Fukuoka Prefecture

{{See also|List of Historic Sites of Japan (Fukuoka)|History of Fukuoka|History of Dazaifu, Fukuoka}}

Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen.Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" in {{Google books|p2QnPijAEmEC|p. 780|page=780}}.

Kōra taisha, Sumiyoshi-jinja, and Hakozaki-gū are the chief Shinto shrines (ichinomiya) in the prefecture.[http://eos.kokugakuin.ac.jp/modules/xwords/images/uploads/EOS070712Ab.pdf "Nationwide List of Ichinomiya," p. 3] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130517061440/http://eos.kokugakuin.ac.jp/modules/xwords/images/uploads/EOS070712Ab.pdf |date=May 17, 2013 }}; retrieved 2012-10-26.

There are several historically important Buddhist temples in the Prefecture. Monks would sail back from China after completing their studies and establish temples in the heart of Hakata (now Fukuoka) City.

Monk Eisai founded Shōfuku-ji which is known today as the oldest zen temple in Japan,

monk Kukai established Tocho-ji, and Joten-ji was built by Enni who is also known for bringing Udon noodles first to Japan.

The oldest temple is Kanzeon-ji that was founded by the Emperor in Dazaifu during the 7th century to honor his mother. Kanzeon-ji together with Kaidan-in, that used to be part of the former, was one of the three distinct places in Japan where Buddhist monks could ordain.

During the Tokugawa shogunate when the country was ruled by 300 local feudal lords (daimyo), an important daimyo, Arima Toyōji was relocated to this region and thus he moved his family temple to Kurume City. This zen temple is known today as Bairin-ji and is a main temple for zen practice in Fukuoka Prefecture and Kyushu. It is located on the West bank of Chiguko River, next to the Shinkansen station of Kurume city.{{fix|link=Wikipedia:Citations needed|text=citation needed|class=Template-Fact}}

File:Map of Fukuoka Prefecture Ja.svg

Fukuoka Prefecture faces the sea on three sides, bordering Saga, Ōita, and Kumamoto prefectures and facing Yamaguchi Prefecture across the Kanmon Straits.

{{historical populations|13=1890|14=1,236,015|15=1903|16=1,571,158|17=1913|18=1,926,417|19=1920|20=2,188,249|21=1925|22=2,301,668|23=1930|24=2,527,119|25=1935|26=2,755,804|27=1940|28=3,094,132|29=1945|30=2,746,855|31=1950|32=3,530,169|33=1955|34=3,859,764|35=1960|36=4,006,679|37=1965|38=3,964,611|percentages=pagr|footnote=source:{{Cite web |url=http://www.stat.go.jp/english/index.html |title=Statistics Bureau of Japan |access-date=July 21, 2019 |archive-date=November 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108132422/http://www.stat.go.jp/english/index.html |url-status=live }}|39=1970|40=4,027,416|41=1975|42=4,292,963|43=1980|44=4,553,461|45=1985|46=4,719,259|47=1990|48=4,811,050|49=1995|50=4,933,393|51=2000|52=5,015,699|53=2005|54=5,049,908|55=2010|56=5,071,968|57=2015|58=5,101,556}}

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.env.go.jp/en/nature/nps/park/doc/files/np_6.pdf |title=General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture |publisher=Ministry of the Environment |date=1 April 2012 |access-date=8 December 2013 |archive-date=April 21, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120421180819/http://www.env.go.jp/en/nature/nps/park/doc/files/np_6.pdf |url-status=live }}

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.

{{See also|List of cities in Fukuoka Prefecture by population}}

There are twenty-nine cities in Fukuoka Prefecture:

{{div col}}

• Asakura
• Buzen
• Chikugo
• Chikushino
• Dazaifu
• Fukuoka (capital)
• Fukutsu
• Iizuka
• Itoshima
• Kama
• Kasuga
• Kitakyūshū
• Koga
• Kurume
• Miyama
• Miyawaka
• Munakata
• Nakagawa
• Nakama
• Nōgata
• Ogōri
• Ōkawa
• Ōmuta
• Ōnojō
• Tagawa
• Ukiha
• Yame
• Yanagawa
• Yukuhashi

{{div col end}}

File:Fukuoka City from Fukuoka Tower 2.jpg|Fukuoka City

File:Cityscape of Tobata,Kitakyushu.JPG|Tobata, Kitakyushu

File:View of Kurume City.JPG|Kurume

File:Omuta and unzen.jpg|Omuta

These are the towns and villages in each district:

