Fukuoka Prefecture
| 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 |
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Fukuoka Prefecture (福岡県 Fukuoka-ken?) is a prefecture of Japan located 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, Hakosagi-gū and Usa jinjū are the chief Shinto shrines (ichinomiya) in the prefecture. [4]
Geography[edit]
Fukuoka Prefecture faces the sea on three sides, bordering on Saga, Ōita, and Kumamoto prefectures and facing Yamaguchi Prefecture across the Kanmon Straits.
As of 1 April 2012, 18% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely 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 located in Fukuoka Prefecture:
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Fukuoka City
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Kitakyushu
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Kurume
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Omuta
Towns and villages[edit]
These are the towns and villages in each district:
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 noteworthy as the place where tire manufacturer Bridgestone[1] 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 the latest Japanese population estimates (1 June 2013), 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 various countries of 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 Masjid Al Nour Islamic Culture Center, Dedicated to share Islamic subjects and culture.
- HKT48 Theater, local theater where the Idol group HKT48 performs every day.
Major events and festivals[edit]
- Hakata Dontaku Harbour Festival, Tenjin, Fukuoka on May 3 and 4
- Hakata Gion Yamagasa, Kushida Shrine, Fukuoka on July
- Kokura Gion Yamagasa, Kitakyushu on July
- Tobata Gion Yamagasa, Kitakyushu on July
- Kurosaki Gion Yamagasa, Kitakyushu on 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 West 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 race has been held in Fukuoka since 1959 and has seen a number of world records broken during its history.[7]
Crime and safety[edit]
Fukuoka Prefecture has the largest number of designated yakuza groups among all of the prefectures, at 5; the Kudo-kai, the Taishu-kai, the Fukuhaku-kai, the Dojin-kai and the Kyushu Seido-kai.[8] Between 2004 and 2009, and in early 2011,[9] Fukuoka Prefecture leads the nation in gun-related incidents.[10] These incidents were mostly related to the local yakuza syndicates, specifically the Kudo-kai, the Dojin-kai and the Kyushu Seido-kai.[9]
Fukuoka Prefecture has had the highest frequency of youth crime among all of the prefectures of Japan since 2003.[11]
Tourism[edit]
The most popular place for tourism is Fukuoka City, especially at the time of the Dontaku festival, and Dazaifu, although Kitakyūshū has also tried to attract tourists.
Transportation[edit]
Train
- West Japan Railway Company(=JR Nishinihon)
- JR Kyushu
- Nishi-Nippon Railroad
- Amagi Railway
- Heisei Chikuhō Railway
- Fukuoka City Subway
- Kitakyushu Monorail
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; 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.
- ^ 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, Masahiro Tamura, 2009, National Police Agency (Japanese)
- ^ a b "Gunfire, The worst in the nation, None has been solved", 23 June 2011, Nishinippon Shimbun (Japanese)
- ^ "Fukuoka yakuza groups tackle police pressure in all-out war", 4 May 2010, The Tokyo Reporter, from Friday May 14, p.22-23 (Japanese)
- ^ 非行防げ、捜査員奮闘…少年犯罪全国ワースト１の福岡 - Yomiuri Shimbun (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]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fukuoka Prefecture. |
Fukuoka Prefecture travel guide from Wikivoyage- Official Fukuoka Prefecture website (English)
- Official Fukuoka Tourism Association website (English)
- Fukuoka information homepage (English)
- Fukuoka Talk (English)
- English labelled map of Fukuoka Prefecture (English)
- National Archives of Japan ... Fukuoka map (1891)
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