This article is about the location in Japan. For the Chinese place with the cognate nameJiuzhou, seeNine Provinces.
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Kyushu (九州,Kyūshū;pronounced[kʲɯꜜː.ɕɯː]ⓘ,lit. 'nineprovinces') is the third-largest and most southerly ofJapan's four main islands.[3][4] In the past, it has been known asKyūkoku (九国, "Nine Countries"),Chinzei (鎮西, "West of the Pacified Area") andTsukushi-no-shima (筑紫島, "Island of Tsukushi"). The historical regional nameSaikaidō (西海道;lit. West SeaCircuit) referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands. Kyushu has a land area of 36,782 square kilometres (14,202 sq mi) and a population of 14,311,224 in 2018.[5]
There is a theory that Kyushu was in ancient times home to its own independent dynasty, where a unique, southern-influenced culture and tradition distinct from that ofHonshu flourished.[6][7]
In the 8th-centuryTaihō Code reforms,Dazaifu was established as a special administrative term for the region.[8]
The island is mountainous, and Japan's most active volcano,Mount Aso at 1,591 metres (5,220 ft), is on Kyushu. There are many other signs of tectonic activity, including numerous areas ofhot springs. The most famous of these are inBeppu, on the east shore, and around Mt. Aso in central Kyushu. The island is separated fromHonshu by theKanmon Straits. Being the nearest island to theAsian continent,[9] historically it is the gateway to Japan.[10]
The total area is 36,782.37 km2 (14,201.75 sq mi) which makes it the 37thlargest island in the world.[1] It is slightly larger thanTaiwan's total area of 35,808 km2 (13,826 sq mi).[5] The highest elevation is 1791 meters (5876 feet) onMount Kujū.[11]
Today's Kyushu Region (九州地方,Kyūshū-chihō) is a politically defined region that consists of the sevenprefectures on the island of Kyushu (which also includes the formerTsushima andIki as part of Nagasaki), plusOkinawa Prefecture to the south:
Kyushu has 10.3percent of the population of Japan.[13] Most of Kyushu's population is concentrated along the northwest, in the cities ofFukuoka andKitakyushu, with population corridors stretching southwest intoSasebo andNagasaki and south intoKumamoto andKagoshima. Except forOita andMiyazaki, the eastern seaboard shows a generaldecline in population.
Per Japanese census data,[15][16] the Kyushu region's population withRyukyu Islands (Okinawa andKagoshima Prefectures) has experienced a large decline since around 2000. However, the population decline in total is mild because of the relatively high birth rate ofRyukyuans both within the Ryukyuan lands (Okinawa andKagoshima) and throughout the Kyushu region. In addition, the other prefectures in Kyushu also have exceptionally highTFRs compared to the rest of Japan.[17][18]
Besides thevolcanic area of the south, there are significant mudhot springs in the northern part of the island, aroundBeppu. The springs are the site of occurrence of certainextremophilemicroorganisms, which are capable of surviving in extremely hot environments.[19]
Kyushu's economy accounts for approximately 10% of Japan's total economic output, making it comparable to countries such asIran,Norway,Austria, theUnited Arab Emirates, andThailand. It is the fourth largest economic region in Japan, following the three major metropolitan areas ofTokyo,Osaka, andNagoya.[21]
Kyushu's economy has a well-balanced industrial structure, ranging from primary industries such as agriculture, to secondary industries such as manufacturing, and tertiary industries such as retail, services, and tourism. Agricultural output in the region amounts to 1.8 trillion yen (20% share of the national total), and the region is a major domestic production center for theautomobile andsemiconductor industries. Kyushu also has a thriving healthcare industry, including medical and nursing care, and numerous research and manufacturing facilities in the fields ofhydrogen,solar power, and other renewable energies. Furthermore,Fukuoka City,Kitakyushu City andOkinawa Prefecture have been designated asNational Strategic Special Zones, which are expected to have an economic ripple effect on the entire Kyushu region through the creation of innovation in industry and the promotion of new entrepreneurship and start-ups.[21]
Kyushu is a region with strong economic ties to Asia. For example, Asia accounted for 420 (77.9%) of the 539 overseas expansion cases of Kyushu-Yamaguchi companies from 2010 to 2019, and Asia accounted for 61.1% of Kyushu-Yamaguchi's total exports in 2019, 7.4 percentage points higher than the nation as a whole. As the logistics node between Japan and Asia, the ports of Hakata and Kitakyushu handle a large number of international containers. In addition, the number of cruise ship calls in 2019 was 772, with Kyushu accounting for 26.9% of the nation's total.[22]
Kyushu is noted for various types ofporcelain, including Arita, Imari, Satsuma, and Karatsu.Heavy industry is concentrated in the north around Fukuoka, Kitakyushu, Nagasaki, and Oita and includes chemicals, automobiles, semiconductors, metal processing, shipbuilding, etc.[23] The island ofTanegashima hosts theTanegashima Space Center, which is the largest rocket-launch complex in Japan.