{{div col}}

• Asakura District
• Chikuzen
• Tōhō
• Chikujō District
• Chikujō
• Kōge
• Yoshitomi
• Kaho District
• Keisen
• Kasuya District
• Hisayama
• Kasuya
• Sasaguri
• Shime
• Shingū
• Sue
• Umi
• Kurate District
• Kotake
• Kurate
• Mii District
• Tachiarai
• Miyako District
• Kanda
• Miyako
• Mizuma District
• Ōki
• Onga District
• Ashiya
• Mizumaki
• Okagaki
• Onga
• Tagawa District
• Aka
• Fukuchi
• Itoda
• Kawara
• Kawasaki
• Ōtō
• Soeda
• Yame District
• Hirokawa

{{div col end}}

{{main article|List of mergers in Fukuoka Prefecture}}

Fukuoka prefecture's main cities form one of Japan's main industrial centers, accounting for nearly 40% of the economy of Kyūshū.{{cite web|url=https://www.fukuoka-fg.com/vision/03.html|title=九州のポテンシャル|publisher=福岡銀行|access-date=2023-05-16|archive-date=May 16, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230516021814/https://www.fukuoka-fg.com/vision/03.html|url-status=live}} GDP exceeds 154 billion US dollars, comparable to that of a medium-sized country.{{cite web|url=https://www.jetro.go.jp/en/invest/region/data/fukuoka.html|title=Fukuoka|publisher=JETRO|access-date=2023-05-16|archive-date=March 22, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322161707/https://www.jetro.go.jp/en/invest/region/data/fukuoka.html|url-status=live}} Major industries include automobiles, semiconductors, and steel. Fukuoka prefecture is where tire manufacturer Bridgestone{{cite web|url=http://www.bridgestone.com/corporate/news/2009080401.html|title=Bridgestone Holds the Opening Ceremony for its Kitakyushu Plant|publisher=Bridgestone|date=August 4, 2009|access-date=September 17, 2009|archive-date=October 27, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131027093852/http://bridgestone.com/corporate/news/2009080401.html|url-status=dead}} and consumer electronics chain Best Denki were founded.

Well-known company headquartered in Fukuoka are as follows:{{cite web|url=https://fukuoka-times.jp/matome-company/|title=意外と知らない福岡に本社を置く有名企業13社|date=2019-02-07|access-date=2023-05-23|archive-date=May 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230523054308/https://fukuoka-times.jp/matome-company/|url-status=live}}

• TOTO Ltd. (founded in 1917)
• Yasukawa Electric Corporation (founded in 1915)
• PIETRO Co., Ltd. (founded in 1980)
• ZENRIN CO., Ltd. (founded in 1949)
• SANIX INCORPORATED (founded in 1975)
• HASEGAWA Co.Ltd. (founded in 1929)
• Plenus Co., Ltd. (founded in 1976)
• LEVEL-5 Inc. (founded in 1998)
• Star Flyer Inc. (founded in 2002)
• DAIICHI KOUTSU SANGYO Co., Ltd. (founded in 1960)
• Shabondama Soap Co., Ltd. (founded in 1910)
• MoonStar Company. (founded in 1873)
• Shinoken Group. Co., Ltd. (founded in 1990)

One of Japan's top 5 universities, Kyushu University, is located in Fukuoka.

File:Fukuoka prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg

According to October 2018 estimates, the population in Fukuoka Prefecture reached 5,111,494 inhabitants, making the prefecture the 9th most populated of Japan's 47 prefectures. It is one of the few prefectures with a steadily increasing population.{{cite web |last1=Growing Cities |first1=In Japan |title=List of cities that are exceeding the birth rate |url=https://www.villagehouse.jp/blog/en/local-area-guides-en/growing-cities-in-japan/ |website=www.villagehouse.jp |date=13 November 2019 |access-date=11 May 2022 |archive-date=May 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220526234342/https://www.villagehouse.jp/blog/en/local-area-guides-en/growing-cities-in-japan/ |url-status=live }}

File:Fukuoka City Museum 2018.jpg

File:Fukuoka Asian Art Museum 20170623.jpg

File:Bulwark aginst Mongola Invasion vid.webm

• 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
• {{ill|Genko Historical Museum|ja|元寇史料館}} (元寇史料館, Museum of the Mongol Invasion) in {{ill|Higashi Koen|ja|東公園 (福岡市)}} (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
• Zendō-ji – Jōdo-shū temple in Kurume

• Hakata Dontaku Harbour Festival, Tenjin, Fukuoka on May 3 and 4
• Hakata Gion Yamakasa, 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|date=February 2012}}

File:Level5 Stadium 03.JPG

File:Fukuoka Dome 2008-1.jpg

The sports teams listed below are based in Fukuoka.

