Fukuoka Prefecture
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Fukuoka Prefecture 福岡県 | |||
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Prefecture | |||
Japanese transcription(s) | |||
• Japanese | 福岡県 | ||
• Rōmaji | Fukuoka-ken | ||
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Coordinates: 33°36′N 130°35′E / 33.600°N 130.583°ECoordinates: 33°36′N 130°35′E / 33.600°N 130.583°E | |||
Country | Japan | ||
Region | Kyushu | ||
Island | Kyushu | ||
Capital | Fukuoka City | ||
Government | |||
• Governor | Hiroshi Ogawa (since April 2011) | ||
Area | |||
• Total | 4,971.01 km2 (1,919.32 sq mi) | ||
Area rank | 29th | ||
Population (June 1, 2013) | |||
• Total | 5,088,483 | ||
• Rank | 9th | ||
• Density | 1,020.26/km2 (2,642.5/sq mi) | ||
ISO 3166 code | JP-40 | ||
Districts | 12 | ||
Municipalities | 60 | ||
Flower | Ume blossom (Prunus mume) | ||
Tree | Azalea (Rhododendron tsutsusi) | ||
Bird | Japanese bush warbler (Cettia diphone) | ||
Website | www.pref.fukuoka.lg.jp/somu/ multilingual/english/top.html |
Fukuoka Prefecture (Japanese: 福岡県 Hepburn: Fukuoka-ken) is a prefecture of Japan on Kyūshū Island.[1] The capital is the city of Fukuoka.[2]
Contents
History[edit]
Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen.[3]
Shrines and temples[edit]
Kōra taisha, Sumiyoshi-jinja, and Hakosagi-gū are the chief Shinto shrines (ichinomiya) in the prefecture.[4]
Geography[edit]
Fukuoka Prefecture faces the sea on three sides, bordering Saga, Ōita, and Kumamoto prefectures and facing Yamaguchi Prefecture across the Kanmon Straits.
As of 1 April 2012, 18% of the land area of the prefecture was designated as natural parks: Setonaikai National Park, Genkai, Kitakyūshū, and Yaba-Hita-Hikosan quasi-national parks, and Chikugogawa, Chikuhō, Dazaifu, Sefuri Raizan, and Yabegawa Prefectural Natural Parks.[5]
Fukuoka includes the two largest cities on Kyūshū, Fukuoka and Kitakyushu, and much of Kyūshū's industry. It also includes a number of small islands near the north coast of Kyūshū.
Cities[edit]
Twenty-eight cities are in Fukuoka Prefecture:
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Towns and villages[edit]
These are the towns and villages in each district:
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Mergers[edit]
Economy[edit]
Fukuoka prefecture's main cities form one of Japan's main industrial centers, accounting for nearly 40% of the economy of Kyūshū. Major industries include automobiles, semiconductors, and steel. Fukuoka prefecture is where tire manufacturer Bridgestone[6] and consumer electronics chain Best Denki were founded.
Universities[edit]
Institution | Location |
Fukuoka University | Fukuoka |
Kurume University | Kurume |
Kyushu Institute of Technology | Kitakyūshū and Iizuka |
Kyushu University | Fukuoka and Kasuga |
Seinan Gakuin University | Fukuoka |
Kyushu Institute of Information Sciences | Dazaifu |
Kyushu Sangyo University | Fukuoka |
Fukuoka Women's University | Fukuoka |
Fukuoka University of Education | Munakata, Fukuoka |
Demographics[edit]
According to 1 June 2013 Japanese estimates, the population in Fukuoka Prefecture reached 5,088,483 inhabitants, making the prefecture the 9th most populated of Japan's 47 prefectures.
