Kyushu

Native name: 九州
Kyushu region of Japan and the current prefectures on the island of Kyushu
Geography
Location	East Asia
Archipelago	Japanese Archipelago
Area	35,640 km2 (13,761 sq mi)
Area rank	37th
Highest elevation	1,788 m (5,866 ft)
Highest point	Kujū-san[1]
Country
Japan
Prefectures	Fukuoka, Kagoshima, Kumamoto, Miyazaki, Nagasaki, Ōita, Saga
Largest city	Fukuoka
Demographics
Population	13,231,995
Density	332.38 /km2 (860.86 /sq mi)
Ethnic groups	Japanese

Kyushu (九州, Kyūshū^?, lit. "Nine Provinces") is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands.^[2] Its alternate ancient names include Kyūkoku (九国^?, "Nine States"), Chinzei (鎮西^?, "West of the Pacified Area"), and Tsukushi-no-shima (筑紫島^?, "Island of Tsukushi"). The historical regional name is Saikaidō (西海道^?, lit. West Sea Circuit) referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands.

In the 8th century Taihō Code reforms, Dazaifu was established as a special administrative term for the region.^[3]

As of 2006, Kyushu has a population of 13,231,995 and covers 35,640 square kilometres (13,760 sq mi).

Geography[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

The island is mountainous, and Japan's most active volcano, Mt Aso at 1,591 metres (5,220 ft), is on Kyushu. There are many other signs of tectonic activity, including numerous areas of hot springs. The most famous of these are in Beppu, on the east shore, and around Mt. Aso, in central Kyushu.

The name Kyūshū comes from the nine ancient provinces of Saikaidō situated on the island: Chikuzen, Chikugo, Hizen, Higo, Buzen, Bungo, Hyūga, Osumi, and Satsuma.

Today's Kyushu Region (九州地方, Kyūshū-chihō^?) is a politically defined region that consists of the seven prefectures on the island of Kyushu and also Okinawa Prefecture to the south:

• Northern Kyushu
  • Fukuoka Prefecture
  • Saga Prefecture
  • Kumamoto Prefecture
  • Nagasaki Prefecture
  • Ōita Prefecture
• Kagoshima Prefecture
• Miyazaki Prefecture
• Okinawa Prefecture

The world's 37th largest island by area, Kyushu is smaller than Spitsbergen but larger than New Britain and Taiwan. By population, it ranks 13th, having fewer inhabitants than Borneo or Sulawesi, but more than Salsette (Mumbai) or Cuba.

Economy and environment[link]

Map of Kyushu region with prefectures

Parts of Kyushu have a subtropical climate, particularly Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures. Major agricultural products are rice, tea, tobacco, sweet potatoes, and soy; silk is also widely produced. The island is noted for various types of porcelain, including Arita, Imari, Satsuma, and Karatsu. Heavy industry is concentrated in the north around Fukuoka, Kitakyushu, Nagasaki, and Oita and includes chemicals, automobiles, semiconductors, and metal processing.

In 2010, the graduate employment rate in the region was the lowest nationwide, at 88.9%.^[4]

Besides the volcanic area of the south, there are significant mud hot springs in the northern part of the island, around Beppu. These springs are the site of occurrence of certain extremophile micro-organisms, that are capable of surviving in extremely hot environments.^[5]

Education[link]

Major universities and colleges in Kyushu:

• National universities
  • Kyushu University - One of seven former "Imperial Universities"
  • Kyushu Institute of Technology
  • Saga University
  • Nagasaki University
  • Kumamoto University
  • Fukuoka University of Education
  • Oita University
  • Miyazaki University
  • Kagoshima University
  • National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya
  • University of the Ryukyus
• Universities run by local governments
  • University of Kitakyushu
  • Kyushu Dental College
  • Fukuoka Women's University
  • Fukuoka Prefectural University
  • Siebold University of Nagasaki
  • Nagasaki Prefectural University
  • Oita University of Nursing and Health Sciences
  • Prefectural University of Kumamoto
  • Miyazaki Municipal University
  • Miyazaki Prefectural Nursing University
  • Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts
• Major private universities
  • Fukuoka University - University with the largest number of students in Kyushu
  • Kumamoto Gakuen University
  • Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University
  • Seinan Gakuin University
  • Kyushu Sangyo University - Baseball Team won the National Championship in 2005
  • University of Occupational and Environmental Health
  • Kurume University

See also[link]

Look up Kyushu in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Japan portal

• Azumi people, an ancient group of people who inhabited parts of northern Kyūshū
• Geography of Japan
• Group Kyushu
• Kanmonkyo Bridge, that connects Kyūshū with Honshū
• Kyushu National Museum
• List of regions in Japan
• Hoenn