TheKanmon Bridge andKanmon Roadway Tunnel also connect the island with Honshu, allowing for vehicular transport between the two.[30] TheKyushu Expressway spans the length of the island, linking theHigashikyushu Expressway and Ibusuki Skyline, connecting major cities such asFukuoka andKumamoto along the way.[31] There are also many quiet country roads, including popular tourist routes such as theNichinan coast road and the Aso Panorama Line inKumamoto Prefecture. Bus services are available and cover 2,400 routes within Kyushu's cities, connecting many other destinations.[27]
Several passenger and car ferry services connect both northern and southern Kyushu with main port cities on the main island of Honshu (Kobe, Osaka, Tokyo) andShikoku.[32]
Kyushu has maintained the strongest economic and cultural ties withOkinawa (Ryukyu) from ancient times to the present. Traces of Okinawan culture can be seen throughout Kyushu, and vice versa. Okinawan musical scales are often found in local folk songs, and there are many similarities in cuisine and language. Kyushu is also home to a unique traditional instrument called thegottan, which resembles thesanshin andshamisen. The region boasts a rich tradition of craftsmanship, with numerous traditional crafts such asHakata-ori (博多織),Beppu bamboo crafts(別府竹細工),Kurume Kasuri (久留米絣), andSathuma Kiriko.
People in Kyushu are known for being conservative even within Japan. In particular, men from Kyushu are often referred to as "Kyushu danji" (九州男児), evoking an image of being wild and strong. It is said that this term has existed since ancient times, originally used to inspire and encourage soldiers. Being from Kyushu is a source of great pride for its people. Thanks to this cultural spirit, Kyushu has preserved a rich variety of unique traditional cultures that continue to thrive today.[34]
The main features of Kyushu cuisine are the use of fresh ingredients nurtured by the region's geography, which is surrounded by the sea and blessed with rich nature, along with distinctive seasonings such as sweet soy sauce (Kyushu soy sauce) and barley miso, which differ from those used inHonshu.
Each region has its own culinary characteristics: seafood-based dishes are prominent in the north, while meat dishes are more common in the south.[35]
Confectionery in Kyushu tends to use more sugar compared to other regions of Japan. This is because Kyushu has historically had close ties withOkinawa (Ryukyu), a major producer of sugar. As a result, many traditional sweets from Kyushu incorporate characteristics ofRyukyuan culture.[36]
In Kyushu, there exists a traditional stringed instrument known as thegottan (ゴッタン), which developed independently within the region's unique cultural and geographic context. The instrument is considered to be a midpoint between theshamisen ofmainland Japan and thesanshin ofOkinawa, incorporating characteristics of both. Structurally, it resembles the sanshin more closely—for example, it lacks thesawari, a buzzing mechanism found in the shamisen. This absence, along with its simplified wooden box construction and single string, aligns it with the more minimalistic design typical of southern instruments.[37]
Musically, thegottan is sometimes used to perform melodies that reflect the Ryukyuan pentatonic scale, suggesting a subtle but notable influence from Okinawan musical traditions. While it remains a distinct and localized folk instrument of Kyushu, its sound and structure reveal traces of a broader cultural exchange within the southern Japanese archipelago, embodying a hybrid identity between the mainland and the Ryukyus.[38]
^C. Michael Hogan. 2010.Extremophile. eds. E. Monosson and C. Cleveland. Encyclopedia of Earth. National Council for Science and the Environment, Washington DC
^ab"日本の世界遺産一覧".文化庁 (in Japanese). Retrieved2023-05-22.
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