Geography Of Fukuoka
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is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after
Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of To ...
, and the
capital city A capital city or capital is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state, province, Department (country subdivision), department, or other subnational entity, usually as its seat of the government. A capital is typically a city ...
of
Fukuoka Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Fukuoka Prefecture has a population of 5,109,323 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,986 Square kilometre, km2 (1,925 sq mi). Fukuoka Prefecture borders S ...
, Japan. The city is built along the shores of
Hakata Bay is a bay in the northwestern part of Fukuoka city, on the Japanese island of Kyūshū. It faces the Tsushima Strait, and features beaches and a port, though parts of the bay have been reclaimed in the expansion of the city of Fukuoka. The bay ...
, and has been a center of international commerce since ancient times. The area has long been considered the gateway to the country, as it is the nearest point among Japan's main islands to the Asian mainland. Although humans occupied the area since the Jomon period, some of the earliest settlers of the
Yayoi period The started at the beginning of the Neolithic in Japan, continued through the Bronze Age, and towards its end crossed into the Iron Age. Since the 1980s, scholars have argued that a period previously classified as a transition from the Jōmon p ...
arrived in the Fukuoka area. The city rose to prominence during the
Yamato period The is the period of Japanese history when the Imperial court ruled from modern-day Nara Prefecture, then known as Yamato Province. While conventionally assigned to the period 250–710, including both the Kofun period (–538) and the Asuka ...
. Because of the cross-cultural exposure, and the relatively great distance from the social and political centers of
Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...
,
Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
, and later, Edo (Tokyo), Fukuoka gained a distinctive local culture and dialect that has persisted to the present. Fukuoka is the most populous city on
Kyūshū is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surround ...
island, followed by
Kitakyushu is a Cities of Japan, 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 Fuku ...
. It is the largest city and metropolitan area west of
Keihanshin is a metropolitan region in the Kansai region of Japan encompassing the metropolitan areas of the cities of Kyoto in Kyoto Prefecture, Osaka in Osaka Prefecture and Kobe in Hyōgo Prefecture. The entire region has a population () of 19,302,746 o ...
. The city was designated by government ordinance on April 1, 1972. Greater Fukuoka, with a population of 2.5 million people (2005 census), is part of the heavily industrialized
Fukuoka–Kitakyushu is the most common name given to the region comprising the metropolitan areas of the cities of Fukuoka and Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan and in between. Alternate names are many, including Kitakyushu-Fukuoka Greater Metropolitan Regio ...
zone. , Fukuoka is Japan's sixth largest city, having passed the population of
Kobe Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in Kansai region, whic ...
. In July 2011, Fukuoka surpassed the population of
Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...
. Since the founding of Kyoto in 794, this marks the first time that a city west of the
Kansai region The or the , lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo and Shiga, often also Mie, sometimes Fukui, Tokushima and Tottori. The metropolita ...
has a larger population than Kyoto.


History


Early history

Exchanges from the continent and the Northern Kyushu area date as far back as
Old Stone Age The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic (), also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός ''palaios'', "old" and λίθος ''lithos'', "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone tool ...
. It has been thought that waves of immigrants arrived in Northern Kyushu from mainland Asia. Several
Kofun are megalithic tombs or tumuli in Northeast Asia. ''Kofun'' were mainly constructed in the Japanese archipelago between the middle of the 3rd century to the early 7th century CE.岡田裕之「前方後円墳」『日本古代史大辞典』 ...
exist. Fukuoka was sometimes called the Port of , a reference to the town of Dazaifu southeast of Fukuoka. Dazaifu was an administrative capital in 663 A.D., and it has been suggested that a prehistoric capital was in the area. Ancient texts, such as the
Kojiki The , also sometimes read as or , is an early Japanese chronicle of myths, legends, hymns, genealogies, oral traditions, and semi-historical accounts down to 641 concerning the origin of the Japanese archipelago, the , and the Japanese imperia ...
, Kanyen (found in Dazaifu) and archaeology confirm this was a critical place in the founding of Japan. Some scholarsThe Truth of Descent from Heaven
Yukio Yokota. Retrieved March 19, 2008.
claim that it was the first place outsiders and the Imperial Family set foot, but like many early Japan origin theories, it remains contested. Central Fukuoka is sometimes still referred as Hakata which is the name of the central ward. The
Book of Song The ''Book of Song'' (''Sòng Shū'') is a historical text of the Liu Song Dynasty of the Southern Dynasties of China. It covers history from 420 to 479, and is one of the Twenty-Four Histories, a traditional collection of historical records. I ...
records that King Bu, thought to be the
Emperor Yūryaku (418 - 8 September 479) was the 21st legendary Emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 雄略天皇 (21) retrieved 2013-8-28. according to the traditional order of succession. He is remembered as a patron of sericulture.Nippon ...
, sent a letter in 478 seeking the Chinese emperor's approval for the establishment of three ministries for administration of the kingdom similar to those in use in China; the remains of a ward office and temple in , south from Dazaifu, may be one of these ministries. In addition, remains of the
Kōrokan The were guest houses for foreign ambassadors, traveling monks, and merchants that existed in Japan during the Heian period and earlier. These guest houses existed in Kyoto, Osaka, and Fukuoka. Only the location of the ''kōrokan'' in Fukuoka i ...
(, Government Guest House) were found in Fukuoka underneath a part of the ruins of
Fukuoka Castle is a Japanese castle located in Chūō-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. It is also known as Maizuru Castle (舞鶴城 Maizuru-jō) or Seki Castle (石城 Seki-jō). Completed in the early Edo period for ''tozama daimyō'' Kuroda Nagamasa, it has been decreed ...
. In 923, the
Hakozaki Shrine is a Shintō shrine in Fukuoka .Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1962). ''Studies in Shinto and Shrines,'' p. 339. History Hakozaki Shrine was founded in 923, with the transfer of the spirit of the ''kami Hachiman'' from Daibu Hachiman Shrine in ...
in Fukuoka was established when the god
Hachiman In Japanese religion, ''Yahata'' (八幡神, ancient Shinto pronunciation) formerly in Shinto and later commonly known as Hachiman (八幡神, Japanese Buddhist pronunciation) is the syncretic divinity of archery and war, incorporating elements f ...
was transferred from the Daibu shrine in Honami. File:Hakozaki-miya090806a.jpg,
Hakozaki Shrine is a Shintō shrine in Fukuoka .Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1962). ''Studies in Shinto and Shrines,'' p. 339. History Hakozaki Shrine was founded in 923, with the transfer of the spirit of the ''kami Hachiman'' from Daibu Hachiman Shrine in ...
File:Site of middle gate of Former Dazaifu Headquarters 2.jpg, Dazaifu File:Fukuoka Kourokan 2010B.jpg, Korokan


