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Fukuoka Prefecture

(Redirected fromFukuoka, Japan)
"Fukuoka, Japan" redirects here. For the city, seeFukuoka.

Fukuoka Prefecture(Japanese:Phúc cương huyện,Hepburn:Fukuoka-ken)is aprefectureofJapanlocated on the island ofKyūshū.[3]Fukuoka Prefecture has a population of 5,109,323 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,986km2(1,925sq mi).[4]Fukuoka Prefecture bordersSaga Prefectureto the southwest,Kumamoto Prefectureto the south, andŌita Prefectureto the southeast.

Fukuoka Prefecture
Phúc cương huyện
Prefecture
Japanese transcription(s)
•JapanesePhúc cương huyện
•RōmajiFukuoka-ken
Aerial view of the seaside Momochi [ja] with the Fukuoka Tower and Momochi Seaside Park in the center and with the Fukuoka PayPay Dome to the left side
Aerial view of the seasideMomochi[ja]with theFukuoka Towerand Momochi Seaside Park in the center and with theFukuoka PayPay Dometo the left side
Flag of Fukuoka Prefecture
Flag
Official logo of Fukuoka Prefecture
Symbol
Anthem:Kibō no Hikari
Location of Fukuoka Prefecture
Coordinates:33°36′N130°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
• Total
4,986.52 km2(1,925.31 sq mi)
• Rank29th
Population
(June 1, 2019)
• Total
5,109,323
• Rank9th
• Density1,000/km2(2,700/sq mi)
• Dialects
Chikuzen・Buzen・Chikuho
GDP
[2]
• TotalJP¥19,942 billion
US$183.0 billion (2019)
ISO 3166 codeJP-40
Websitepref.fukuoka.lg.jp/somu/
multilingual/english/top.html
Symbols of Japan
BirdJapanese bush warbler(Cettia diphone)
FlowerUmeblossom(Prunus mume)
TreeAzalea(Rhododendron tsutsusi)

Fukuokais the capital and largest city of Fukuoka Prefecture, and the largest city on Kyūshū, with other major cities includingKitakyushu,Kurume,andŌmuta.[5]Fukuoka Prefecture is located at the northernmost point of Kyūshū on theKanmon Straits,connecting theTsushima Straitand theSeto Inland Seaacross fromYamaguchi Prefectureon the island ofHonshu,and extends south towards theAriake Sea.

History

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See also:List of Historic Sites of Japan (Fukuoka);History of Fukuoka;andHistory of Dazaifu, Fukuoka

Fukuoka Prefecture includes theformer provincesofChikugo,Chikuzen,andBuzen.[6]

Shrines and temples

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Kōra taisha,Sumiyoshi-jinja,andHakozaki-gūare the chiefShinto shrines(ichinomiya) in the prefecture.[7]

There are several historically important Buddhist temples in the Prefecture. Monks would sail back from China after completing their studies and establish temples in the heart of Hakata (now Fukuoka) City. MonkEisaifoundedShōfuku-jiwhich is known today as the oldest zen temple in Japan, monkKukaiestablishedTocho-ji,andJoten-jiwas built byEnniwho is also known for bringing Udon noodles first to Japan. The oldest temple isKanzeon-jithat was founded by the Emperor inDazaifuduring the 7th century to honor his mother. Kanzeon-ji together withKaidan-in,that used to be part of the former, was one of the three distinct places in Japan where Buddhist monks could ordain.

During the Tokugawa shogunate when the country was ruled by 300 local feudal lords (daimyo), an important daimyo, Arima Toyōji was relocated to this region and thus he moved his family temple toKurumeCity. This zen temple is known today asBairin-jiand is a main temple for zen practice in Fukuoka Prefecture and Kyushu. It is located on the West bank of Chiguko River, next to the Shinkansen station of Kurume city.

