Fukuoka Prefecture · Designated city
Kitakyushu
北九州市きたきゅうしゅうしKitakyūshū-shiSteel, straits and a castle town at Kyushu's northern tip
Kitakyushu is a designated city at the northern tip of Kyushu, formed in 1963 by the merger of five cities including Kokura, Moji and Yawata. It grew as the cradle of Japan's modern steel industry and a gateway port on the Kanmon Straits.
Overview
Kitakyushu faces Honshu across the narrow Kanmon Straits and forms, with Shimonoseki opposite, the link between Kyushu and the rest of Japan. It is a city of several centres: Kokura, the former castle town and today's commercial heart; Moji, the historic port at the straits; Yawata, where the state-owned steelworks opened in 1901; and the industrial and harbour towns of Tobata and Wakamatsu along Dōkai Bay.
The Yawata Steel Works, sited here for access to Chikuhō coal and to the sea, made the area the core of the Kitakyushu Industrial Zone, one of Japan's four great industrial belts. The price was severe air and water pollution in the 1960s; citizens' movements, led notably by women's associations, pushed industry and the city to clean up, and Kitakyushu is now known internationally for environmental technology and recycling.
For visitors the city combines Kokura Castle and the Tanga market, the brick and timber Western-style buildings of Mojikō Retro, the World Heritage-listed Yawata works, the night view from Mount Sarakura and, on the city's southern edge, the karst plateau of Hiraodai.
Landmarks
Kokura Castle
小倉城Kokura-jōA 1959 reconstruction of the Hosokawa keep, whose upper storey was wider than the one below it, on original stone walls, with a garden of the Ogasawara lords beside it.
Mojikō Retro
門司港レトロMojikō RetoroRestored harbour district of early 20th-century buildings, including the former Moji Customs House and the former Osaka Shōsen shipping office.
Mojikō Station
門司港駅Mojikō-ekiA neo-Renaissance timber station of 1914, the first railway station building designated an Important Cultural Property.
Former Yawata Steel Works sites
官営八幡製鐵所Kan'ei Yahata SeitetsushoThe red-brick first head office, repair shop and forge shop of 1899–1900, World Heritage components still within an operating works and viewed from a public viewpoint.
Higashida Blast Furnace No. 1
東田第一高炉跡Higashida Daiichi Kōro atoPreserved blast furnace in a park beside the science museum, a monument to the city's steel history.
Tanga Market
旦過市場Tanga IchibaKokura's long-standing food market along the Kanda River, known as the kitchen of Kitakyushu.
Mount Sarakura
皿倉山Sarakura-yamaA 622 m peak above Yawata, reached by cable car and slope car, with a wide night view over the bay and city.
Mekari Shrine
和布刈神社Mekari JinjaAn ancient shrine at the edge of the Kanmon Straits, beneath the Kanmon Bridge.
Kitakyushu Municipal Museum of Art
北九州市立美術館Kitakyūshū Shiritsu BijutsukanHilltop museum by Arata Isozaki, whose two projecting galleries earned it the nickname 'binoculars'.
Kawachi Fujien
河内藤園Kawachi FujienA private wisteria garden in the hills of Yawata, known for its tunnels of blossom in spring.
Districts
Kokura
小倉KokuraThe former castle town and main commercial centre, around the Shinkansen station and Kokura Castle.
Moji
門司MojiThe historic port on the straits, with Mojikō Retro, the Kanmon pedestrian tunnel and Mount Kazashi.
Yawata
八幡YahataThe steel town, with the Higashida area around the science museum and the preserved blast furnace, Mount Sarakura and the heritage viewpoint.
Tobata
戸畑TobataIndustrial town on Dōkai Bay, home of the Tobata Gion lantern-float festival and the red Wakato Bridge.
Wakamatsu
若松WakamatsuFormer coal-shipping port across Dōkai Bay, with old merchant buildings and the Hibikinada coast.
History
Kokura became a castle town when Hosokawa Tadaoki built his castle there from 1602; from 1632 it was held by the Ogasawara family, who guarded the straits on behalf of the shogunate. In the Second Chōshū Expedition of 1866 the Kokura domain burned its castle rather than let it fall to Chōshū forces.
In the Meiji era Moji developed from a salt-farming village into a major port for coal exports and for shipping to the continent, and the Yawata Steel Works opened in 1901 using coal from Chikuhō and ore from China. During the Second World War Kokura was the primary target of the atomic bomb on 9 August 1945; cloud and smoke over the city led the bomber to divert to Nagasaki. In 1963 Moji, Kokura, Yawata, Tobata and Wakamatsu merged to form Kitakyushu, the first designated city in Kyushu.
1602
Hosokawa Tadaoki begins building Kokura Castle.
1632
The Ogasawara family takes over the Kokura domain.
1866
Kokura Castle is burned by its own garrison during the Second Chōshū Expedition.
