is a
city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
in
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. As of June 1, 2019, the city has an estimated
population
Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...
of 303,579 and a
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
of 1,320 persons per km². The total area is 229.96 km².
On February 5, 2005, the town of
Kitano (from
Mii District), the towns of
Jōjima and
Mizuma (both from
Mizuma District
is a Districts of Japan, district located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan.
As of 2003 statistics and counting the decrease in size and population due to the Kurume, Fukuoka, Kurume merger, the district has an estimated population of 14,305 and a p ...
), and the town of
Tanushimaru
was a town located in Ukiha District, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan.
As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 21,204 and a density of 415.85 persons per km². The total area was 50.99 km².
On February 5, 2005, Tanushimaru, along with t ...
(from
Ukiha District) were merged into Kurume.
Geography
Climate
Kurume 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''). The average annual temperature in Kurume is . The average annual rainfall is with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around , and lowest in January, at around .
[ The highest temperature ever recorded in Kurume was on 13 August 2018; the coldest temperature ever recorded was on 25 January 2016.][
]
Neighboring municipalities
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 ...
* Yame
is a city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on April 1, 1954.
As of 2003, the city had an estimated population of 39,372 and a population density of 1,000.81 persons per km². The total area was 39.34 km².
On Oct ...
* Asakura
* Ukiha
* Okawa
* Chikugo
* Ogōri
* Ōki
* Hirokawa
* Tachirai
Saga Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. Saga Prefecture has a population of 809,248 (1 August 2020) and has a geographic area of 2,440 km2 (942 sq mi). Saga Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the northeast and Nagasak ...
* Tosu
* Kanzaki
* Miyaki
Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Kurume in 2020 is 303,316 people.[ Kurume has been conducting censuses since 1960.
]
Industry
Traditional products
Traditional products of Kurume are ''kasuri
is the Japanese term for fabric that has been woven with fibers dyed specifically to create patterns and images in the fabric, typically referring to fabrics produced within Japan using this technique. It is a form of ikat dyeing, traditionally ...
'', or woven indigo-dyed cloth; ''tonkotsu
is a ramen dish that originated in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture on the Kyushu island of Japan, and it is a speciality dish in both Fukuoka and Kyushu. The soup broth is based on pork bones and other ingredients, which are typically boiled for se ...
'' ''ramen
is a Japanese dish, Japanese noodle dish. It consists of served in a broth; common flavors are soy sauce and miso, with typical toppings including , nori (dried seaweed), menma (bamboo shoots), and scallions. Ramen has its roots in Chinese ...
'' (pork-bone broth noodles); and trays and bowls made from , a composite made from lacquered
Lacquer is a type of hard and usually shiny coating or finish applied to materials such as wood or metal. It is most often made from resin extracted from trees and waxes and has been in use since antiquity.
Asian lacquerware, which may be ca ...
bamboo.
Education
Universities
* Kurume University
is a private university, established in 1928.
Kurume University is located in Kurume ( Chikugo district), Fukuoka (on the island of Kyushu), Japan.
History
*1928 Kyūshū Medical School established. (A precursor of Kurume university)
*1949 F ...
*
Kurume University Hospital
* Kurume Institute of Technology
* St.Mary's College
* Kurume Shin-Ai Women's College is a private women's junior college in Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan, established in 1968. In 2004 the college was selected for Good Practice
GxP is a general abbreviation for the "good practice" quality guidelines and regulations. The "x" stands for ...
Transport
Kurume Station
is a railway station in Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan. It is operated by the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu).
Lines
Kurume Station is served by the following lines.
* Kyushu Shinkansen
* Kagoshima Main Line
* Kyūdai Main Line
Platforms
...
is served by the Kyushu Shinkansen
The is a Japanese Shinkansen high-speed railway network. It is an extension of the San'yō Shinkansen from Honshu connecting the city of Fukuoka (Hakata Station) in the north of Japan's Kyushu Island to the city of Kagoshima ( Kagoshima-Chuo St ...
and Kyudai Main Line east to Oita, while Nishitetsu Kurume Station
is a train station located in Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan. The largest station of Kurume. Nishitetsu Kurume bus terminal is on the first floor.
