearKokura Station.

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

• 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 andMount Sarakura (皿倉山,Sarakura-san) andKawachi 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.^[17] The area contains the Sugao and Nanae Waterfalls. Sugao is about 20 meters. Nanae means "seven stages".

The 1986 family movieKoneko Monogatari was filmed here. The English version of the film, which is the story of the friendship of akitten and apug dog, was released in America in 1989 asThe Adventures of Milo and Otis.

The 1958 comedyRickshaw 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 2012Call of Duty: Black Ops II game developed byTreyarch and published byActivision as a DLC map calledMagma. In the map the city has been abandoned due to a volcanic eruption, and parts of the city are completely covered in lava.

There are festivals (matsuri) held in the summer in the city, including theTobata Gion Yamagasa festival inTobata-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.^[18]

Tobata Gion (July)

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

Kokura Gion (July)

People pullyamagasa parade floats along the street.

All the Gion festivals date back about 400 years. They were instituted to celebrate surviving an epidemic.^[19]

Moji Minato Festival (May)

This port-city festival involves colorfully costumed people pulling floats through the streets.^[20]

Wakamatsu Minato Festival (July)

This port-city festival celebrates fire, drums, andkappa (mythical amphibious creatures who love cucumbers).^[21]

Wasshoi Hyakuman Festival (August)

TheWasshoi Hyakuman Natsumatsuri brings all the festivals together for a grand parade and finale near City Hall inKokura 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.^[22]

The Center for Contemporary Art (CCA) opened in May 1997 by formerJapan Foundation chief curator Nobuo Nakamura and Akiko Miyake. The centre has shown works of internationally renowned artists such asMaurizio Cattelan andAnri Sala, and runs an internationally acclaimed studio programme for emerging artists.

Kitakyushu was selected as the host of the2021 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships and the2021 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships, both of which will take place in October 2021. The artistic gymnastics championship will take place inKitakyushu City General Gymnasium, while the rhythmic competition will be contested in the West Japan Exhibition Centre.^[23]

• Giravanz Kitakyushu –Football,J3

• Anō Dome
• Mikuni World Stadium Kitakyushu – Home stadium for Giravanz Kitakyushu
• Honjō Athletic Stadium
• Kitakyushu City General Gymnasium
• Kitakyushu Media Dome – IndoorKeirin stadium
• Kitakyushu Municipal Baseball Stadium
• Kitakyushu Municipal Gymnasium
• JRAKokura Racecourse
• Sayagatani Stadium
• Wakamatsu Kyōteijō – Wakamatsu Boat Races

Kitakyushu is twinned with the following cities outside Japan.^[24]

•  Surabaya, Indonesia, since 1992
•  Dalian,Liaoning, China
•  Incheon, South Korea
•  Norfolk, Virginia, United States
•  Tacoma, Washington, United States
•  Haiphong, Vietnam
•  Davao City, Philippines
•  Phnom Penh,Cambodia
•  Ipatinga,Minas Gerais, Brazil, since July 24, 1978^[25]

One city in Japan is twinned with Kitakyushu;

•  Minamikyushu, Kagoshima, Japan^[26]

• Miyamoto Musashi, samurai swordsman, author ofThe Book of Five Rings and founder of theHyoho Niten Ichi-ryū, famous for its use of two swords. He lived in theKokura castle under the patronage of theOgasawara andHosokawa clans from 1633 until his death.

• The novelistMori Ōgai lived inKokura for years and his house is open to the public inKokura Kita ward. He wroteKokura Nikki (Kokura Diary) here. It is a ten-minute walk fromKokura Station.
• The writerSeichō Matsumoto was born in Kokura. TheMatsumoto Seicho Memorial Museum dedicated to his work is located in the city center nearKokura Castle.
• The writerAshihei Hino was born in Wakamatsu ward and his birthplace can be visited.

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

• Masanobu Fuchi,professional wrestler
• Kōhei Uchimura, artistic gymnast
• Shōta Imanaga, baseball player
• Hina Sugita, football player
• Nami Matsuyama, badminton player
• Hina Hayata, table tennis player

• 175R, a Japanese punk rock band^[27]
• Ena Fujita, Japanese musician andgravure idol
• Ayaka Umeda, former Japanese idol and singer (AKB48, the subunitDiVA andNMB48)
• Rihito Ikezaki, member ofINI (Japanese boy group)

• Yamazaki Tokujirō, director ofCall of the Foghorn and the Jiken Kisha series
• Aoyama Shinji, director ofEureka andSad Vacation
• Oda Motoyoshi, director ofGodzilla Raids Again
• Hirayama Hideyuki, director ofForget me Not

• Takeshi Tsuruno,Ultraman Dyna
• Kazuhisa Kawahara,Aibō,Initial D andKamen Rider Decade
• Takahiro Fujimoto,Saka no Ue no Kumo,Jin andSegodon
• Saaya Irie,God's Left Hand, Devil's Right Hand
• Tsuyoshi Ihara,Ninja,Dirty Hearts,Letters from Iwo Jima andSamurai Hustle (real name: Yun Yu-gu,Hangul: 윤유구)
• Junichi Haruta,Dai Sentai Goggle-V,Kagaku Sentai Dynaman,Kamen Rider Blade,Kamen Rider W Returns andZyuden Sentai Kyoryuger

• Seitaro Hattori, incumbent governor of Fukuoka Prefecture

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