;Football (soccer)

• Avispa Fukuoka (Fukuoka City)
• Giravanz Kitakyushu (Kitakyūshū City)
• Fukuoka J. Anclas

;Baseball

• Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (Fukuoka City)

;Basketball

• Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka (Fukuoka City)

;Rugby

• Coca-Cola Red Sparks (Fukuoka City)
• Fukuoka Sanix Blues (Munakata)
• Kyuden Voltex
• Sanix World Rugby Youth Tournament

File:Mikuni World stadium2.JPG

The prefecture hosts the Fukuoka International Cross Country competition. The prefecture also hosted the Fukuoka Marathon, which was an elite marathon in which marathon world records were established twice during its 75-year existence.Nakamura, Ken. [http://www.iaaf.org/community/athletics/trackfield/newsid=9476.html Marathon - A history of the Fukuoka International Marathon Championships by K. Ken Nakamura - Part 1 1947-1966] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101208025948/http://www.iaaf.org/community/athletics/trackfield/newsid=9476.html |date=December 8, 2010 }}. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-02-28. Its final race took place in 2021.{{cite web| last=Johnson| first=Len| title=Farewell to Fukuoka| url=https://www.runnerstribe.com/latest-news/farewell-to-fukuoka-by-len-johnson/| date=2021-12-06| access-date=December 8, 2021| archive-date=December 8, 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211208031224/https://www.runnerstribe.com/latest-news/farewell-to-fukuoka-by-len-johnson/| url-status=live}}

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 Namikawa-kai.{{Cite web |url=https://www.police.pref.fukuoka.jp/boutai/sotai/007.html |title="福岡県内の指定暴力団" |access-date=May 15, 2023 |archive-date=November 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221102185922/https://www.police.pref.fukuoka.jp/boutai/sotai/007.html |url-status=live }} Between 2004 and 2009, and in early 2011,[http://www.nishinippon.co.jp/nnp/item/248434 "Gunfire, The worst in the nation, None has been solved"] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120905231739/http://www.nishinippon.co.jp/nnp/item/248434 |date=2012-09-05 }}, 23 June 2011, Nishinippon Shimbun {{in lang|ja}} Fukuoka Prefecture led the nation in gun-related incidents.[http://www.tokyoreporter.com/2010/05/04/fukuoka-yakuza-groups-tackle-police-pressure-in-all-out-war/ "Fukuoka yakuza groups tackle police pressure in all-out war"], 4 May 2010, The Tokyo Reporter, from Friday May 14, p.22-23 {{in lang|ja}} These incidents were mostly related to the local yakuza syndicates, specifically the Kudo-kai, the Dojin-kai, and the Kyushu Seido-kai.

Fukuoka Prefecture had the highest frequency of youth crime among the prefectures of Japan from 2003 to 2007.[http://kyushu.yomiuri.co.jp/magazine/rupo/0709/ru_709_070913.htm 非行防げ、捜査員奮闘...少年犯罪全国ワースト1の福岡] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212201427/http://kyushu.yomiuri.co.jp/magazine/rupo/0709/ru_709_070913.htm |date=2009-02-12 }}, Yomiuri Shimbun {{in lang|ja}}

According to statistics from the national police, the crime rate in Fukuoka was the eighth-highest in 2017, lower than in Osaka, Tokyo, Hyogo, Aichi, Saitama, Chiba and Ibaraki.{{Cite web|url=https://diamond.jp/articles/-/171318|title=「犯罪の県民性」大阪が全国ワースト、殺人1位、すり2位|website=Diamond Online|date=2 June 2018|access-date=November 27, 2018|archive-date=November 29, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181129100130/https://diamond.jp/articles/-/171318|url-status=live}}

{{see also|Kyushu National Museum|List of Historic Sites of Japan (Fukuoka)|List of Places of Scenic Beauty of Japan (Fukuoka)}}

File:Beach of Seaside Momochi Seaside Park 3.jpg as seen from Seaside Momochi]]

File:Riverwalk Kitakyushu 20130721.jpg

File:Fukuoka Yanagawa03bs3200.jpg

File:Gate to Dazaifu Tenmagu shrine.JPG]]

The most popular place for tourism is Fukuoka City, especially during the Dontaku festival, which attracts millions of visitors from across Japan during Golden Week.{{Cite web|url=https://www.japan.travel/en/spot/1972/|title=Hakata Dontaku Festival|website=Japan National Tourism Organization|access-date=November 27, 2018|archive-date=November 29, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181129055845/https://www.japan.travel/en/spot/1972/|url-status=live}} Fukuoka is the main shopping, dining, transportation and entertainment hub in Kyushu.