Lines
*Nishi-Nippon Railroad
**Tenjin Ōmuta Line Tenjin may be:
* Tenjin (kami), the Shinto kami (spi ...
is served by the Nishitetsu Amagi Line
The is a Japanese railway line operated by the private railway operator Nishi-Nippon Railroad (Nishitetsu), which connects Kurume and Asakura in Fukuoka Prefecture.
Stations
History
The opened a gauge line electrified at 600 V DC from Mi ...
.
Sister cities
Kurume is twinned with these cities.
* Kōriyama, Fukushima, Japan
* Modesto, California
Modesto () is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,464 at the 2020 census, it is the 19th largest city in the state of California and forms part of the Sacramento-Stockton- ...
, United States
* Hefei
Hefei (; ) is the capital and largest city of Anhui Province, People's Republic of China. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, and cultural center of Anhui. Its population was 9,369,881 as of the 2020 census and its built-up ( ...
, Anhui
Anhui , (; formerly romanized as Anhwei) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the East China region. Its provincial capital and largest city is Hefei. The province is located across the basins of the Yangtze River ...
, China
Notable people born or raised in Kurume
In chronological order of birth year:
*Tanaka Hisashige
was a Japanese rangaku scholar, engineer and inventor during the Bakumatsu and early Meiji period in Japan. In 1875, he founded what became the Toshiba Corporation. He has been called the "Thomas Edison of Japan" or "Karakuri Giemon."
Biograp ...
(1799-1881) Engineer and Inventor who started the company which became Toshiba.
*George Shima
George Shima (1864 – March 27, 1926) was a Japanese American businessman in California who became the first Japanese American millionaire. At one point, he produced about 85% of the state's potato crop, which earned him the nickname "The Potato ...
(1864–1926), "Potato King" of California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
.[Kim, Hyung-chan. (1999). ]Shigeru Aoki
was a Japanese painter, noted for his work in combining Japanese legends and religious subjects with the ''yōga'' (Western-style) art movement in late 19th- and early 20th-century Japanese painting.
Biography
Aoki was born to an ex-samurai clas ...
(1882–1911), Western-style artist.
*Shōjirō Ishibashi
was a Japanese businessman who founded the Bridgestone Corporation, the world's largest maker of tires, in 1931 in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan. the company was named after its founder: in the Japanese language, ''ishi'' means "stone" and ...
(1889–1976), founder of Bridgestone Corporation, which originated in Kurume as traditional footwear manufacturers, producing the sock-like shoe (''jika-tabi
are a style of footwear with a divided toe, originating in Japan. They are similar to socks in both appearance and construction. Though they can be worn with traditional thonged footwear such as and , are mostly designed and made to be worn ...
'') used by farmers; they found that by coating the bottom of ''tabi
are traditional Japanese socks worn with thonged footwear such as zori, dating back to the 15th century.
History
Japanese are usually understood today to be a kind of split-toed sock that is not meant to be worn alone outdoors, much like r ...
'' with rubber, farmers could be protected from the invasion of parasitic worms that live in rice paddies.
*Harue Koga
was a Japanese avant-garde painter active from the 1910s to the early 1930s. He is considered to be one of the first and one of the most representative Japanese surrealist painters.
Early life
Harue Koga was born Yoshio Koga in 1895 to parents ...
(1895–1933), eclectic avant-garde artist and poet.
*Susumu Fujita
Susumu Fujita () (8 January 1912 – 23 March 1991) was a Japanese film and television actor. He played the lead role in Akira Kurosawa's first feature, ''Sanshiro Sugata'', and appeared in other Kurosawa films including ''The Men Who Tread On ...
(1912–1990/91), actor.
*Leiji Matsumoto
is a Japanese mangaka, creator of several anime and manga series. His wife Miyako Maki is also a manga artist.
