Kyushu

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The island is mountainous, and Japan's most active volcano, Mount Aso at {{convert|1591|m}}, is on Kyūshū. 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 Kyūshū. The island is separated from Honshu by the Kanmon Straits. Being the nearest island to the Asian continent,Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth (2005). [https://books.google.com/books?id=p2QnPijAEmEC Japan Encyclopedia]. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-674-01753-5}}. {{OCLC|58053128}}.

historically it is the gateway to Japan.{{Cite book |title=Kyushu, gateway to Japan : a concise history |first=Andrew |last=Cobbing |date=2009 |publisher=Global Oriental |isbn=9789004213128 |pages=157 |oclc=754792858}}

The total area is {{convert|36,782.37|km²|sqmi|abbr=on}} which makes it the 37th largest island in the world.{{Cite web |date=2016-10-01 |url=http://www.gsi.go.jp/KOKUJYOHO/MENCHO/201610/f3_shima.pdf |title=平成28年全国都道府県市区町村別面積調 島面積 |publisher=国土地理院 |accessdate=2017-02-27}} It's slightly larger than Taiwan island {{convert|35,808|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thoughtco.com/islands-of-japan-1435071|title=Discover the Geography of the 4 Main Islands of Japan |work=ThoughtCo |access-date=2018-09-26}} The highest elevation is {{convert|1791|m|0|abbr=off|comma=5|sp=us}} on Mount Kujū.{{cite web |url=http://www.peaklist.org/WWlists/ultras/japan.html |title=Japan Ultra-Prominences |publisher=Peaklist.org |accessdate=2015-01-01}}

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.{{Cite book|title=Kyushu, Gateway to Japan: A Concise History |first=Andrew |last=Cobbing |date=2009 |publisher=Global Oriental |isbn=9789004213128 |pages=3 |oclc=754792858}}

Today's {{nihongo|Kyūshū Region|{{lang|ja|九州地方}}|Kyūshū-chihō}} is a politically defined region that consists of the seven prefectures on the island of Kyūshū (which also includes the former Tsushima and Iki as part of Nagasaki), plus Okinawa Prefecture to the south:

• Northern Kyūshū
• Fukuoka Prefecture
• Kumamoto Prefecture
• Nagasaki Prefecture
• Ōita Prefecture
• Saga Prefecture
• Southern Kyūshū
• Kagoshima Prefecture
• Miyazaki Prefecture
• Okinawa
• Okinawa Prefecture

Kyūshū has 10.3{{nbsp}}percent of the population of Japan.{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=90C4DgAAQBAJ&pg=PA16| page=16| title=The Philippine Archipelago |first=Yves |last=Boquet |publisher=Springer |year= 2017|isbn= 9783319519265}} Most of Kyūshū's population is concentrated along the northwest, in the cities of Fukuoka and Kitakyushu, with population corridors stretching southwest into Sasebo and Nagasaki and south into Kumamoto and Kagoshima. Except for Oita and Miyazaki, the eastern seaboard shows a general decline in population.

Politically, Kyūshū is described as a stronghold of the Liberal Democratic Party.{{cite news|title=Japanese voters want a plan to handle a declining population|url=https://www.economist.com/news/asia/21730003-election-campaign-disappointing-them-japanese-voters-want-plan-handle-declining|newspaper=The Economist|date=5 October 2017}}