Geography

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Map of Fukuoka PrefectureGovernment Ordinance Designated CityCityTownVillage

Fukuoka Prefecture faces the sea on three sides, borderingSaga,Ōita,andKumamotoprefectures and facingYamaguchi Prefectureacross theKanmon 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:[8]

As of 1 April 2012, 18% of the land area of the prefecture was designated asnatural parks:Setonaikai National Park,Genkai,Kitakyūshū,andYaba-Hita-Hikosanquasi-national parks, andChikugogawa,Chikuhō,Dazaifu,Sefuri Raizan,andYabegawaPrefectural Natural Parks.[9]

Fukuoka includes the two largest cities onKyūshū,FukuokaandKitakyushu,and much of Kyūshū's industry. It also includes a number of smallislandsnear the north coast of Kyūshū.

Cities

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See also:List of cities in Fukuoka Prefecture by population

Twenty-nine cities are in Fukuoka Prefecture:

  • Fukuoka City
  • Tobata, Kitakyushu
  • Kurume
  • Omuta

Towns and villages

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These are the towns and villages in eachdistrict:

Mergers

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Main article:List of mergers in Fukuoka Prefecture

Economy

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Fukuoka prefecture's main cities form one of Japan's main industrial centers, accounting for nearly 40% of the economy of Kyūshū.[10]GDP exceeds 154 billion US dollars, comparable to that of a medium-sized country.[11]Major industries include automobiles, semiconductors, and steel. Fukuoka prefecture is where tire manufacturerBridgestone[12]and consumer electronics chainBest Denkiwere founded.

Well-known company headquartered in Fukuoka are as follows:[13]

  • TOTO Ltd. (founded in 1917)
  • Yasukawa Electric Corporation(founded in 1915)
  • PIETRO Co., Ltd. (founded in 1980)
  • ZENRIN CO., Ltd. (founded in 1949)
  • SANIX INCORPORATED (founded in 1975)
  • HASEGAWA Co.Ltd. (founded in 1929)
  • Plenus Co., Ltd. (founded in 1976)
  • LEVEL-5 Inc. (founded in 1998)
  • Star Flyer Inc. (founded in 2002)
  • DAIICHI KOUTSU SANGYO Co., Ltd. (founded in 1960)
  • Shabondama Soap Co., Ltd. (founded in 1910)
  • MoonStar Company. (founded in 1873)
  • Shinoken Group. Co., Ltd. (founded in 1990)

Universities

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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 KitakyūshūandIizuka
Kyushu University Fukuoka andKasuga
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

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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.[14]

Culture

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Fukuoka City Museum
Fukuoka Asian Art Museum
Bulwarks against Mongol Invasion video
  • Fukuoka Art Museum – In Ohori Park; contains a wide selection of contemporary and other art from around the world
  • Fukuoka Asian Art Museum – contains art from Asia
  • Fukuoka City Museum – displays a broad range of items from the region's history, including a spectacular gold seal
  • Genko Historical Museum[ja]( nguyên khấu tư liệu lịch sử quán, Museum of the Mongol Invasion) inHigashi Koen[ja](East Park) displays Japanese andMongolianarms and armor from the 13th century as well as paintings on historical subjects; open on weekends
  • Hakata Machiya Folk Museum – Dedicated to displaying the traditional ways of life, speech, and culture of the Fukuoka region
  • Fukuoka Castle– a castle inChūō-ku, Fukuoka
  • Hakata Gion Yamakasa– Japanese festival celebrated 1–15 July
  • Ōhori Park– a registeredPlace of Scenic Beauty
  • Kyushu National Museum– The collections cover the history of Kyūshū from prehistory to the Meiji era with particular emphasis on the rich history of cultural exchange between Kyūshū and neighboring China and Korea
  • HKT48 Theater – where the idol groupHKT48performs every day
  • LinQ– the Kyushu idol group meaning "Love in Kyushu", local theater where the LinQ performs weekly on Saturday and Sunday in Tenjin Best Hall
  • Bairin-ji–Rinzaitemple and garden inKurume
  • Zendō-ji–Jōdo-shūtemple inKurume