1889
Moji is designated a special port for exporting coal and other goods.
1901
The state-owned Yawata Steel Works begins operation.
1914
The present Mojikō Station building is completed.
1945
Kokura, the primary target of the second atomic bomb on 9 August, is spared by poor visibility; the bomb falls on Nagasaki.
1963
Five cities merge to form Kitakyushu, which becomes a designated city the same year.
1973
The Kanmon Bridge opens between Moji and Shimonoseki.
2015
The historic buildings of the Yawata Steel Works are inscribed as part of the Meiji Industrial Revolution World Heritage property.
Culture
Kitakyushu's culture mixes the working-class energy of its steel and port towns with the traditions of Kokura's castle town. Its summer festivals, especially the drumming of Kokura Gion and the lantern pyramids of Tobata Gion Ōyamagasa, are among the most vigorous in Kyushu. The city is also a literary centre: Matsumoto Seichō grew up in Kokura, and Mori Ōgai lived there as an army doctor. Its industrial landscape and film-friendly policies have made it a frequent location for Japanese and foreign film and television productions.
Festivals
Kokura Gion Daiko
小倉祇園太鼓Kokura Gion DaikoHeld on the third weekend of July, with drums struck on both faces from moving floats; an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
Tobata Gion Ōyamagasa
戸畑祇園大山笠Tobata Gion ŌyamagasaIn July, floats turn at night into towering pyramids of more than three hundred paper lanterns; part of UNESCO's float festival listing.
Wasshoi Hyakuman Natsumatsuri
わっしょい百万夏まつりWasshoi Hyakuman Natsu MatsuriThe city-wide summer festival in early August, created to unite the five merged towns.
Mekari Shinji
和布刈神事Mekari ShinjiBefore dawn on New Year's Day of the lunar calendar, priests wade into the straits to cut wakame seaweed as an offering.
Food
Yaki-curry
焼きカレーyaki karēCurry rice topped with cheese and egg and baked in the oven, the signature dish of Mojikō.
Yaki-udon
焼うどんyaki udonStir-fried udon, which Kokura claims to have invented in the years after the war.
Nukadaki
ぬかだきnukadakiSardines or mackerel stewed with fermented rice-bran paste, a Kokura home dish.
Fugu
ふぐfuguPufferfish from the Kanmon area, served as thin sashimi and in hotpot in winter.
Kanmon octopus
関門海峡たこKanmon Kaikyō takoFirm octopus from the fast currents of the straits, eaten as sashimi or in rice dishes.
Getting around
- Kokura Station is served by all San'yō Shinkansen trains, about fifteen minutes from Hakata and two hours from Osaka.
- The Kitakyushu Monorail runs south from Kokura Station; JR Kagoshima Main Line trains connect Moji, Kokura, Tobata and Yawata.
- Kitakyushu Airport, on an artificial island in the Suō-nada, has domestic and some international flights.
- Ferries sail from Shin-Moji and Kokura to Osaka, Kobe and other ports; a walkway under the straits and a small ferry link Moji with Shimonoseki.
Day trips
Across the straits: the Karato fish market, Akama Shrine and the site of the Battle of Dan-no-ura.
Hiraodai
A limestone karst plateau with pinnacles and caves on the city's southern edge.
Kyushu's largest city, less than twenty minutes away by Shinkansen.
The old Chōshū castle town on the Sea of Japan coast of Yamaguchi, cradle of the Meiji Restoration.
The World Heritage shrines of Munakata Taisha, between Kitakyushu and Fukuoka.
Other cities in the prefecture
Frequently asked questions
Why is Kitakyushu made up of several centres?
The city was created in 1963 by merging the five cities of Moji, Kokura, Wakamatsu, Yawata and Tobata, each of which kept its own character and station area; they are now wards of the city.
Can the Yawata Steel Works World Heritage sites be visited?
The historic buildings stand inside an operating steelworks and are not open to the public; they can be seen from a dedicated viewing area, and the story is told at the nearby visitor facilities.
Can you walk from Kyushu to Honshu?
Yes. The Kanmon pedestrian tunnel beneath the straits connects Moji with Shimonoseki in a walk of about fifteen minutes.
What was Kokura's role in 1945?
Kokura, with its large arsenal, was the primary target for the second atomic bomb on 9 August 1945. Because clouds and smoke obscured the city, the bomber turned to its secondary target, Nagasaki.
Is Kitakyushu still polluted?
No. After severe pollution in the 1960s, the city and industry cleaned up the air and Dōkai Bay, and Kitakyushu became an international example of environmental recovery.
Related
Sources
- 1.令和2年国勢調査 人口等基本集計 (opens in a new tab) — 総務省統計局
- 2.北九州市ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 北九州市
- 3.Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining (opens in a new tab) — UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- 4.Kitakyushu (opens in a new tab) — Japan National Tourism Organization