Mongol invasions (1274–1281)

Kublai Khan Kublai ; Mongolian script: ; (23 September 1215 – 18 February 1294), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Shizu of Yuan and his regnal name Setsen Khan, was the founder of the Yuan dynasty of China and the fifth khagan-emperor of th ...
of the
Mongol Empire The Mongol Empire of the 13th and 14th centuries was the largest contiguous land empire in history. Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the Mongol Empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to parts of Eastern Europe, ...
turned his attention towards Japan starting in 1268, exerting a new external pressure on Japan with which it had no experience. Kublai Khan first sent an envoy to Japan to make the Shogunate acknowledge Khan's
suzerainty Suzerainty () is the rights and obligations of a person, state or other polity who controls the foreign policy and relations of a tributary state, while allowing the tributary state to have internal autonomy. While the subordinate party is cal ...
. The
Kamakura shogunate The was the feudal military government of Japan during the Kamakura period from 1185 to 1333. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Kamakura-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 459. The Kamakura shogunate was established by Minamoto no Y ...
refused.
Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...
repeatedly sent envoys thereafter, each time urging the Shogunate to accept their proposal, but to no avail. In 1274, Kublai Khan mounted an invasion of the northern part of Kyushu with a fleet of 900 ships and 33,000 troops, including troops from
Goryeo Goryeo (; ) was a Korean kingdom founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula until 1392. Goryeo achieved what has been called a "true national unificati ...
on the
Korean Peninsula Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
. This initial invasion was compromised by a combination of incompetence and severe storms. After the invasion attempt of 1274, Japanese
samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...
built a stone barrier in length bordering the coast of
Hakata Bay is a bay in the northwestern part of Fukuoka city, on the Japanese island of Kyūshū. It faces the Tsushima Strait, and features beaches and a port, though parts of the bay have been reclaimed in the expansion of the city of Fukuoka. The bay ...
in what is now the city of Fukuoka. The wall, 2–3 metres in height and having a base width of 3 metres, was constructed between 1276 and 1277, and was excavated in the 1930s. Kublai sent another envoy to Japan in 1279. At that time,
Hōjō Tokimune of the Hōjō clan was the eighth ''shikken'' (officially regent of the shōgun, but ''de facto'' ruler of Japan) of the Kamakura shogunate (reigned 1268–84), known for leading the Japanese forces against the invasion of the Mongols and fo ...
of the
Hōjō clan The was a Japanese samurai family who controlled the hereditary title of ''shikken'' (regent) of the Kamakura shogunate between 1203 and 1333. Despite the title, in practice the family wielded actual political power in Japan during this period ...
(1251–1284) was the Eighth Regent. Not only did he decline the offer, but he beheaded the five Mongolian emissaries after summoning them to
Kamakura is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Kamakura has an estimated population of 172,929 (1 September 2020) and a population density of 4,359 persons per km² over the total area of . Kamakura was designated as a city on 3 November 1939. Kamak ...
. Infuriated, Kublai organized another attack on Fukuoka Prefecture in 1281, mobilizing 140,000 soldiers and 4,000 ships. The Japanese defenders, numbering around 40,000, were no match for the Mongols and the invasion force made it as far as Dazaifu, south of the city of Fukuoka. However, the Japanese were again aided by severe weather, this time by a
typhoon A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for a ...
that struck a crushing blow to the Mongolian troops, thwarting the invasion. It was this typhoon that came to be called the ''
Kamikaze , officially , were a part of the Japanese Special Attack Units of military aviators who flew suicide attacks for the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, intending to d ...
'' (''Divine Wind''), and was the origin of the term
Kamikaze , officially , were a part of the Japanese Special Attack Units of military aviators who flew suicide attacks for the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, intending to d ...
used to indicate
suicide attacks A suicide attack is any violent Strike (attack), attack, usually entailing the attacker detonating an explosive, where the attacker has suicide, accepted their own death as a direct result of the attacking method used. Suicide attacks have oc ...
by military aviators of the
Empire of Japan The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent fo ...
against
Allied An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
naval vessels during World War II. File:Takezaki Suenaga.jpg,
Takezaki Suenaga was a retainer of the Higo Province, Japan who fought in both the Battle of Bun'ei and the Battle of Kōan during the Mongol invasions of Japan. Suenaga commissioned the ''Mōko Shūrai Ekotoba'', an illustrated handscroll, in order to provide ...
File:元寇防塁 (Genkou bourui) - panoramio.jpg, Genkō Bōrui


Formation of the modern city (1889)