Culture[edit]
- Fukuoka Art Museum – In Ohori Park; contains a wide selection of contemporary and other art from around the world
- Fukuoka Asian Art Museum – contains art from Asia
- Fukuoka City Museum – displays a broad range of items from the region's history, including a spectacular gold seal
- Genko Historical Museum (元寇史料館; Museum of the Mongol Invasion) in Higashi Koen (East Park) displays Japanese and Mongolian arms and armor from the 13th century as well as paintings on historical subjects; open on weekends
- Hakata Machiya Folk Museum – Dedicated to displaying the traditional ways of life, speech, and culture of the Fukuoka region
- Fukuoka Castle – a castle in Chūō-ku, Fukuoka
- Hakata Gion Yamakasa – Japanese festival celebrated 1–15 July
- Ōhori Park – a registered Place of Scenic Beauty
- Kyushu National Museum – The collections cover the history of Kyūshū from prehistory to the Meiji era with particular emphasis on the rich history of cultural exchange between Kyūshū and neighboring China and Korea
- HKT48 Theater – where the idol group HKT48 performs every day
- LinQ – the Kyushu idol group meaning "Love in Kyushu", local theater where the LinQ performs weekly on Saturday and Sunday in Tenjin Best Hall
- Bairin-ji – Rinzai temple and garden in Kurume
Major events and festivals[edit]
- Hakata Dontaku Harbour Festival, Tenjin, Fukuoka on May 3 and 4
- Hakata Gion Yamagasa, Kushida Shrine, Fukuoka in July
- Kokura Gion Yamagasa, Kitakyushu in July
- Tobata Gion Yamagasa, Kitakyushu in July
- Kurosaki Gion Yamagasa, Kitakyushu in July
- Kitahara Hakushu Festival, Yanagawa on November 1 to 3[citation needed]
Sports[edit]
The sports teams listed below are based in Fukuoka.
- Football (soccer)
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Rugby
- Coca-Cola Red Sparks (Fukuoka City)
- Fukuoka Sanix Blues (Munakata)
- Kyuden Voltex
- Sanix World Rugby Youth Tournament
The prefecture has two significant annual athletics events: the Fukuoka International Cross Country and the Fukuoka International Open Marathon Championship. The marathon has been held in Fukuoka since 1959 and has seen world records broken.[8]
Crime and safety[edit]
Fukuoka Prefecture has the most designated yakuza groups among all of the prefectures, at five: the Kudo-kai, the Taishu-kai, the Fukuhaku-kai, the Dojin-kai and the Kyushu Seido-kai.[9] Between 2004 and 2009, and in early 2011,[10] Fukuoka Prefecture lead the nation in gun-related incidents.[11] These incidents were mostly related to the local yakuza syndicates, specifically the Kudo-kai, the Dojin-kai, and the Kyushu Seido-kai.[10]
Fukuoka Prefecture has had the highest frequency of youth crime among the prefectures of Japan since 2003.[12]
Tourism[edit]
The most popular place for tourism is Fukuoka City, especially at the time of the Dontaku festival, and Dazaifu, although Kitakyūshū has tried to attract tourists.
Transportation[edit]
Rail[edit]
- West Japan Railway Company(=JR Nishinihon)
- JR Kyushu
- Nishi-Nippon Railroad
- Amagi Railway
- Heisei Chikuhō Railway
- Fukuoka City Subway
- Kitakyushu Monorail
Air[edit]
Sister regions[edit]
- Hawaii, United States
- Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
- Delhi, India
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Hanoi, Vietnam
Notes[edit]
- ^ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fukuoka-ken" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 218, p. 218, at Google Books.
- ^ Nussbaum, "Fukuoka" in p. 218, p. 218, at Google Books.
- ^ Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" in p. 780, p. 780, at Google Books.
- ^ "Nationwide List of Ichinomiya," p. 3 Archived May 17, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.; retrieved 2012-10-26.
- ^ "General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture" (PDF). Ministry of the Environment. 1 April 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
- ^ [1]
- ^ http://www.fukuoka-edu.ac.jp/
- ^ Nakamura, Ken. Marathon - A history of the Fukuoka International Marathon Championships by K. Ken Nakamura - Part 1 1947-1966. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-02-28.
- ^ "Retrospection and Outlook of Crime Measure", p.15 Archived 2011-09-27 at the Wayback Machine., Masahiro Tamura, 2009, National Police Agency (in Japanese)
- ^ a b "Gunfire, The worst in the nation, None has been solved" Archived 2012-09-05 at Archive.is, 23 June 2011, Nishinippon Shimbun (in Japanese)
- ^ "Fukuoka yakuza groups tackle police pressure in all-out war", 4 May 2010, The Tokyo Reporter, from Friday May 14, p.22-23 (in Japanese)
- ^ 非行防げ、捜査員奮闘…少年犯罪全国ワースト1の福岡 Archived 2009-02-12 at the Wayback Machine., Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese)
References[edit]
- Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. 2005. Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5; OCLC 58053128
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fukuoka Prefecture. |
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Fukuoka Prefecture. |