Per Japanese census data,{{Cite web|url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/japan/cities/fukuoka/|title=Fukuoka (Japan): Prefecture, Major Cities & Towns - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information |website=www.citypopulation.de}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.demographia.com/db-japanpref.htm|title=Japan Prefectures Population from 1920 and Area |website=www.demographia.com}} the Kyūshū region's population with Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa and Kagoshima Prefectures) has experienced a large population decline since around 2000. However, the population decline in total is mild because of the relatively high birth rate of Ryukyuans both within the Ryukyuan lands (Okinawa and Kagoshima) and throughout the Kyūshū region. In addition, the other prefectures in Kyūshū also have exceptionally high TFRs compared to the rest of Japan.{{Cite web |url=https://www8.cao.go.jp/shoushi/shoushika/research/cyousa23/kankyo/pdf/5.pdf |title=「都市と地方における子育て環境の違いから得られた知見」 |access-date=2022-02-09 |archive-date=2023-03-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313001044/https://www8.cao.go.jp/shoushi/shoushika/research/cyousa23/kankyo/pdf/5.pdf |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/saikin/hw/jinkou/geppo/nengai20/dl/h9.pdf|title=令和２年(2020)人口動態統計月報年計（概数）の概況}} The Ryukyuans are an indigenous minority group in Japan.

• Fukuoka (population: 1,588,924)
• Kitakyushu (population: 940,978)
• Kumamoto (population: 738,907)

• Kagoshima
• Kurume
• Miyazaki
• Naha
• Nagasaki
• Ōita
• Saga
• Sasebo

Parts of Kyūshū have a subtropical climate, particularly Miyazaki Prefecture and Kagoshima Prefecture. Major agricultural products are rice, tea, tobacco, sweet potatoes, and soy; also, silk is widely produced.

Besides the volcanic area of the south, there are significant mud hot springs in the northern part of the island, around Beppu. The springs are the site of occurrence of certain extremophile microorganisms, which are capable of surviving in extremely hot environments.C. Michael Hogan. 2010. [http://www.eoearth.org/article/Extremophile?topic=49540 Extremophile]. eds. E. Monosson and C. Cleveland. Encyclopedia of Earth. National Council for Science and the Environment, Washington DC

There are two World Natural Heritage sites in Kyushu: Yakushima (registered in 1993) and Amami-Ōshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, northern part of Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island (registered in 2021).{{Cite web|title=日本の世界遺産一覧 |url=https://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/bunkazai/shokai/sekai_isan/ichiran/|website=文化庁|language=ja| access-date=2023-05-22}}

{{main|Economy of Japan}}

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Kyushu's economy accounts for approximately 10% of Japan's total economic output, making it comparable to countries such as Iran, Norway, Austria, the United Arab Emirates, and Thailand. It is the fourth largest economic region in Japan, following the three major metropolitan areas of Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya.{{Cite web|title=potential of Kyūshū |url=https://www.fukuoka-fg.com/vision/03.html|website=Fukuoka financial group|language=ja|access-date=2023-05-16}}

Kyūshū's economy has a well-balanced industrial structure, ranging from primary industries such as agriculture, to secondary industries such as manufacturing, and tertiary industries such as retail, services, and tourism. Agricultural output in the region amounts to 1.8 trillion yen (20% share of the national total), and the region is a major domestic production center for the automobile and semiconductor industries. Kyūshū also has a thriving healthcare industry, including medical and nursing care, and numerous research and manufacturing facilities in the fields of hydrogen, solar power, and other renewable energies. Furthermore, Fukuoka City, Kitakyushu City and Okinawa Prefecture have been designated as National Strategic Special Zones, which are expected to have an economic ripple effect on the entire Kyūshū region through the creation of innovation in industry and the promotion of new entrepreneurship and start-ups.

Kyūshū is a region with strong economic ties to Asia. For example, Asia accounted for 420 (77.9%) of the 539 overseas expansion cases of Kyūshū-Yamaguchi companies from 2010 to 2019, and Asia accounted for 61.1% of Kyūshū-Yamaguchi's total exports in 2019, 7.4 percentage points higher than the nation as a whole. As the logistics node between Japan and Asia, the ports of Hakata and Kitakyushu handle a large number of international containers. In addition, the number of cruise ship calls in 2019 was 772, with Kyūshū accounting for 26.9% of the nation's total.{{Cite web|title=はじめての九州経済 |url=https://www.kerc.or.jp/economy/gaikan/|website=Kyushu economic research center|language=ja|access-date=2023-05-22}}

Kyūshū 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, metal processing, shipbuilding, etc.{{Cite web|title=JAPAN PRODUCTS: Business Directory of Japanese Companies.|url=http://japan-product.com/|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-28}} The island of Tanegashima hosts the Tanegashima Space Center, which is the largest rocket-launch complex in Japan.

