Transport in Fukuoka-Kitakyushu is similar to that of other large cities in Japan, but with a high degree of private transport. The region is a hub of international ferry services and has a high degree of air connectivity and a considerable rail transport network, complemented with highways and surface streets. It includes public and private rail and highway networks; airports for international, domestic, and general aviation; buses; motorcycle delivery services, walking, bicycling, and commercial shipping. The foci of the public transport system are

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 ...

Tenjin Station is a subway station located in Chūō-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. Its station symbol is 5 green dots arranged in a circle, representing a plum blossom, it is Tenmangū (a.k.a.Tenjin)'s symbol. The station is located directly under in Tenjin, Fukuoka. ...

, and

Kokura Station in Kokurakita-ku is the main railway station in Kitakyushu, Japan. It is part of the JR Kyushu network and the San'yō Shinkansen stops here. It is the second largest station in Kyushu with 120,000 users daily. In the late 1990s, the Kokura st ...

, in

Fukuoka is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since anc ...

and Kitakyushu cities respectively. Between these two cities lies a more sparse weblike regional rail network. The transit network consists of 32 surface and subterranean railway lines (see section on

rail transport Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a p ...

) operated by several and private operators. Monorails, trams, fixed-guideway lines and buses support this primary rail network. Like other cities in Japan, walking and bicycling is common.

Rail transport

Overview

Kyushu Shinkansen 800 series Shin-Minamata 20041123

The passenger rail network in Fukuoka-Kitakyushu metropolitan area (see also

Northern Kyushu is a subregion of Kyushu. This northern region encompasses the prefectures of Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, and Ōita. History Before 1963 it was called North Kyushu (''Kitakyūshū'', 北九州) until the city of Kitakyūshū was form ...

) is dense around the cities of Fukuoka and Kitakyushu and

Shimonoseki is a city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. With a population of 265,684, it is the largest city in Yamaguchi Prefecture and the fifth-largest city in the Chūgoku region. It is located at the southwestern tip of Honshu facing the Tsush ...

, declining in density between and around the two primary cities. Passenger railway usage and density is lower than that of

Greater Tokyo The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world, consisting of the Kantō region of Japan (including Tokyo Metropolis and the prefectures of Chiba, Gunma, Ibaraki, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Tochigi) as well as the pre ...

or Keihanshin, with the region having a little less than 6 million people. Similar to other areas of Japan, few free maps exist of the entire network; only stations of a particular company are shown, along with key transfer points. The

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 by ...

serves as the backbone of intercity rail transport connecting Hakata and Kokura Stations to Honshu.

Kyūshū 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 Sta ...

lines are completed on March 12, 2011, running to

Kagoshima , abbreviated to , is the capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Located at the southwestern tip of the island of Kyushu, Kagoshima is the largest city in the prefecture by some margin. It has been nicknamed the "Naples of the Eastern wor ...

. There are 33 ''operating'' passenger rail lines and a tourist-oriented cable car line in the Fukuoka-Kitakyushu area .

List of passenger railway lines in operation

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 St ...

and

JR West , also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, an ...

** high-speed rail ***

***

**Intercity ***

Fukuhoku Yutaka Line The is the collective name for four sections of railway lines operated by Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu) in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. It runs between Kurosaki Station and Hakata station (66.6 km). The sections called Fukuhoku Yutaka L ...

(

Sasaguri Line is a railway line in Japan operated by Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). It connects Keisen Station in Keisen, Fukuoka with Yoshizuka Station in Fukuoka, Fukuoka. Stations History The Kyushu Railway Co. opened the Yoshizuka - Sasaguri ...

and Chikuho Main Line) *** Gotōji Line ***

Kagoshima Main Line The is a major railway line operated by the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu) between Mojikō in Kitakyushu, and Kagoshima Station in Kagoshima City, at the southern end of Kyushu. Until March 13, 2004, it extended 393 km between its ...

***

Nippo Main Line Nippo may refer to: Companies and organizations * Nippo, colloquial name for * Nippo Batteries, an Indian battery manufacturer * Nippo Corporation, a Japanese construction company and sponsor of cycling teams ** EF Education–Nippo, a cycling tea ...

*** Hitahikosan Line ***

Kashii Line The is a railway line in Japan operated by Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). It connects Saitozaki Station in Fukuoka with Umi Station in Umi Umi or UMI may refer to: Geography * Umi, Iran, a village in Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran * Um ...

(Uminonakamichi Line) *** Chikuhi Line ***

Hakata Minami Line The is an long railway line in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, connecting Hakata Station in Fukuoka with Hakata-Minami Station in Kasuga. It is operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). Service Although the line uses Shinkansen equip ...