Dazaifu is popular for its many temples and historical sites, as well as the Kyushu National Museum.

Yanagawa is sometimes called "the Venice of Japan" for its boat tours on the abundant, calm rivers that wind through the city.{{Cite web|url=https://chikugo7koku.net/area/|title=水の国 柳川|website=筑後七国よかとこ巡り旅|access-date=November 27, 2018|archive-date=November 29, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181129060019/https://chikugo7koku.net/area/|url-status=live}}

Kitakyushu features one of the famous night views of Japan from atop Mt. Sarakura, accessible via cablecar. The Mojiko area features waterfront dining, a market, and several preserved historical buildings. The Kanmon Kaikyo Tunnel which connects Kyushu (Moji ward, Kitakyushu) and Honshu (Shimonoseki) is free to walk through. The city center in Kokurakita ward contains the Riverwalk and Itsutsuya shopping complexes, Kokura castle, and the Uomachi Gintengai shopping arcade, the oldest shopping arcade in Japan.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gururich-kitaq.com/en/search/category/detail.php?id=55|title=Uomachi-gintengai Street|website=Kitakyushu City Travel Guide|access-date=November 27, 2018|archive-date=November 29, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181129100153/https://www.gururich-kitaq.com/en/search/category/detail.php?id=55|url-status=live}}

In the "19 best places to visit in 2019" published by the U.S. CNN, Fukuoka Prefecture was chosen as the only destination in Japan.{{Cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/places-to-visit-2019/index.html|title=CNN Travel's 19 best places to visit in 2019|website=CNN travel|date=2 January 2019|access-date=2023-05-16|archive-date=May 16, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230516015501/https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/places-to-visit-2019/index.html|url-status=live}}

File:Sumiyoshi-dori Street in front of Hakata Station 2.jpg|Hakata Station

File:Nishi-Nippon Railroad - Series 3000 - 01.JPG|Nishitetsu Tenjin Ōmuta Line

File:Hakata Port International Terminal 1.jpg|Hakata Ferry Terminal

{{Unreferenced section|date=May 2022}}

• Amagi Railway
• Amagi Railway Amagi Line
• Fukuoka City Subway
• Kūkō Line, Hakozaki Line, Nanakuma Line
• Heisei Chikuhō Railway
• Ita Line, Itota Line, Tagawa Line
• Coto Coto Train
• JR Kyushu
• Kyūshū Shinkansen, Kagoshima Main Line, Chikuhō Main Line, Nippō Main Line, Kyudai Main Line
• Chikuhi Line, Gotōji Line, Kashii Line, Hitahikosan Line, Sasaguri Line
• Kitakyushu Monorail
• Nishi-Nippon Railroad
• Tenjin Ōmuta Line, Dazaifu Line, Nishitetsu Amagi Line, Kaizuka Line
• West Japan Railway Company(=JR Nishinihon)
• Sanyō Shinkansen
• Hakata Minami Line

• Fukuoka Airport
• New Kitakyushu airport

• {{flagicon|Thailand}} Bangkok, Thailand
• {{flagicon|India}} Delhi, India
• {{flagicon|USA}} Hawaii, United States{{cite web |last1=Hawaii and |first1=Fukuoka friendship agreement |title=Hawaii-Fukuoka sister state relationship |url=http://www.hawaiifukuokakenjinkai.org/hawaii-fukuoka-sister-state-relationship/ |website=hawaiifukuokakenjinkai/ |publisher=Fukuoka Keniinkai |access-date=11 May 2022 |archive-date=May 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517021119/http://www.hawaiifukuokakenjinkai.org/hawaii-fukuoka-sister-state-relationship/ |url-status=live }}
• {{flagicon|Vietnam}} Hanoi, Vietnam
• {{flagicon|PRC}} Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China

{{Reflist}}

• Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth (2005). [https://books.google.com/books?id=p2QnPijAEmEC Japan Encyclopedia]. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-674-01753-5}}. {{Oclc|58053128}}.

{{Commons}}

{{Wikivoyage}}

• {{Official website|http://www.pref.fukuoka.lg.jp/somu/multilingual/english/top.html}}
• {{Official website|http://www.fukuoka-tourism.net/e/index.html|Official Fukuoka Tourism Association website}}
• {{Official website|http://www.kyushu.com/fukuoka/|Fukuoka information homepage}}
• [https://www.digital.archives.go.jp/img.L/1635619 Fukuoka map (1891)] – National Archives of Japan

{{Fukuoka}}

{{Regions and administrative divisions of Japan}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Kyushu region

Category:Prefectures of Japan