Fukuoka Prefecture

Template:Infobox Prefecture Japan 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]

History

Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen.^[3]

Shrines and temples

Kōra taisha, Sumiyoshi-jinja, Hakosagi-gū and Usa jinjū are the chief Shinto shrines (ichinomiya) in the prefecture. ^[4]

Geography

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

Twenty-eight cities are located in Fukuoka Prefecture:

Fukuoka City
Kitakyushu
Kurume
Omuta

Towns and villages

These are the towns and villages in each district:

Mergers

Economy

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

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

^[6]

Demographics

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

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 Castle – a Japanese castle located in Chūō-ku, Fukuoka.
Hakata Gion Yamakasa – Japanese festival celebrated from 1–15 July.
Ōhori Park – a registered Place of Scenic Beauty.
Kyushu National Museum – The collections cover the history of Kyūshū from prehistory to the Meiji era with particular emphasis on the rich history of cultural exchange between Kyūshū and neighboring China and Korea.
HKT48 Theater, local theater where the Idol group HKT48 performs every day.

Major events and festivals

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

The sports teams listed below are based in Fukuoka.

Football (soccer)

Baseball

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (Fukuoka City)

Basketball

Fukuoka Rizing (Fukuoka City)

Rugby

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

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

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.