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 ...

(Nishitetsu) **

Tenjin Ōmuta Line Tenjin may be: * Tenjin (kami), the Shinto kami (spirit) of scholarship * Tenjin, Fukuoka, Japan, the downtown region of the city ** Tenjin Station, a subway station * Tenjin River, in Tottori Prefecture, Japan * Tenjin Beach, a recreational be ...

Kaizuka Line The is an Japanese railway line in Fukuoka prefecture, run by the private railway operator Nishitetsu. It links Kaizuka Station in Higashi-ku, Fukuoka with Nishitetsu Shingū Station in Shingū. It connects to the Kashii Line of JR Kyushu ...

Fukuoka City Subway The serves Fukuoka, Japan. It consists of three subway lines, the Kūkō, or Airport Line, the Hakozaki Line and the Nanakuma Line). The lines are operated by the Fukuoka City Transportation Bureau. Unlike most other public operators in Japa ...

** Kūkō Line **

Hakozaki Line The is a subway line, which forms part of the Fukuoka City Subway system in the city of Fukuoka, Japan. It connects Nakasu-Kawabata in Hakata Ward with Kaizuka in Higashi Ward, all within Fukuoka. The line's color on maps is blue. Official ...

Nanakuma Line The is a subway line, part of the Fukuoka City Subway system in Fukuoka, Japan. It runs from Hashimoto Station in Nishi Ward to Tenjin-Minami Station in Chūō Ward, all within Fukuoka. The line's color on maps is green. Officially, the line ...

Amagi Railway Amagi Line The is a Japanese railway line connecting Kiyama Station (on the Kagoshima Main Line), Kiyama and Amagi Station, Asakura. This is the only railway line operates. The company or the line is also called locally. The line functions as a comm ...

* Chikuhō Electric Railroad Line * Heisei Chikuhō Railway *

Kitakyūshū Monorail The is a monorail system in the city of Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, operated by . The is the only line. It runs the 8.8 km (5.5 mi) between Kokura station and Kikugaoka station in Kokura Minami ward in about 18 minutes. It ...

List of cable car systems in operation

* Hobashira Cable

Bridges

The bridge over the

Kanmon Straits The or the Straits of Shimonoseki is the stretch of water separating Honshu and Kyushu, two of Japan's four main islands. On the Honshu side of the strait is Shimonoseki (, which contributed "Kan" () to the name of the strait) and on the Kyushu ...

plays an important connectivity role in the region, supporting automobile, rail, and ferry traffic between

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 se ...

and Kyushu islands.

Road transport

Local and regional highways

* Route 2 * Route 3 * Route 9 * Route 10 *

Route 34 The following highways are numbered 34: for a list of roads numbered N34 : see list of N34 roads. International * AH34, Asian Highway 34 * European route E34 Australia * Cox Peninsula Road (Northern Territory) * (Sydney) * Maroondah Highway (Vi ...

* Route 190 * Route 191 * Route 198 * Route 199 * Route 200 * Route 201 * Route 202 * Route 208 * Route 209 * Route 210 * Route 211 * Route 263 * Route 264 * Route 316 * Route 322 * Route 385 * Route 386 * Route 442 * Route 443 * Route 490 * Route 491 * Route 495 * Route 496 * Route 497 part of Nishi-Kyūshū Expressway * Route 500

Expressways

Major area expressways include: * Fukuoka Urban Expressway * Kitakyūshū Urban Expressway *

Kyūshū Expressway (Asian Highway Network ) is one of the Expressways of Japan from Kitakyūshū (and the bridge to Honshū) to west of Kagoshima linking with the Higashikyushu Expressway and the Ibusuki Skyline. It runs through the prefectures of Fukuoka, the e ...

Nagasaki Expressway is one of the Expressways of Japan from Tosu to Nagasaki. It runs through the prefecture of Saga, and the southern half of the Nagasaki prefecture. The total length is 120.4 km. History * November 16, 1973, Tosu Interchange and Junctio ...

Ōita Expressway is a Japanese expressway in Kyushu that travels from Tosu to Hiji, where it connects to the Higashikyushu Expressway. It runs through the southern half of Fukuoka Prefecture, and the northern half of Ōita Prefecture. The total length of Ōi ...

* Nishi-Kyūshū Expressway * Higashi-Kyūshū Expressway * Chugoku Expressway * Sanyō Expressway

Buses

Several private and public bus companies operate with hundreds of routes throughout the region. Most local bus routes complement existing rail service to form an effective intermodal transit network.