Fukuoka was formerly the residence of the powerful ''
daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and n ...
'' of
Chikuzen Province was an old province of Japan in the area that is today part of Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyūshū. It was sometimes called or , with Chikugo Province. Chikuzen bordered Buzen, Bungo, Chikugo, and Hizen Provinces. History The original provincial ...
, and played an important part in the medieval history of Japan. The renowned temple of
Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and fellow ...
in the district was destroyed by fire during the
Boshin War The , sometimes known as the Japanese Revolution or Japanese Civil War, was a civil war in Japan fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and a clique seeking to seize political power in the name of the Imperi ...
of 1868. The modern city was formed on April 1, 1889, with the merger of the former cities of Hakata and Fukuoka. Historically, Hakata was the port and merchant district, and was more associated with the area's culture and remains the main commercial area today. On the other hand, the Fukuoka area was home to many samurai, and its name has been used since
Kuroda Nagamasa was a ''daimyō'' during the late Azuchi–Momoyama and early Edo periods. He was the son of Kuroda Kanbei, Toyotomi Hideyoshi's chief strategist and adviser. Biography His childhood name was Shojumaru (松寿丸). In 1577, when Nagamasa was a ...
, the first ''daimyō'' of Chikuzen Province, named it after his birthplace in
Okayama Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Okayama Prefecture has a population of 1,906,464 (1 February 2018) and has a geographic area of 7,114 Square kilometre, km2 (2,746 sq mi). Okayama Prefectur ...
and the "old Fukuoka" is the main shopping area, now called Tenjin. When Hakata and Fukuoka decided to merge, a meeting was held to decide the name for the new city. Hakata was initially chosen, but a group of samurai crashed the meeting and forced those present to choose Fukuoka as the name for the merged city. However, Hakata is still used to refer to the Hakata area of the city and, most famously, to refer to the city's train station,
Hakata Station is a major railway station in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. It is the largest and busiest railway terminal in Kyushu, and is a gateway to other cities in Kyushu for travelers coming from Honshu by rail travel. The San'yō Shinkansen from Osaka end ...
, and
dialect The term dialect (from Latin , , from the Ancient Greek word , 'discourse', from , 'through' and , 'I speak') can refer to either of two distinctly different types of Linguistics, linguistic phenomena: One usage refers to a variety (linguisti ...
, '' Hakata-ben''. File:Kuroda Nagamasa.jpg,
Kuroda Nagamasa was a ''daimyō'' during the late Azuchi–Momoyama and early Edo periods. He was the son of Kuroda Kanbei, Toyotomi Hideyoshi's chief strategist and adviser. Biography His childhood name was Shojumaru (松寿丸). In 1577, when Nagamasa was a ...
File:Fukuoka and Hakata.png, Fukuoka and Hakata, c.1640 File:59 Chikuzen.jpg,
Chikuzen Province was an old province of Japan in the area that is today part of Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyūshū. It was sometimes called or , with Chikugo Province. Chikuzen bordered Buzen, Bungo, Chikugo, and Hizen Provinces. History The original provincial ...
Famous Views of the Sixty-odd Provinces ''Famous Views of the Sixty-odd Provinces'' (in Japanese 六十余州名所図会 ''Rokujūyoshū Meisho Zue'') is a series of ukiyo-e prints by the Japanese artist Hiroshige (1797–1858). The series consists of a print of a famous view from each ...
) File:Fukuoka Castle Simonohasi Otemon gate.JPG,
Fukuoka Castle is a Japanese castle located in Chūō-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. It is also known as Maizuru Castle (舞鶴城 Maizuru-jō) or Seki Castle (石城 Seki-jō). Completed in the early Edo period for ''tozama daimyō'' Kuroda Nagamasa, it has been decreed ...


20th century

* 1903: Fukuoka Medical College, a campus associated with
Kyoto Imperial University , mottoeng = Freedom of academic culture , established = , type = Public (National) , endowment = ¥ 316 billion (2.4 billion USD The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to disting ...
, is founded. In 1911, the college is renamed
Kyushu Imperial University , abbreviated to , is a Japanese national university located in Fukuoka, on the island of Kyushu. It was the 4th Imperial University in Japan, ranked as 4th in 2020 Times Higher Education Japan University Rankings, one of the top 10 Desig ...
and established as a separate entity. * 1910: Fukuoka streetcar service begins. (The service ran until 1979.) * 1929: Flights commence along the Fukuoka-
Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
-Tokyo route. * 1945: Fukuoka was firebombed on June 19, with the attack destroying 21.5 percent of the city's urban area. * 1947: First
Fukuoka Marathon The is an IAAF Gold Label international men's marathon race held in Fukuoka, Japan. It was previously known as the Fukuoka International Open Marathon Championship between 1947 and 2021, when it was announced the race would be discontinued on its ...
. * 1951: Fukuoka airport opens. * 1953: Fukuoka Zoo opens. * 1975: The city absorbed the town of Sawara. * 1975:
Sanyō Shinkansen , stylized as SANYO, is a Japanese electronics company and formerly a member of the ''Fortune'' Global 500 whose headquarters was located in Moriguchi, Osaka prefecture, Japan. Sanyo had over 230 subsidiaries and affiliates, and was founded b ...
high-speed railway reaches
Hakata station is a major railway station in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. It is the largest and busiest railway terminal in Kyushu, and is a gateway to other cities in Kyushu for travelers coming from Honshu by rail travel. The San'yō Shinkansen from Osaka end ...
. * 1981: Subway commences service. * 1988: Osaka's pro baseball team, the Nankai Hawks, was moved to Fukuoka and renamed the Fukuoka
Daiei , based in Kobe, is one of the largest supermarket chains in Japan. In 1957, Isao Nakauchi founded the chain in Osaka near Sembayashi Station on the Keihan train line. Daiei is now under a restructuring process supported by Marubeni Corporation ...
Hawks (renamed the
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks The are a Japanese professional baseball team based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture. They compete in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) as a member of the Pacific League. The team was formerly known as the Nankai Hawks and was based in Osaka. ...
in 2004). * 1989: Asian-Pacific Exposition is held. * 1997: The 30th annual meeting of the
Asian Development Bank The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank established on 19 December 1966, which is headquartered in the Ortigas Center located in the city of Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines. The bank also maintains 31 field office ...
was held in Fukuoka. File:School of Engineering.jpg,
Kyushu University , abbreviated to , is a Japanese national university located in Fukuoka, on the island of Kyushu. It was the 4th Imperial University in Japan, ranked as 4th in 2020 Times Higher Education Japan University Rankings, one of the top 10 Design ...
( Former Imperial University) File:Fukuoka war damage monument.jpg, Fukuoka war damage monument


21st century

* 2005: Fukuoka subway Nanakuma Line started operations. * 2014: Selected as the National Strategic Zone for "global startups & job creation" by
Japanese government The Government of Japan consists of legislative, executive and judiciary branches and is based on popular sovereignty. The Government runs under the framework established by the Constitution of Japan, adopted in 1947. It is a unitary state, c ...
.