Kyushu has maintained the strongest economic and cultural ties with Okinawa (Ryukyu) from ancient times to the present. Traces of Okinawan culture can be seen throughout Kyushu, and vice versa. Okinawan musical scales are often found in local folk songs, and there are many similarities in cuisine and language. Kyushu is also home to a unique traditional instrument called the gottan, which resembles the sanshin and shamisen. The region boasts a rich tradition of craftsmanship, with numerous traditional crafts such as Hakata-ori (博多織), Beppu bamboo crafts(別府竹細工), Kurume Kasuri (久留米絣), and Sathuma Kiriko

Men from Kyushu are known as “Kyushu danji” (九州男児), and are often characterized as conservative, bold, and resilient—traits particularly associated with the region. Even today, local traditions remain deeply rooted in Kyushu, creating a distinctive culture that sets it apart from Honshu.

Kyūshū is linked to the larger island of Honshu by the Kanmon Railway Tunnel,{{Cite web|title=Kanmon Tunnel {{!}} Description, History, Construction, & Facts |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kanmon-Tunnel|access-date=2021-10-20|website=Encyclopedia Britannica |language=en}} which carries the non-Shinkansen trains of the Kyūshū Railway Company, and the newer Shin-Kanmon Tunnel carrying the San'yō Shinkansen. Railways on the island are operated by the Kyūshū Railway Company and West Japan Railway Company, as well as a variety of smaller companies such as Amagi Railway{{Cite web|title=Railways in Kyushu|url=https://www.sinfin.net/railways/world/japan/kyushu.html|access-date=2021-10-20|website=www.sinfin.net}} and Nishitetsu Railway.{{Cite web|title=Railways in Northern Kyūshū|url=http://www.japaneserailwaysociety.com/jrs/members/oliver/kyūshū/kyūshū.htm|access-date=2021-10-20|website=www.japaneserailwaysociety.com}} Kyūshū Shinkansen trains operate between major cities on the island,{{Cite web|title=Getting Around {{!}} Kyūshū Tourism Promotion Organization|url=https://www.visit-kyūshū.com/en/plan-your-trip/getting-around/|access-date=2021-10-20|website=www.visit-kyūshū.com|language=en}} such as Fukuoka and Kagoshima,{{Cite web|title=Kyūshū Shinkansen|url=https://www.japanvisitor.com/japan-travel/kyūshū-shinkansen|url-status=live|access-date=2021-10-20|website=Japan Visitor |archive-date=2021-10-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020112050/https://www.japanvisitor.com/japan-travel/kyūshū-shinkansen}} with an additional route between {{STN|Takeo-Onsen|x}} and Nagasaki which has been in operation since September 2022.{{Cite web|date=2020-07-10|title=Fukuoka to Nagasaki: How to go from Fukuoka to Nagasaki? {{!}} Japan-Rail-Pass|url=https://www.japan-rail-pass.com/node/4326|access-date=2022-04-21|website=Japan Rail Pass {{!}} Japan Rail Pass |language=en}} Kyūshū is also known for its scenic train services, such as the Limited Express Yufuin no Mori and Limited Express Kawasemi Yamasemi.