Early life
Matsumoto was the middle child of a family of seven brothers, and, in his early childhood, Matsumoto was given a 35m ...
(1938–present), manga artist
A is a comic artist who writes and/or illustrates manga. As of 2006, about 3,000 professional manga artists were working in Japan.
Most manga artists study at an art college or manga school or take on an apprenticeship with another artist be ...
, anime character designer and animator
An animator is an artist who creates multiple images, known as frames, which give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, and video gam ...
.
* Seiji Sakaguchi
is a Japanese retired professional wrestler and judoka, Sakaguchi holds a 7th dan red and white belt in Judo. Sakaguchi was a mainstay of New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and also competed for the World Wide Wrestling Federation and the Nati ...
(1942-present), Japanese professional wrestler
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
and judoka
is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponica, "Judo"). ...
*Ryo Ishibashi
is a Japanese people, Japanese actor and lead singer of the Japanese rock band ARB (band), ARB. He is known around the world for his roles in the Japanese horror films ''Suicide Club (film), Suicide Club'' and ''Audition (1999 film), Audition.'' ...
(1956–present), actor.
*Seiko Matsuda
, known professionally as , is a Japanese pop singer and songwriter, known for being one of the most popular Japanese idols of the 1980s. Since then, she is still actively releasing new singles and albums, doing annual summer concert tours, win ...
(1962–present), singer and actress.
*Fumiya Fujii
is a Japanese musician, actor and former lead singer of The Checkers born in Kurume. His younger brother is Naoyuki Fujii, a musician and former sax player for The Checkers. His eldest son is Fuji TV announcer Kōki Fujii. He formerly belonged t ...
(1962–present), lead vocalist of The Checkers (Japanese band)
The Checkers (Japanese: チェッカーズ) was a very popular Japanese band in the 1980s. They were a pop icon of their time as kids copied hair styles and fashion of the band members. The band was formed in Kurume-city, Fukuoka Pref. by Toru ...
.
*Izumi Sakai
, known professionally as , was a female Japanese pop singer, songwriter, and member of the group Zard. As Sakai was the only member who stayed in the group while others joined and left regularly, Zard and Sakai may be referred to interchangeably. ...
(1967–2007), lead vocalist of Zard
were a Japanese pop rock group, originally with five members, with lead vocalist Izumi Sakai as its only constant member. Zard's work was sold under the record label B-Gram Records, Inc. Their most popular and successful songs are , , and " M ...
; born in Kurume, but raised in Kanagawa
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-dens ...
.
*Rena Tanaka
is a Japanese actress and TV personality. In 1999, she won the Japanese Academy Award for "Best Newcomer" for her performance in ''Give It All''; in 2001, she received a "Best Actress" nomination for ''First Love''.
Selected filmography
Film ...
(1980–present), actress.
*Kanikapila
Kanikapila is a style of Hawaiian music produced in an impromptu jam session, most commonly taking place at a beach, or family gathering. The term comes from ''kani'' which means sound. and ''pila'' which means any string instrument in the Hawaii ...
7 piece Pop Band.
*Leo Ieiri
is a Japanese singer and songwriter. Her song "Sabrina" was used as the third ending song of the anime television series ''Toriko'' and her song "Silly" was used as the theme song for the television adaption of popular novel "Nのために" ("F ...
(1994–present), singer, songwriter.Leo Ieiri
is a Japanese singer and songwriter. Her song "Sabrina" was used as the third ending song of the anime television series ''Toriko'' and her song "Silly" was used as the theme song for the television adaption of popular novel "Nのために" ("F ...
See also
*Chikugo River
The flows through Kumamoto, Ōita, Fukuoka and Saga prefectures in Japan. With a total length of , it is the longest river on Kyūshū. It flows from Mount Aso and empties into the Ariake Sea. It is also nicknamed "Chikushijirō".
The up ...
References
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
Cities in Fukuoka Prefecture