Air transport

Primary

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 ...

is the busiest airport in the region, serving international and domestic flights. Kitakyushu Airport is an international airport built on an artificial island in the Inland Sea, and serves as a major cargo hub for Kityakyushu area factories as well as a relief airport for Fukuoka.

Secondary

Saga Airport is an airport in the Kawasoe area of Saga, Saga Prefecture, Japan. It also uses the unofficial name . Saga Airport is located on the edge of the Ariake Sea, in what is best called a polder, 35 minutes from JR Saga Station by bus. History ...

also provide air services to the region. Just outside the region is

Oita Airport Oita often refers to: *Ōita Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan *Ōita (city), the capital of the prefecture Oita or Ōita may also refer to: Places * Ōita District, Ōita, a former district in Ōita Prefecture, Japan *Ōita Stadium, a multi-use stadiu ...

and

Kumamoto Airport , also known as , is an airport in Mashiki, Kumamoto, Japan. History The first Kumamoto Airport opened in 1960 on the site of a former Imperial Japanese Army air base and had a 1,200 m runway. It was replaced by the current Kumamoto Airport i ...

. There are also a number of

Japan Air Self-Defense Force The , , also informally referred to as the Japanese Air Force, is the air and space branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, responsible for the defense of Japanese airspace, other air and space operations, cyberwarfare and electronic warf ...

airfields.

Maritime transport

Major area seaports include: * Port of Hakata * Port of Shimonoseki * Port of Kokura * Port of Shin Moji

Passenger ferries

See

List of ferry operators in Japan List of ferry operators in Japan lists car ferry operators in Japan. The list includes companies operating now. It also lists foreign operators that have international car ferry lines to Japan. English names might be tentative. International Chin ...

International

Because of its geographic proximity to Korea and China, the region is the major hub in Japan for international passenger ferries. ''Pukwan Ferry'', ''Camelia Line'', and high-speed ferry

Beetle (JR Kyushu) 250px, Beetle ferry is a hydrofoil ferry service that travels between Fukuoka, Japan and Busan, South Korea. It is operated by JR Kyushu Jet Ferry, a division of Kyushu Railway Company. Although journey times are longer, ferry travel is generally ...

Kobee Kobee ( Korean: 코비, Japanese: コビー) is a South Korean jet hydrofoil ferry line that operates services between Busan, South Korea and Fukuoka, Japan. Miraejet operates the ferry line. See also * Beetle - A ferry line between Fukuoka and B ...

operate out of both Hakata and Shimonseki, there are also ferry services to

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...

and Dalian in China,

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, ...

Ulsan Ulsan (), officially the Ulsan Metropolitan City is South Korea's seventh-largest metropolitan city and the eighth-largest city overall, with a population of over 1.1 million inhabitants. It is located in the south-east of the country, neighboring ...

in Korea.

Regional Domestic

There are ferry services to

Tsushima Island is an island of the Japanese archipelago situated in-between the Tsushima Strait and Korea Strait, approximately halfway between Kyushu and the Korean Peninsula. The main island of Tsushima, once a single island, was divided into two in 1671 by ...

as well as major Japanese cities (such as Hiroshima,

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 ...

Matsuyama 270px, Matsuyama City Hall 270px, Ehime Prefectural Capital Building is the capital city of Ehime Prefecture on the island of Shikoku in Japan and also Shikoku's largest city. , the city had an estimated population of 505,948 in 243541 househo ...

Tokushima is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Tokushima Prefecture has a population of 728,633 (1 October 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,146 km2 (1,601 sq mi). Tokushima Prefecture borders Kagawa Prefecture to the nort ...

Kōbe 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, which ...

and

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...

) from Fukuoka, Kitakyushu, and Shimonoseki ports.

Cross Strait/Local

Within the Kanmon-Kitakyūshū area, there are three commuter ferry lines: the Wakato Ferry, the Kanmon Straits Ferry, and the Kanmon Straits Liner. There are services to some small islands near Kitakyushu and Fukuoka from their respective cities as well.

Shipping

Shipping plays a major role moving freight in and out of the Fukuoka-Kitakyushu area. Finished automobiles for export are handled by ports in the region. With just-in-time requirements of automobile manufacturers and suppliers, Kitakyūshū Airport plays an important role as a hub for cargo and logistics. The region is home to three regasification LNG terminals.

Other modes

Greater Fukuoka is little different from the rest of Japan in the other modes of transport.

References

External links

Fukuoka-Kitakyushu Railway Network Map
{{DEFAULTSORT:Transport In Fukuoka-Kitakyushu Transport in Japan Transport in Fukuoka Prefecture Transport in Yamaguchi Prefecture