Fukuoka Prefecture

history

,is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.

History

Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen.

Fukuoka Prefecture has signed Friendship Agreements with Bangkok, Thailand, Delhi, India, and Hanoi, Vietnam.

Geography

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

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

Twenty-eight cities are located in Fukuoka Prefecture: {| |valign="top"|

Asakura
Buzen
Chikugo
Chikushino
Dazaifu
Fukuoka (capital)

::Chūō-ku ::Hakata-ku ::Higashi-ku ::Jonan-ku ::Minami-ku ::Nishi-ku ::Sawara-ku |valign="top"|

Fukutsu
Iizuka
Kama
Kasuga
Kitakyūshū

::Kokurakita-ku ::Kokuraminami-ku ::Moji-ku ::Tobata-ku ::Wakamatsu-ku ::Yahatahigashi-ku ::Yahatanishi-ku

Koga

|valign="top"|

Kurume
Maebaru
Miyama
Miyawaka
Munakata
Nakama
Nōgata
Ogōri
Ōkawa
Ōmuta
Ōnojō
Tagawa
Ukiha
Yame
Yanagawa
Yukuhashi

Towns and villages

These are the towns and villages in each district. {| |valign="top"|

Asakura District

::Chikuzen ::Tōhō

Chikujō District

::Chikujō ::Kōge

Chikushi District

::Nakagawa

Itoshima District

::Nijō ::Shima

Kaho District

::Keisen

Kasuya District

::Hisayama ::Kasuya ::Sasaguri ::Shime ::Shingū ::Sue ::Umi |valign="top"|

Kurate District

::Kotake ::Kurate

Mii District

::Tachiarai

Miyako District

::Kanda ::Miyako

Mizuma District

::Ōki

Onga District

::Ashiya ::Mizumaki ::Okagaki ::Onga |valign="top"|

Tagawa District

::Aka ::Fukuchi ::Itoda ::Kawara ::Kawasaki ::Ōtō ::Soeda

Yame District

::Hirokawa ::Hoshino ::Kurogi ::Tachibana ::Yabe |}

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 »http://www.bridgestone.com/corporate/news/2009080401.html and consumer electronics chain Best Denki were founded.

Universities

{| | Institution || Location |- | Fukuoka University || Fukuoka |- | Kurume University || Kurume |- | Kyūshū Institute of Technology|| Kitakyūshū and Iizuka |- | Kyūshū University || Fukuoka |- | Seinan Gakuin University || Fukuoka |- | Kyūshū Institute of Information Sciences , | Dazaifu |- | Kyūshū Sangyo University || Fukuoka |}

Demographics

Culture

»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 [http://kyushu.com/fukuoka/places_to_go/higashi_koen/1,city_parks,0,,1,1,0,,x.shtml 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.

[http://kyushu.com/fukuoka/places_to_go/folk_museum/1,museums_galleries,0,,1,1,0,,x.shtml Hakata Machiya Folk Museum] - Dedicated to displaying the traditional ways of life, speech, and culture of the Fukuoka region.

Sports
The sports teams listed below are based in Fukuoka.

Football (soccer)
Avispa Fukuoka (Fukuoka City)

;Baseball
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (Fukuoka City)

;Basketball
Fukuoka Rizing (Fukuoka City)

;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.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.

Tourism
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
'''Train