The Kanmon Bridge and Kanmon Roadway Tunnel also connect the island with Honshu, allowing for vehicular transport between the two.{{Cite web|last=MATCHA |title=Walk From Honshu To Kyūshū! 4 Ways To Cross Between The Two Islands|url=https://matcha-jp.com/en/1737|access-date=2021-10-20|website=MATCHA - JAPAN TRAVEL WEB MAGAZINE |language=en}} The Kyūshū Expressway spans the length of the island, linking the Higashikyushu Expressway and Ibusuki Skyline, connecting major cities such as Fukuoka and Kumamoto along the way.{{Cite web |title=Kyūshū Expy · Japan |url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/Kyūshū+Expy,+Japan/@32.7319959,130.7735981,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x3540f3427949e6d9:0x60891c7c25263c3!8m2!3d32.7319914!4d130.7757868 |access-date=2022-11-18 |website=Kyūshū Expy · Japan |language=en}} There are also many quiet country roads, including popular tourist routes such as the Nichinan coast road and the Aso Panorama Line in Kumamoto Prefecture. Bus services are available and cover 2,400 routes within Kyūshū's cities, connecting many other destinations.

Several passenger and car ferry services connect both northern and southern Kyūshū with main port cities on the main island of Honshu (Kobe, Osaka, Tokyo) and Shikoku.{{Cite web|url=https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2355.html|title = Domestic Ferries| date=May 2022 }}

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Major universities and colleges in Kyūshū:

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

World Heritage Sites in Kyūshū

• Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu, registered in 2000
• Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining, registered in 2015
• Sacred Island of Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata Region, registered in 2017
• Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region, registered in 2018

Historically some Kyushu-based sports team has competed in the top Japanese division of baseball (NPB), football (soccer) (J.League), basketball (B.League) or even rugby union (League One). Currently the major teams competing in Kyushu's major cities include:

• Fukuoka: Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (baseball); Avispa Fukuoka, Giravanz Kitakyushu (football); Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka (basketball); Kyuden Voltex (Rugby)
• Saga: Sagan Tosu (football); Saga Ballooners (basketball)
• Nagasaki: V-Varen Nagasaki (football); Nagasaki Velca (basketball)
• Kumamoto: Roasso Kumamoto (football); Kumamoto Volters (basketball)
• Ōita: Oita Trinita (football)
• Miyazaki: Tegevajaro Miyazaki (football)
• Kagoshima: Kagoshima United FC (football); Kagoshima Rebnise (basketball)
• Okinawa: FC Ryukyu (football); Ryukyu Golden Kings (basketball)

• Gottan(ゴッタン)
• Sanshin(三線)
• Chikuzen Biwa (筑前琵琶)
• Sathuma Biwa(薩摩琵琶)
• Thuchibue(土笛)
• Iwabue(石笛)

• Hakata Ramen(博多ラーメン)
• Mothunabe(もつ鍋)
• Yakitori(焼き鳥)
• Saraudon(皿うどん)
• Jidori no Sumibiyaki(地鶏の炭火焼)
• Akagyudon(あか牛丼)
• Chicken Nanban(チキン南蛮)
• Karashi Renkon(からし蓮根)
• Unagi no Seiromushi(ウナギのせいろ蒸し)

{{Portal|Japan|Islands|Geography}}

• Azumi people, an ancient group of people who inhabited parts of Northern Kyūshū
• Geography of Japan
• Group Kyūshū
• Hoenn, a fictional region in the Pokémon franchise which is based on Kyūshū
• Japanese archipelago
• Kanmonkyo Bridge, that connects Kyūshū with Honshū
• Kyūshū dialects, Hichiku dialect, Hōnichi dialect, and Kagoshima dialect
• Kyūshū National Museum
• List of regions in Japan
• Northern Kyūshū
• Southern Kyūshū
• United States Fleet Activities Sasebo
• Western Army (Japan)

{{reflist}}

• {{Wiktionary inline|Kyushu}}
• {{Commons and category inline|Kyushu}}
• {{Wikivoyage inline|Kyushu}}

{{Regions and administrative divisions of Japan}}

{{World's largest islands}}

{{Authority control}}

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Category:Islands of Okinawa Prefecture

Category:Islands of Kagoshima Prefecture

Category:Kyushu region

Category:Islands of Japan

Category:Japanese archipelago