Major events and festivals

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  • Hakata Dontaku Harbour Festival, Tenjin, Fukuoka on May 3 and 4
  • Hakata Gion Yamakasa,Kushida Shrine, Fukuoka in July
  • Kokura Gion Yamagasa, Kitakyushu in July
  • Tobata Gion Yamagasa, Kitakyushu in July
  • Kurosaki Gion Yamagasa, Kitakyushu in July
  • Kitahara Hakushu Festival, Yanagawa on November 1 to 3[citation needed]

Sports

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Level5 Stadium, home of Avispa Fukuoka
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

The prefecture hosts theFukuoka International Cross Countrycompetition. The prefecture also hosted theFukuoka Marathon,which was an elite marathon in which marathon world records were established twice during its 75 year existence.[15]Its final race took place in 2021.[16]

Crime and safety

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Fukuoka Prefecture has the mostdesignated yakuzagroups among all of the prefectures, at five: theKudo-kai,theTaishu-kai,theFukuhaku-kai,theDojin-kaiand theNamikawa-kai.[17]Between 2004 and 2009, and in early 2011,[18]Fukuoka Prefecture led the nation in gun-related incidents.[19]These incidents were mostly related to the local yakuza syndicates, specifically theKudo-kai,theDojin-kai,and theKyushu Seido-kai.[18]

Fukuoka Prefecture had the highest frequency ofyouth crimeamong the prefectures of Japan from 2003 to 2007.[20]

According to statistics from the national police, the crime rate in Fukuoka was the eighth-highest in 2017, lower than inOsaka,Tokyo,Hyogo,Aichi,Saitama,ChibaandIbaraki.[21]

Tourism

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See also:Kyushu National Museum,List of Historic Sites of Japan (Fukuoka),andList of Places of Scenic Beauty of Japan (Fukuoka)
Fukuoka Towerfrom Seaside Momochi
Riverwalk Kitakyushu
A sightseeing boat in Yanagawa Canal
Dazaifu Tenmangū

The most popular place for tourism isFukuoka City,especially during the Dontaku festival, which attracts millions of visitors from across Japan duringGolden Week.[22]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.[23]

Kitakyushu features one of the famousnight views of Japanfrom atopMt. Sarakura,accessible viacablecar.TheMojikoarea 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 inKokurakita wardcontains theRiverwalkand Itsutsuya shopping complexes,Kokura castle,and the Uomachi Gintengai shopping arcade, the oldest shopping arcade in Japan.[24]

In the "19 best places to visit in 2019" published by the U.S. CNN, Fukuoka Prefecture was chosen as the only destination in Japan.[25]