Geography

Fukuoka is bordered on three sides by mountains, surrounds
Hakata Bay is a bay in the northwestern part of Fukuoka city, on the Japanese island of Kyūshū. It faces the Tsushima Strait, and features beaches and a port, though parts of the bay have been reclaimed in the expansion of the city of Fukuoka. The bay ...
and opens on the north to the
Genkai Sea The is a body of water that comprises the southwestern tip of the Sea of Japan and borders the northern coasts of Fukuoka and Saga is a series of science fantasy role-playing video games by Square Enix. The series originated on the Game B ...
. It is located from Tokyo. The nearest overseas region is
Busan Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea, w ...
Metropolitan City in Gyeongsang-do,
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
, and the distance from
Busan Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea, w ...
is about 180 km (112 miles). Fukuoka and Busan are sister cities.


Climate

Fukuoka has a
humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
: ''Cfa''), hot and humid summers, and relatively mild winters. The city also sees on average about of precipitation per year, with a stretch of more intense precipitation between the months of June and September. Along with much of the prefecture, Fukuoka City has a moderate climate with an annual average temperature of , average humidity of 70% and 1,811 annual sunshine hours. Roughly 40% of the year is cloudy. Winter temperatures rarely drop below and it rarely snows, though light rain does fall on most days if not as consistently as on the
Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it h ...
side of
Honshu , historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island separ ...
. Spring is warm and sunnier, with
cherry blossom A cherry blossom, also known as Japanese cherry or sakura, is a flower of many trees of genus ''Prunus'' or ''Prunus'' subg. ''Cerasus''. They are common species in East Asia, including China, Korea and especially in Japan. They generally ...
s appearing in late March or early April. The
rainy season The rainy season is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. Rainy Season may also refer to: * ''Rainy Season'' (short story), a 1989 short horror story by Stephen King * "Rainy Season", a 2018 song by Monni * ''T ...
(''tsuyu'') lasts for approximately six weeks through June and July, during which time the humidity is very high and temperatures hover between and . Summers are humid and hot, with temperatures peaking around . Autumn, often considered to be Fukuoka's best season, is mild and dry, though the
typhoon A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for a ...
season runs between August and September.


Disaster


Earthquakes

Fukuoka is not as seismically active as many other parts of Japan, but does experience occasional earthquakes. The most powerful recent earthquake registered a lower 6 of maximum 7 of the Japanese intensity scale and hit at 10:53 am local time on March 20, 2005, killing one person and injuring more than 400. The epicentre of the earthquake was in the Genkai Sea along a yet-undiscovered extension of the Kego fault that runs through the centre of Fukuoka. Genkai island, a part of Nishi-ku, was the most severely damaged by the earthquake and almost all island residents were forced to evacuate.
Aftershock In seismology, an aftershock is a smaller earthquake that follows a larger earthquake, in the same area of the main shock, caused as the displaced crust adjusts to the effects of the main shock. Large earthquakes can have hundreds to thousand ...
s continued intermittently throughout the following weeks as construction crews worked to rebuild damaged buildings throughout the city. Traditional Japanese houses, particularly in the areas of Daimyo and Imaizumi, were the most heavily damaged and many were marked for demolition, along with several apartment buildings. Insurance payments for damages were estimated at approximately 15.8 billion yen. A similar quake, with an intensity of 5+, also occurred one month later on April 20, 2005. Fukuoka's major Kego fault runs northwest to southeast, roughly parallel to Nishitetsu's Ōmuta train line, and was previously thought to be long. It is estimated to produce earthquakes as strong as
magnitude Magnitude may refer to: Mathematics *Euclidean vector, a quantity defined by both its magnitude and its direction *Magnitude (mathematics), the relative size of an object *Norm (mathematics), a term for the size or length of a vector *Order of ...
7 at the focus approximately once every 15,000 years. If the focus were located at a depth of , this would translate to an earthquake of a lower-6 magnitude (similar to the March 20, 2005 earthquake) in downtown Fukuoka if it were the epicenter. The
probability Probability is the branch of mathematics concerning numerical descriptions of how likely an Event (probability theory), event is to occur, or how likely it is that a proposition is true. The probability of an event is a number between 0 and ...
of an earthquake along the known length of the Kego fault occurring within 30 years was estimated at 0.4% prior to the March 20, 2005 earthquake, but this probability has been revised upwards since. Including the new extension out into the
Genkai Sea The is a body of water that comprises the southwestern tip of the Sea of Japan and borders the northern coasts of Fukuoka and Saga is a series of science fantasy role-playing video games by Square Enix. The series originated on the Game B ...
, the Kego fault is now thought to be long. Following reports that the city has only prepared for earthquakes up to a magnitude of 6.5, several strong aftershocks renewed fears that the quakes might cause the portion of the Kego fault that lies under the city to become active again, leading to an earthquake as big as, or bigger than, the March 20 quake.


Wards

Fukuoka has 7
wards Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a priso ...
(''ku'').


