Kitakyushu
Kitakyushu
北九州市 | |
|---|---|
| City of Kitakyushu | |
Clockwise from top left: Wakato Bridge; Moji; Tanga Market; Former Yahata Steel Works; Kokura Gion Daiko; Kitakyushu Museum of Natural History & Human History; Tobata Gion Yamagasa festival; and Kokura Castle | |
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Flag Emblem | |
Location of Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture | |
Kitakyushu Location in Japan Kitakyushu Kitakyushu (Kyushu) Kitakyushu Kitakyushu (Japan) | |
| Coordinates: 33°53′N 130°53′E / 33.883°N 130.883°E | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Kyushu |
| Prefecture | Fukuoka Prefecture |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Kazuhisa Takeuchi |
| Area | |
• Total | 491.95 km2 (189.94 sq mi) |
| Population (June 1, 2025) | |
• Total | 902,358 |
| • Density | 1,834.2/km2 (4,750.7/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+09:00 (JST) |
| City hall address | 1-1 Jōnai, Kokura Kita-ku, Kitakyushu-shi, Fukuoka-ken 803-8501 |
| Climate | Cfa |
| Website | www |
| Symbols | |
| Flower | Tsutsuji (Azalea) Himawari (Sunflower) |
| Tree | Ichiigashi (Japanese beech) |
Kitakyushu (北九州市, Kitakyūshū-shi; Japanese pronunciation: [kʲi̥.ta.kʲɯꜜː.ɕɯː, kʲi̥.ta.kʲɯː.ɕɯꜜː.ɕi]) is a city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of June 1, 2019, Kitakyushu has an estimated population of 940,978, making it the second-largest city in both Fukuoka Prefecture and the island of Kyushu, after the city of Fukuoka. It is one of Japan's 20 designated cities, one of three on Kyushu, and is divided into seven wards.
Sited at the northern tip of Kyushu, Kitakyushu was formed in 1963 from a merger of municipalities centered on the historic city of Kokura, and its name literally means "North Kyushu". It is located on the Kanmon Straits, separating the island from Honshu, across from the city of Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Kitakyushu and Shimonoseki are connected by numerous transport links including the Kanmon Bridge and the Kanmon Tunnels (Roadway, Railway, and Shin-Kanmon).
Kitakyushu's Urban Employment Area forms part of the Fukuoka-Kitakyushu Greater Metropolitan Region, which, with a population of 5,738,977 (2005–2006), is the largest metropolitan area in Japan west of the Keihanshin region. The city is known as one of Japan's foremost industrial areas, centred on the historic Yahata Steel Works, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.