Transportation

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Railway services

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Airports

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International relations

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Citations

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  1. ^"Hattori Elected Fukuoka Governor for 1st Time".Jiji Press. NHK. April 12, 2021. Archived fromthe originalon May 11, 2022.RetrievedMay 11,2022.
  2. ^"2020 niên độ quốc dân kinh tế tính toán ( 2015 năm tiêu chuẩn cơ bản ・2008SNA ): Kinh tế xã hội tổng hợp viện nghiên cứu - Nội Các phủ".Nội Các phủ ホームページ(in Japanese).Archivedfrom the original on September 24, 2023.RetrievedMay 18,2023.
  3. ^Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric (2005). "Fukuoka-ken" inJapan Encyclopedia,p. 218, atGoogle Books.
  4. ^"Đều đạo phủ huyện dân cư ランキング".Archivedfrom the original on November 29, 2018.RetrievedNovember 27,2018.
  5. ^Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric (2005). "Fukuoka" inJapan Encyclopedia,p. 218, atGoogle Books.
  6. ^Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" inp. 780,p. 780, atGoogle Books.
  7. ^"Nationwide List ofIchinomiya,"p. 3ArchivedMay 17, 2013, at theWayback Machine;retrieved 2012-10-26.
  8. ^"Statistics Bureau of Japan".Archivedfrom the original on November 8, 2020.RetrievedJuly 21,2019.
  9. ^"General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture"(PDF).Ministry of the Environment.April 1, 2012.Archived(PDF)from the original on April 21, 2012.RetrievedDecember 8,2013.
  10. ^"Cửu Châu の ポテンシャル".Phúc cương ngân hàng.Archivedfrom the original on May 16, 2023.RetrievedMay 16,2023.
  11. ^"Fukuoka".JETRO.Archivedfrom the original on March 22, 2023.RetrievedMay 16,2023.
  12. ^"Bridgestone Holds the Opening Ceremony for its Kitakyushu Plant".Bridgestone. August 4, 2009. Archived fromthe originalon October 27, 2013.RetrievedSeptember 17,2009.
  13. ^"Ngoài ý muốn と biết らない phúc cương に bổn xã を trí く nổi danh xí nghiệp 13 xã".February 7, 2019.Archivedfrom the original on May 23, 2023.RetrievedMay 23,2023.
  14. ^Growing Cities, In Japan (November 13, 2019)."List of cities that are exceeding the birth rate".villagehouse.jp.Archivedfrom the original on May 26, 2022.RetrievedMay 11,2022.
  15. ^Nakamura, Ken.Marathon - A history of the Fukuoka International Marathon Championships by K. Ken Nakamura - Part 1 1947-1966ArchivedDecember 8, 2010, at theWayback Machine.IAAF.Retrieved on 2010-02-28.
  16. ^Johnson, Len (December 6, 2021)."Farewell to Fukuoka".Archivedfrom the original on December 8, 2021.RetrievedDecember 8,2021.
  17. ^""Phúc cương huyện nội の chỉ định bạo lực đoàn"".Archivedfrom the original on November 2, 2022.RetrievedMay 15,2023.
  18. ^ab"Gunfire, The worst in the nation, None has been solved"Archived2012-09-05 atarchive.today,23 June 2011,Nishinippon Shimbun(in Japanese)
  19. ^"Fukuoka yakuza groups tackle police pressure in all-out war",4 May 2010,The Tokyo Reporter,fromFridayMay 14, p.22-23(in Japanese)
  20. ^Phi hành phòng げ, lục soát tra viên phấn đấu… Thiếu niên phạm tội cả nước ワースト１ の phúc cươngArchived2009-02-12 at theWayback Machine,Yomiuri Shimbun(in Japanese)
  21. ^"“Phạm tội の huyện dân tính” Osaka が cả nước ワースト, giết người 1 vị, すり2 vị ".Diamond Online.June 2, 2018.Archivedfrom the original on November 29, 2018.RetrievedNovember 27,2018.
  22. ^"Hakata Dontaku Festival".Japan National Tourism Organization.Archivedfrom the original on November 29, 2018.RetrievedNovember 27,2018.
  23. ^"Thủy の quốc liễu xuyên".Trúc sau bảy quốc よかとこ tuần り lữ.Archivedfrom the original on November 29, 2018.RetrievedNovember 27,2018.
  24. ^"Uomachi-gintengai Street".Kitakyushu City Travel Guide.Archivedfrom the original on November 29, 2018.RetrievedNovember 27,2018.
  25. ^"CNN Travel's 19 best places to visit in 2019".CNN travel.January 2, 2019.Archivedfrom the original on May 16, 2023.RetrievedMay 16,2023.
  26. ^Hawaii and, Fukuoka friendship agreement."HAWAII-FUKUOKA SISTER STATE RELATIONSHIP".http://hawaiifukuokakenjinkai/.Fukuoka Keniinkai.Archivedfrom the original on May 17, 2022.RetrievedMay 11,2022.

General and cited references

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Wikimedia Commons has media related toFukuoka prefecture.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide forFukuoka Prefecture.
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