Cityscape

File:Fukuoka night view.jpg,
Skyline A skyline is the outline or shape viewed near the horizon. It can be created by a city’s overall structure, or by human intervention in a rural setting, or in nature that is formed where the sky meets buildings or the land. City skylines ...
of Fukuoka File:View from Fukuoka Tower at Blue Hour.jpg, View from Fukuoka Tower File:Fukuoka_Seaside_Momochi_Aerial_Shoot.jpg, Seaside Momochi aerial view File:Fukuoka City - Watanabe-dori Avenue - 01.JPG, Tenjin area File:Seaside-momochi.JPG,
Fukuoka Tower is a tall tower located in the Momochihama area of Fukuoka, Japan. It is the tallest seaside tower in Japan. The highest observation deck at 123m has a 360degree view of the surrounding area, the most popular time to visit is at sunset. Fukuoka ...
File:JR Hakata City 2011 Jan.jpg,
JR Kyushu The , also referred to as , is one of the seven constituent companies of Japan Railways Group (JR Group). It operates intercity rail services within Kyushu, Japan and the JR Kyushu Jet Ferry Beetle hydrofoil service across the Tsushima Strait ...
's
Hakata Station is a major railway station in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. It is the largest and busiest railway terminal in Kyushu, and is a gateway to other cities in Kyushu for travelers coming from Honshu by rail travel. The San'yō Shinkansen from Osaka end ...
File:Ukimido Hall of Ohori Park.JPG, Ōhori Park File:Tenjin Chikagai(Tenjin Underground City) - 01.JPG, Tenjin Underground City


Demographics

, the city had an estimated population of 1,581,527 and a population density of . The total area is . Fukuoka is Japan's youngest major city and has Japan's fastest growing population. Between December 2012 and December 2017, the proportion of foreign-born residents increased faster than any other major city in Japan, including Tokyo. There were 171 homeless residents counted in 2018's annual survey, down from a high of 969 in 2009.


Economy

Fukuoka is the economic center of the Kyushu region, with an economy largely focused on the service sector. It is also the largest startup city in Japan, and is the only economic zone for startups. They have various services for startups like startup visa, tax reduction, and free business consultations. Fukuoka has the highest business-opening rate in Japan. Large companies headquartered in the city include
Iwataya is a Japanese department store chain in Fukuoka Prefecture and owned by , a group company of Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings, Ltd. Two stores are in Tenjin (est. 1936) and Kurume (est. 1972). One of Kyushu's oldest department stores, Iwataya has bee ...
and
Kyushu Electric Power (, OSE: 9508, ) is a Japanese energy company that provides power to 7 prefectures (Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Ōita, Saga, Miyazaki, Kumamoto, Kagoshima), and recently, to some parts of Hiroshima Prefecture. Its shortened name of is sometimes used ...
. Fukuoka is also the home of many small firms playing a supportive role in the logistics, IT, and high-tech manufacturing sectors. Most of the region's heavy manufacturing takes place in the nearby city of
Kitakyushu is a Cities of Japan, 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 Fuku ...
. The GDP in Greater Fukuoka, Fukuoka
Metropolitan Employment Area is a definition of metropolitan areas used in Japan, defined by the Center for Spatial Information Service of the University of Tokyo. Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry defined 233 areas for the UEAs of Japan. It is different from ...
, was US$101.6 billion in 2010. Fukuoka is the primary economic center of the Fukuoka-Kitakyushu
metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...
, which is the 4th largest economy in Japan. As of 2014, the area's PPP-adjusted GDP is estimated to be larger than those of metropolitan areas such as
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, Kuala Lumpur,
Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of t ...
, Vienna,
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
and Rome. Several regional broadcasters are based in the city, including
Fukuoka Broadcasting Corporation is a Japanese TV station affiliated with Nippon News Network (NNN) and Nippon Television Network System (NNS) in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan. This station broadcasts programs throughout Fukuoka Prefecture as well as most of Saga ...
,
Kyushu Asahi Broadcasting is a broadcasting station in Fukuoka, Japan, and it is affiliated with National Radio Network (NRN) on radio and All-Nippon News Network (ANN) on TV. With its relay transmitters in Saga, KBC functions as the default ANN affiliate for the ...
, Love FM,
RKB Mainichi Broadcasting (stylized as ''rkb'') is a broadcasting station in Fukuoka, Japan, and it is affiliated with Japan Radio Network (JRN), Japan News Network (JNN) and TBS Network. It is owned by Mainichi Broadcasting System, Mainichi Shimbun and the Aso Grou ...
, and
Television Nishinippon Corporation is a Japanese TV station affiliated with Fuji News Network (FNN) and Fuji Network System (FNS) in Fukuoka. This station serves Fukuoka Prefecture and also acts as the default FNN affiliate for western portions of Yamaguchi Prefecture including ...
. The port of Hakata and
Fukuoka Airport , formerly known as Itazuke Air Base, is an international and domestic airport located east of Hakata Station in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. Fukuoka Airport is the principal airport on the island of Kyushu and is the fourth busiest passenger ...
also make the city a key regional transportation hub. Fukuoka houses the headquarters of
Kyushu Railway Company The , also referred to as , is one of the seven constituent companies of Japan Railways Group (JR Group). It operates intercity rail services within Kyushu, Japan and the JR Kyushu Jet Ferry Beetle hydrofoil service across the Tsushima Strait ...
(JR Kyushu) and
Nishi-Nippon Railroad The , also called or NNR, is one of Japan's "Big 16" private railroad companies. With headquarters in Fukuoka, it operates local and highway buses, supermarkets, real estate and travel agencies, as well as railways in Fukuoka Prefecture ...
. Air Next, a subsidiary of
All Nippon Airways , also known as ANA (''Ē-enu-ē'') or is an airline in Japan. Its headquarters are located in Shiodome City Center in the Shiodome area of Minato ward of Tokyo. It operates services to both domestic and international destinations and had mo ...
, is headquartered in Hakata-ku; prior to its dissolution,
Harlequin Air was an airline with its headquarters on the grounds of Fukuoka Airport in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. It was owned by Japan Air System (later ''Japan Airlines Domestic'' in 2004), operating domestic passenger services. Scheduled flights were wh ...
was also headquartered in Hakata-ku. Fukuoka has its own
stock exchange A stock exchange, securities exchange, or bourse is an exchange where stockbrokers and traders can buy and sell securities, such as shares of stock, bonds and other financial instruments. Stock exchanges may also provide facilities for th ...
, founded in 1949. It is one of six in Japan. Fukuoka is one of the most affordable cities in Japan.