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. 10-ISBN 0-674-01753-6; 13-ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5; OCLC 58053128

v t e Regions and administrative divisions of  Japan Regions Hokkaido Tōhoku Kantō Nanpō Islands Chūbu Hokuriku Kōshin'etsu Shin'etsu Tōkai Kansai Chūgoku San'in San'yō Shikoku Kyushu Northern Kyushu Ryukyu Islands Prefectures Hokkaido Hokkaido Tōhoku Aomori Iwate Miyagi Akita Yamagata Fukushima Kantō Ibaraki Tochigi Gunma Saitama Chiba Tokyo Kanagawa Chūbu Niigata Toyama Ishikawa Fukui Yamanashi Nagano Gifu Shizuoka Aichi Kansai Mie Shiga Kyoto Osaka Hyōgo Nara Wakayama Chūgoku Tottori Shimane Okayama Hiroshima Yamaguchi Shikoku Tokushima Kagawa Ehime Kōchi Kyushu Fukuoka Saga Nagasaki Kumamoto Ōita Miyazaki Kagoshima Okinawa

Coordinates: 33°N 131°E / 33°N 131°E / 33; 131

Hōjō Tokimune 北条 時宗
8th Shikken
In office 1268 – December 17, 1284
Personal details
Born	(1251-06-05)June 5, 1251
Died	April 20, 1284(1284-04-20) (aged 32)
Spouse(s)	Kakusanni (覚山尼)
Relations	Siblings: Hōjō Tokisuke, Hōjō Munemasa (時輔, 宗政, 宗頼)
Children	Hōjō Sadatoki (北条貞時)
Religion	Shinto
Title	Shikken, Tokuso, Rensho (執権, 得宗, 連署)
Clan name	Heishi, Hōjō Clan, Adachi House (平氏、北条氏, 安達氏)
Given names	Masatoshi, Sagamitaro, Tokimune (正寿, 相模太郎, 時宗)
Posthumous names	Houkouji (宝光寺殿道杲)

Hōjō Tokimune (北条 時宗^?, June 5, 1251 – April 20, 1284) of the Hōjō clan was the eighth shikken (officially regent, 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 for spreading Zen Buddhism and by extension Bushido among the warrior class.

Life[link]

Born as the eldest son of the regent and Tokuso Tokiyori of the Adachi House, Tokimune was groomed to become the next ruler of Japan, and became a shikken at age 18.

It is due to him that Zen Buddhism became firmly established in Kamakura, then later in Kyoto, and in the whole of Japan, especially among the warrior class.

In 1271, he banished Nichiren to Sado Island.

Defiance of Mongols[link]

The Mongols had sent a threatening letter and emissaries to Japan in January 1268, after discussing the letter, Tokimune decided to have the emissaries sent back with no answer. They resent emissaries time and time again, March 7, 1269, Sept 17, 1269, Sept 1271 and May 1272. But Tokimune had the emissaries of Kubilai Khan driven away, without even permission to land each time. Soon after came the first invasion in 1274. But even after the failed invasion, five emissaries were sent in September 1275 sent to Kyūshū, refusing to leave without reply. Tokimune responded by having them sent to Kamakura and then beheading them.^[1] The graves of 5 executed Mongol emissaries exists to this day in Kamakura at Tatsunokuchi.[2] Then again on July 29, 1279, 5 more emissaries are sent, and again beheaded, this time in Hakata. Expecting an invasion, on Feb 21, 1280, Imperial Court orders all temples and shrines to pray for victory over the Mongol Empire. Kubilai gathered up troops for another invasion in 1281, which again was a failure due to typhoon.

Zen Advice[link]

The Mongol invasion had been stopped by a typhoon (Kamikaze or "divine wind"), and the resistance of the new warrior class known as samurai. Tokimune planned and led the defence. Tokimune wanted to defeat cowardice, so he asked Bukko (his Zen master) for advice. Bukko replied he had to sit in meditation to find the source of his cowardice in himself.

When the Mongols invaded Japan Tokimune went to Bukko and said: "Finally there is the greatest happening of my life." Bukko asked, "How do you plan to face it?" Tokimune shouted "Katsu!" ("Victory!") as if he wanted to scare all the enemies in front of him. Bukko responded with satisfaction: "It is true that the son of a lion roars as a lion!"

When Tokimune died, Bukko said he had been a bodhisattva, looked at people's welfare, betrayed no signs of joy or anger and studied Zen so that he reached enlightenment.

Citations in modern media[link]

NHK's 2001 taiga miniseries named Hōjō Tokimune highlighted the dramatic events just prior to Tokimune's birth and up to his death in 1284. Tokimune was portrayed by Kyogen actor, Motoya Izumi.

References[link]

1. ^ [1]

See also[link]

• Taiheiki
• Mongol invasions of Japan
• Bushido