Fukuoka Prefecture




Prefecture in Kyushu, Japan
























































































Fukuoka Prefecture


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福岡県

Prefecture
Japanese transcription(s)
 • Japanese
福岡県
 • Rōmaji
Fukuoka-ken




Flag of Fukuoka Prefecture
Flag

Official logo of Fukuoka Prefecture
Symbol
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
Country Japan
Region Kyushu
Island Kyushu
Capital Fukuoka City
Government

 • Governor

Hiroshi Ogawa (since April 2011)
Area

 • Total 4,986.52 km2 (1,925.31 sq mi)
Area rank 29th
Population
(October, 2018)

 • Total 5,111,494
 • Rank 9th
 • Density 1,025/km2 (2,650/sq mi)
ISO 3166 code JP-40
Districts 12
Municipalities 60
Flower
Ume blossom (Prunus mume)
Tree
Azalea (Rhododendron tsutsusi)
Bird
Japanese bush warbler (Cettia diphone)
Website www.pref.fukuoka.lg.jp/somu/
multilingual/english/top.html

Fukuoka Prefecture (Japanese: 福岡県, Hepburn: Fukuoka-ken) is a prefecture of Japan on Kyūshū Island.[1] The capital is the city of Fukuoka.[2] As of 2018, it is the ninth most populated prefecture in Japan.[3]




Contents






  • 1 History


    • 1.1 Shrines and temples




  • 2 Geography


    • 2.1 Cities


    • 2.2 Towns and villages


    • 2.3 Mergers




  • 3 Economy


  • 4 Universities


  • 5 Demographics


  • 6 Culture


  • 7 Major events and festivals


  • 8 Sports


  • 9 Crime and safety


  • 10 Tourism


  • 11 Transportation


    • 11.1 Rail


    • 11.2 Air




  • 12 Sister regions


  • 13 Notes


  • 14 References


  • 15 External links





History



Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen.[4]



Shrines and temples


Kōra taisha, Sumiyoshi-jinja, and Hakozaki-gū are the chief Shinto shrines (ichinomiya) in the prefecture.[5]



Geography




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.


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.[6]


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


Twenty-eight cities are in Fukuoka Prefecture:














Towns and villages


These are the towns and villages in each district:









Mergers




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[7] 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, Fukuoka

[8]



Demographics


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.



Culture




Fukuoka City Museum




Fukuoka Asian Art Museum




File:Bulwark aginst Mongola Invasion vid.webmPlay media

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 (元寇史料館; Museum of the Mongol Invasion) in Higashi Koen (East Park) displays Japanese and Mongolian arms 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 in Chūō-ku, Fukuoka


  • Hakata Gion Yamakasa – Japanese festival celebrated 1–15 July


  • Ōhori Park – a registered Place 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 group HKT48 performs 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 – Rinzai temple and garden in Kurume



Major events and festivals



  • Hakata Dontaku Harbour Festival, Tenjin, Fukuoka on May 3 and 4

  • Hakata Gion Yamagasa, 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




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)



  • Avispa Fukuoka (Fukuoka City)


  • Giravanz Kitakyushu (Kitakyūshū City)

  • Fukuoka J. Anclas


Baseball


  • Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (Fukuoka City)

Basketball


  • Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka (Fukuoka City)

Rugby



  • Coca-Cola Red Sparks (Fukuoka City)


  • Fukuoka Sanix Blues (Munakata)

  • Kyuden Voltex

  • Sanix World Rugby Youth Tournament




Mikuni World Stadium, home of Giravanz Kitakyushu




The prefecture has two significant annual athletics events: the Fukuoka International Cross Country and the Fukuoka International Open Marathon Championship. The marathon has been held in Fukuoka since 1959 and has seen world records broken.[9]



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.[10] Between 2004 and 2009, and in early 2011,[11] Fukuoka Prefecture lead the nation in gun-related incidents.[12] These incidents were mostly related to the local yakuza syndicates, specifically the Kudo-kai, the Dojin-kai, and the Kyushu Seido-kai.[11]


Fukuoka Prefecture had the highest frequency of youth crime among the prefectures of Japan from 2003 to 2007.[13]


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.[14]



Tourism






Fukuoka Tower from Seaside Momochi




Riverwalk Kitakyushu




A sightseeing boat in Yanagawa Canal





Dazaifu Tenman-gū


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.[15] 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.[16]


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.[17]



Transportation



Rail




  • West Japan Railway Company(=JR Nishinihon)

    • Sanyō Shinkansen

    • Hakata Minami Line




  • JR Kyushu


    • Kyūshū Shinkansen, Kagoshima Main Line, Chikuhō Main Line, Nippō Main Line, Kyudai Main Line


    • Chikuhi Line, Gotōji Line, Kashii Line, Hitahikosan Line, Sasaguri Line




  • Nishi-Nippon Railroad

    • Tenjin Ōmuta Line, Dazaifu Line, Nishitetsu Amagi Line, Kaizuka Line



  • Amagi Railway
    • Amagi Railway Amagi Line



  • Heisei Chikuhō Railway

    • Ita Line, Itota Line, Tagawa Line



  • Fukuoka City Subway

    • Kūkō Line, Hakozaki Line, Nanakuma Line


  • Kitakyushu Monorail



Air



  • Fukuoka Airport

  • New Kitakyushu airport



Sister regions




  • United States Hawaii, United States


  • China Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China


  • India Delhi, India


  • Thailand Bangkok, Thailand


  • Vietnam Hanoi, Vietnam



Notes





  1. ^ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fukuoka-ken" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 218, p. 218, at Google Books.


  2. ^ Nussbaum, "Fukuoka" in p. 218, p. 218, at Google Books.


  3. ^ "都道府県 人口ランキング". Retrieved November 27, 2018..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}


  4. ^ Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" in p. 780, p. 780, at Google Books.


  5. ^ "Nationwide List of Ichinomiya," p. 3 Archived May 17, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.; retrieved 2012-10-26.


  6. ^ "General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture" (PDF). Ministry of the Environment. 1 April 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2013.


  7. ^ [1]


  8. ^ http://www.fukuoka-edu.ac.jp/


  9. ^ 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.


  10. ^ "Retrospection and Outlook of Crime Measure", p.15 Archived 2011-09-27 at the Wayback Machine., Masahiro Tamura, 2009, National Police Agency (in Japanese)


  11. ^ ab "Gunfire, The worst in the nation, None has been solved" Archived 2012-09-05 at Archive.is, 23 June 2011, Nishinippon Shimbun (in Japanese)


  12. ^ "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)


  13. ^ 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)


  14. ^ "「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.


  15. ^ "Hakata Dontaku Festival". Japan National Tourism Organization. Retrieved November 27, 2018.


  16. ^ "水の国 柳川". 筑後七国よかとこ巡り旅. Retrieved November 27, 2018.


  17. ^ "Uomachi-gintengai Street". Kitakyushu City Travel Guide. Retrieved November 27, 2018.




References


  • Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. 2005. Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
    ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5; OCLC 58053128


External links











  • Official website

  • Official Fukuoka Tourism Association website

  • Fukuoka information homepage


  • Fukuoka map (1891)[permanent dead link] – National Archives of Japan











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