Culture

Fukuoka was selected as one of ''
Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...
''s 10 "Most Dynamic Cities" in its July 2006 issue. It was chosen for its central Asian location, increasing tourism and trade, and a large increase in volume at its sea and airport. Fukuoka has a diverse culture and a wide range of cultural attractions. In its July/August 2008 issue, ''
Monocle A monocle is a type of corrective lens used to correct or enhance the visual perception in only one eye. It consists of a circular lens, generally with a wire ring around the circumference that can be attached to a string or wire. The other ...
'' selected Fukuoka as number 17 of the "Top 25 liveable cities". It was chosen for excellent shopping, outstanding food, good transport links, good museums, "a feeling of openness in its sea air", green spaces and because it is friendly, safe, clean and close to the rest of East Asia. The same survey in 2018 ranked Fukuoka at number 22. ACROS (Asian Cross Road Over the Sea) is a cultural center located at the Tenjin Central Park. Part of it is the Fukuoka Symphony Hall and it hosts several other cultural events in a green building. The
Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize The is an award established by the city of Fukuoka and the Fukuoka City International Foundation (formerly The Yokatopia Foundation) to honor the outstanding work of individuals or organizations in preserving or creating Asian culture. There are ...
was established to honor the outstanding work of individuals or organizations in Asia.


Tourism

Fukuoka hosts more than 2 million foreign visitors annually, with the majority coming from neighboring South Korea, Taiwan and China. From the early 2010s Hakata became the beneficiary of significant growth in cruise ship tourism; particularly with visitors from China. After expansion and redevelopment of the Hakata Port international passenger ship terminal, the number of cruise ship port calls in 2016 was expected to exceed 400. Nearly ten thousand international students attend universities in or near the Fukuoka prefecture each year. Nearly 200 international conferences are held each year in Fukuoka.


Attractions

Fukuoka Castle, located adjacent to Ohori Park in Maizuru Park, features the remaining stone walls and ramparts left after a devastating fire during the upheaval of the
Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...
. It has now been preserved along with some reconstructed prefabricate concrete towers constructed during the 1950s and 1960s, when there was a trend across Japan to rebuild damaged castles as tourist attractions. Ōhori Park is also the location of one of Fukuoka City's major
art galleries An art gallery is a room or a building in which visual art is displayed. In Western cultures from the mid-15th century, a gallery was any long, narrow covered passage along a wall, first used in the sense of a place for art in the 1590s. The lon ...
. There are many temples with long histories including
Tōchō-ji is a Shingon temple in Hakata, Fukuoka, Japan. Its honorary '' sangō'' prefix is . It was founded by Kūkai in 806, making it the oldest Shingon temple on the island of Kyushu. History According to tradition, Kūkai or Kobo-daishi set up thi ...
,
Hakozaki Shrine is a Shintō shrine in Fukuoka .Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1962). ''Studies in Shinto and Shrines,'' p. 339. History Hakozaki Shrine was founded in 923, with the transfer of the spirit of the ''kami Hachiman'' from Daibu Hachiman Shrine in ...
, Kashii shrine, and Jōten-ji. The Buddhist
Nanzoin temple Nanzo-in () is a Shingon Buddhism, Shingon Buddhist temple in Sasaguri, Fukuoka, Japan. It is notable for its bronze statue of a reclining Buddha, said to be the largest bronze statue in the world. History Nanzo-in was originally located on Moun ...
is located in
Sasaguri is a List of towns in Japan, town in Kasuya District, Fukuoka, Kasuya District, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 2016, the town has an estimated population of 31,213 and a population density of 800 persons per km2. The total area is 38.90 k ...
, just east of Fukuoka. It is claimed to be the largest statue of a
reclining Buddha A reclining Buddha is an image that represents Buddha lying down and is a major iconographic theme in Buddhist art. It represents the historical Buddha during his last illness, about to enter the parinirvana. He is lying on his right side, his he ...
in the world.
Sky Dream Fukuoka was a 120-metre-tall giant Ferris wheel in the city of Fukuoka, Japan, operating from December 2001 until September 2009. It was tall, making it the tallest Ferris wheel in Japan during its years of operation. It was located in the Evergreen Ma ...
, in Fukuoka's western ward, was a Ferris wheel with a height of 120 meters and was closed in September 2009. The surrounding shopping center, Marinoa City Fukuoka, still attracts millions of visitors each year. Other shopping centers that attract tourists include Canal City, JR Hakata City, and Hakata Riverain. The Marine Park Uminonakamichi is located on a narrow cape on the northern side of the Bay of Hakata. The park has an amusement park, petting zoo, gardens, beaches, a hotel, and a large marine aquarium which opened in 1989. For tourists from other parts of Japan, local foods such as mentaiko, Hakata ramen, Hakata (tonkotsu) ramen, and motsunabe are associated with Fukuoka. Yatai (retail), Yatai (street stalls) serving ramen can be found in Tenjin and Nakasu most evenings.
Fukuoka Tower is a tall tower located in the Momochihama area of Fukuoka, Japan. It is the tallest seaside tower in Japan. The highest observation deck at 123m has a 360degree view of the surrounding area, the most popular time to visit is at sunset. Fukuoka ...
is near the beach in Seaside Momochi, a development built for the 1989 Asia-Pacific Exhibition. The older symbol of the city, Hakata Port Tower, is next to the international ferry terminal and is free to enter. Itoshima, to the west of Fukuoka city, has recently become a very popular tourist destination. There are many beaches along the coast, notably Futamigaura beach, where there is a famous Shinto shrine in the ocean, and Keya beach, which hosts the annual Sunset Live festival every September. Inland, there is the Shingon Buddhist temple called Raizan Sennyoji, where there are many Buddhist statues and stunning autumn foliage.


