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Food & Beverage > Southeast Asian Food
Asia > Japan > Kyushu Region > Fukuoka Prefecture > Kitakyushu > Yahatanishi-Ku
Food & Beverage > Southeast Asian Food
Asia > Japan > Kyushu Region > Fukuoka Prefecture > Kitakyushu > Kokurakita-Ku
Transport > Airport
Asia > Japan > Kyushu Region > Fukuoka Prefecture > Kitakyushu > Kokuraminami-Ku
Introduction
Kitakyushu (北九州市, Kitakyūshū-shi, lit. "North Kyushu") is a city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan. It is midway between Tokyo and Shanghai.
History
Kokura Prefecture
Kokura Prefecture was founded separately from Fukuoka Prefecture in 1871 when the clan system was abolished. The old wooden-built Kokura Prefectural Office is still standing, and is being restored. It is opposite Riverwalk Kitakyūshū. In 1876, Kokura Prefecture was absorbed by Fukuoka Prefecture. The city of Kokura was founded in 1900.
World War II
Kokura was the primary target of the nuclear weapon "Fat Man" on August 9, 1945. Major Charles Sweeney had orders to drop the bomb visually, but all three attempts failed due to clouds and smoke from Yahata, which is located only 7 km west of Kokura and had air raids on the previous day, preventing Sweeney from identifying the target clearly. The bomb was ultimately dropped on the city of Nagasaki, the secondary target, at 11:02 JST.
City of Kitakyushu
The city of Kitakyushu was founded on February 10, 1963 and was designated on April 1, 1963 by government ordinance. The city was born from the merger of five municipalities (Moji, Kokura, Tobata, Yahata and Wakamatsu) centered around the ancient feudal city of Kokura. The city's symbol mark is a flower with the character "north" (北, kita) in the middle and five petals representing the five towns which merged.
Culture
The 1986 family movie Koneko Monogatari was filmed here. The English version of the film, which is the story of the friendship of a kitten and a pug dog, was released in America in 1989 as The Adventures of Milo and Otis.
The 1958 comedy Rickshaw Man is based on a local folk hero of Kokura called Muhomatsu or "Wild Pine" and has been called the Japanese Desperado. He is celebrated in the Kokura Gion Yamagasa festival. Toshiro Mifune plays the taiko drum in this movie.
Festivals
There are several local festivals (matsuri) held in the summer in various parts of the city, including the Tobata Gion Yamagasa festival in Tobata ward.
It has been designated as an intangible cultural asset of Fukuoka Prefecture. People spin highly decorated “battle floats” as they pull them through the streets.
People carry yamagasa (tiered floats decorated with flags by day and lanterns by night) on their shoulders.
People pull yamagasa parade floats along the street.
All the Gion festivals date back about 400 years. They were instituted to celebrate having survived an epidemic.
This port-city festival involves colorfully costumed people pulling floats through the streets.
This port-city festival celebrates fire, drums, and kappa (mythical amphibious creatures who love cucumbers).
The Wasshoi Hyakuman Natsumatsuri brings all the festivals together for a grand parade and finale near the City Hall in Kokura Kita ward. Kitakyushu was formed by the merging of Kokura, Yahata, Wakamatsu, Moji, and Tobata. As a result, the city began, on its tenth anniversary, to combine these local festivals into one. On the 25th anniversary, it was renamed Wasshoi Hyakuman because the city population had then reached one million.
There are over 200 shops.
Center for Contemporary Art (CCA) Kitakyushu
The Center for Contemporary Art opened in May 1997 and has during the past years shown works of internationallly renowned artists e.g. Maurizio Cattelan and Anri Sala.
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