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Information
- Location: Northern tip of Kyushu, 1,100㎞ southwest of Tokyo
- Area: 482.39㎢
- Population: 1.01 million
- Climate: Mild, with an average temperature of 16˚C
- Other information:
1) Educational institutions: Kitakyushu University, Kitakyushu Industrial College
2) Cultural and entertainment facilities: Space World (Disneyland), Kokura Castle
3) Famous sites: Kitakyushu Media Dome (velodrome), Kitakyushu Airport, International Conference Hall - Sisterhood ties established on Dec. 20, 1988.
- Web address: www.city.kitakyushu.jp
City Overview
The city of Kitakyushu, the second-largest city on the island of Kyushu after Fukuoka, is well known as a coastal industrial city. It is located at the northern tip of Kyushu, which in the southernmost part of Japan.
The Kokura ward, located at the center of the city, plays a major role in the administration of Kitakyushu City. The presence of Kokura Castle, where a feudal lord lived during feudal times, suggests that Kokura was at the center of Kitakyushu City's history.
Fukuoka, the largest commercial city in Kyushu, is located within an hour's drive southwest of Kitakyushu. The Moji ward at the northern end is connected with Shimonoseki City on Honshu by the Kanmon Strait, and serves as a center for land transportation.
It is also a center for sea transportation, with high-speed ferries that carry passengers to Busan and Ulsan in Korea.
The city was established in 1963 through the union of the neighboring cities of Kokura, Moji, Tobata, Wakamatsu and Yahata, which are now wards.
Construction of Kitakyushu Airport
The city built an offshore airport for international flights, a project that was completed in 2006.
The city has plans to develop its environmental and recycling industries, and to improve the condition of Murasaki River, which flows near Kokura Station and beside the central part of the city. The city also plans to focus on developing its tourism industry.
Sisterhood History
- Dec. 20, 1988: A sisterhood relationship is established by city delegates participating in the annual festivals
of both cities. - A flurry of exchanges then took place between the two pan-Yellow Sea cities, including mayoral meetings,
conferences among businessmen, working-level meetings, environmental forums, and exchanges between teenagers and athletes. - Practical economic exchanges through the AIM Incheon Trade Office
- Promotion of a profit model and technology training for small and mid-sized companies
- Operation of an Incheon booth at the Kitakyushu Expo-Festival 2001
- March 2002: Exhibition by 170 Kitakyushu calligraphers in Incheon
- Aug. 2003: Participation of Kitakyushu delegates in the Incheon Summer Festival
- Oct. 2003: Participation of Kitakyushu delegates in the Incheon Citizens' Day Festival
- April 2003: Mayor of Kitakyushu visits Incheon