Museums

* Fukuoka Art Museum – In Ohori Park; contains a wide selection of contemporary and other art from around the world, including works by Mark Rothko, Roy Lichtenstein, and Salvador Dalí. * Fukuoka Asian Art Museum – contains art from various countries of Asia. * Fukuoka City Museum – displays a broad range of items from the region's history, including a spectacular gold seal. * Fukuoka Oriental Ceramics Museum * Fukuoka Prefectural Museum of Art * Genko Historical Museum (元寇史料館, Museum of the Mongol Invasion) – In Higashi Koen (Eastern 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. * Kyushu National Museum in nearby Dazaifu.


Festivals

Fukuoka is home to many festivals (Japanese festivals, matsuri) that are held throughout the year. Of these, the most famous are ''Hakata Dontaku'' and ''Hakata Gion Yamakasa''.


Yamakasa

, held for two weeks each July,Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival
. Japan National Tourist Organization. Retrieved March 19, 2008.
is Fukuoka's oldest festival with a history of over 700 years. The festival dates back to 1241 when a priest called Shioichu Kokushi saved Hakata from a terrible plague by being carried around the city on a movable shrine and throwing water.The Yamakasa
Cogito Kyushu Networks. Retrieved March 19, 2008.

WebJapan. Retrieved March 19, 2008.
Teams of men (no women, except small girls, are allowed), representing different districts in the city, commemorate the priest's route by racing against the clock around a set course carrying on their shoulders floats weighing several thousand pounds. Participants all wear ''shimekomi'' (called ''fundoshi'' in other parts of Japan), which are traditional loincloths. Each day of the two-week festival is marked by special events and practice runs, culminating in the official race that takes place the last morning before dawn. Tens of thousands line the streets to cheer on the teams. During the festival, men can be seen walking around many parts of Fukuoka in long ''happi'' coats bearing the distinctive mark of their team affiliation and traditional ''geta (footwear), geta'' sandals. The costumes are worn with pride and are considered appropriate wear for even formal occasions, such as weddings and cocktail parties, during the festival. File:Yamagasa uniform 1.png, The uniform used during the ceremonies and preparation File:Yamagasa uniform 2.png, The uniform used during the competition


Hakata Dontaku

is held in Fukuoka City on May 3 and 4. Boasting over 800 years of history, Dontaku is attended by more than 2 million people, making it the festival with the highest attendance during Japan's Golden Week (Japan), Golden Week holidays. During the festival, stages are erected throughout downtown for traditional performances and a parade of floats is held. The full name is ''Hakata Dontaku Minato Matsuri''.Hakata Dontaku Minato Matsuri
. Fukuoka Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Retrieved March 19, 2008.
The festival was stopped for seven years during the Meiji era. Since it was restarted in the 12th year of the Meiji era it has been known as ''Hakata Dontaku''.


Music

Notable musical names in J-pop include Ayumi Hamasaki (allegedly Japan's richest woman), hugely popular singer-songwriter duo Chage and Aska, Chage & Aska, singer-songwriter Eri Nobuchika, Misia, and Yui (singer), Yui. During the 1970s, local musicians prided themselves on their origins and dubbed their sound, Mentai Rock. Morning Musume 6th generation member Reina Tanaka was also born here in 1989 along with 9th generation member Erina Ikuta in 1997. Dominican Republic, Dominican songwriter and singer Juan Luis Guerra pays homage to the city in his bachata (music), bachata song ''Bachata en Fukuoka'' (2010). HKT 48 have their own Theater at Nishitetsu Hall. Ezaki Hikaru of the k-pop group Kep1er was born in Fukuoka.


Transport

Fukuoka is served by
Fukuoka Airport , formerly known as Itazuke Air Base, is an international and domestic airport located east of Hakata Station in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. Fukuoka Airport is the principal airport on the island of Kyushu and is the fourth busiest passenger ...
, the San'yō Shinkansen and the Kyushu Shinkansen high-speed rail line and other Kyushu Railway Company, JR Kyushu trains at
Hakata Station is a major railway station in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. It is the largest and busiest railway terminal in Kyushu, and is a gateway to other cities in Kyushu for travelers coming from Honshu by rail travel. The San'yō Shinkansen from Osaka end ...
and by ferry. JR Kyushu and a Korean company operate hydrofoil ferries (named ''Beetle (JR Kyushu), Beetle'' and ''Kobee'') between Hakata and
Busan Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea, w ...
, South Korea. The city has three Fukuoka City Subway, subway lines: the Kūkō Line (Fukuoka City Subway), Kūkō Line, the Hakozaki Line, and the newest one, Subway Nanakuma Line, opened on February 2, 2005. A private railway line, run by Nishitetsu is also heavily used and connects the downtown area of Tenjin to the city of Ōmuta, Fukuoka, Ōmuta.


Sports

Fukuoka is the home of the
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks The are a Japanese professional baseball team based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture. They compete in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) as a member of the Pacific League. The team was formerly known as the Nankai Hawks and was based in Osaka. ...
, one of Japan's top professional baseball teams. Threatened with bankruptcy and forced by its creditors to restructure, former owner
Daiei , based in Kobe, is one of the largest supermarket chains in Japan. In 1957, Isao Nakauchi founded the chain in Osaka near Sembayashi Station on the Keihan train line. Daiei is now under a restructuring process supported by Marubeni Corporation ...
sold the Hawks to Softbank Capital in 2004. After the sale to Softbank, the Hawks have become the one of the most successful teams in Nippon Professional Baseball, NPB, winning 6 Japan Series title in 8 years. Their home stadium is the Fukuoka PayPay Dome. Fukuoka is home to a professional association football, football team, Avispa Fukuoka. Annual sporting events include: * The All Japan Judo Category Championships are held in early April. * The Kyushu ekiden, beginning in Nagasaki and ending in Fukuoka, the world's longest relay race, held in October. (Defunct) * The November honbasho, tournament of professional Sumo is held at the Fukuoka Convention Center, Fukuoka Kokusai Center. Fukuoka has hosted the following sporting events: *
Fukuoka Marathon The is an IAAF Gold Label international men's marathon race held in Fukuoka, Japan. It was previously known as the Fukuoka International Open Marathon Championship between 1947 and 2021, when it was announced the race would be discontinued on its ...
from 1947 through 2021. * 1983 Asian Volleyball Championship for Women * 1995 Summer Universiade * 1997 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships * 1998 Women's Volleyball World Championship * 1999 Asian Basketball Championship * 2001 World Aquatics Championships. * 2006 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. * Fukuoka International Women's Judo Championships from 1983 to 2006. * 2013-14 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final


Sports teams and facilities


Education

Fukuoka City operates all public elementary and junior high schools, while the prefecture operates the high schools. ;National universities * ** – merged with Kyushu University in October 2003 ;Prefectural university * ;Private universities * * * * * * * ;Colleges * * Fukuoka Institute of Technology, Junior college (福岡工業大学短期大学部, Fukuoka Kōgyō Daigaku Tanki Daigakubu) * * * * * * ;Catholic schools * Sophia Fukuoka Junior and Senior High School


International relations

Fukuoka has ten sister cities. * Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), GA, United States (since February 2005) * Auckland, New Zealand (since June 1986) * Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France (since November 1982) *
Busan Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea, w ...
, South Korea (since February 2007) * Dallas, Texas, TX, United States (since May 1965) * Delhi, India (since November 2007, friendship city) * Guangzhou, China (since February 1979) * Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia (since March 1989) * Oakland, California, Oakland, California, CA, United States (since October 1962) * Naples, Campania, Italy (since October 1983) * Qingdao, Shandong, China (since February 2003) * Yangon, Myanmar (since December 2016) The city established the Asian Pacific City Summit in 1994. It consists of 26 Asia-Pacific cities. The Asian Pacific Children's Convention was established in Fukuoka in 1988.


Notable people

* Jirō Akagawa (novelist) * Aska (singer) (Chage and Aska) * Sonny Chiba (actor, singer, film producer, film director, and martial artist) * Kaibara Ekken (Neo-Confucianism, Neo-Confucianist philosopher) * Chiya Fujino (writer) * Noriko Fukuda (TV announcer) * Kenji Hamada (voice actor) * Ayumi Hamasaki (J-pop singer) * Angela Harry (model and actress) * Kanna Hashimoto (actress, singer and former idol) * Riko Higashio (professional golfer) * Kiyoshi Hikawa (enka singer) * Kōki Hirota (politician: 32nd Prime Minister of Japan) * HKT48 (idol group) * Yōsuke Ideguchi (Footballer for Celtic F.C) * Hiroe Igeta (model, actress and tarento) * Elaiza Ikeda (model and actress) * Erina Ikuta (J-pop singer and member of Morning Musume) * Mio Imada (actress and model) * Tomo Inouye (medical doctor) * Ryo Ishibashi (actor, musician) * Sui Ishida (manga artist) * Gakuryū Ishii (film director) * Kanikapila (rock band) * Ai Kawashima (singer-songwriter) * Yoshinori Kobayashi (manga artist) * Masamune Kusano (vocalist of Spitz (band), Spitz) * Yumeno Kyūsaku (novelist) * Misia (J-pop singer) * Kento Miyahara (professional wrestler) * Yume Miyamoto (actress and voice actress) * Ryutaro Nakahara (DJ, musician, composer, arranger) * Kenzo Nakamura (Judo athlete) * Katsuhiko Nakajima (professional wrestler) * Ai Nonaka (voice actor) * Yukari Oshima (actress) * Victoria Principal (American actress) * Noriko Sakai (singer and actress) * Nao Sakuma (principal dancer with Birmingham Royal Ballet) * Kensuke Sasaki (professional wrestler) * Kohei Uchimura (Artistic gymnast) * Sayuri (musician), Sayuri (singer-songwriter) * Kōji Seto (actor) * Eihi Shiina (model and actress) * Ringo Shiina (J-pop singer born in Saitama Prefecture and raised in Fukuoka) * Polkadot Stingray (rock band) * Keita Tachibana (J-pop singer and member of W-inds) * Takehiro Tomiyasu (footballer for Arsenal F.C.) * Akitomo Takeno (basketball player) * Dan Takuma (businessman) * Tamori (TV presenter) * Kane Tanaka (oldest verified Japanese person ever and second oldest verified person ever) * Reina Tanaka (J-pop singer and a member of Morning Musume and Lovendor) * Ryoko Tani (judo athlete) * Rintaro Tokunaga (basketball player) * Misa Uehara (1937–2003), actress * Ren Kawashiri (J-pop singer/dancer, member of JO1) * Ryutaro Umeno (baseball player for the Hanshin Tigers) * Masaaki Yuasa (director) * Yui (singer), Yui (singer) * Takumi Iroha (Joshi puroresu, Japanese professional wrestler) * Sosuke Ikematsu (movie actor, television actor, and theatre actor) * Haruto Watanabe (K-pop Idol, boy group Treasure (band))


See also

*2006 Fukuoka mayoral election *List of Places of Scenic Beauty of Japan (Fukuoka) *List of Historic Sites of Japan (Fukuoka)


References


External links


Fukuoka City official website

Fukuoka Convention & Visitors Bureau

Official Tourism Site of Fukuoka City

Fukuoka Now
{{Authority control Fukuoka, Cities in Fukuoka Prefecture Port settlements in Japan Populated coastal places in Japan Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan Populated places with period of establishment missing