| Kitakyushu ((ja)北九州) | |
 | |
| Information | |
| Country |  Japan |
|---|---|
| Region | Kyushu |
| Area | 491,95 km² |
| Population | 958 015 hab. (2016) |
| Density | 1 947,38 inhab./km² |
| Spindle | UTC 09:00 |
| Location | |
 33 ° 53 ′ 11 ″ N 130 ° 52 ′ 26 ″ E | |
| Official site | |
Kitakyushu (litt. "north of Kyūshū") is a large city in the prefecture of Fukuoka, on the island of Kyushu at Japan. Her and Shimonoseki are part of the Kanmon Strait area. In terms of area, it is the largest city in Kyushu, although the city of Fukuoka has the largest population. That of Kitakyūshū is about one million inhabitants (or 1.3 million with Shimonoseki). It retains this feeling of being a countryside area with a lot of diversity and beautiful nature, despite its reputation as a city of steel.
Understand
Kokura Castle from the nearby Japanese Garden
Kokura, the heart of Kitakyūshū, is an ancient feudal castle town guarding the Shimonoseki Strait. Kokura was believed to be the target of the second nuclear bomb during WWII. However, due to cloudy weather on the day of the attack the plan was changed to Nagasaki in place.
The modern city of Kitakyushu dates back only to 1963, when the cities of Kokura, Moji, Tobata, Wakamatsu and Yahata merged by administrative decree.
Neighborhoods
- Moji (門 司) is the most touristic area of the city due to its charming historic center, containing several buildings from the end of the XIXe century and XXe century. It also offers great views of the imposing Kanmonkyō Bridge leading to Shimonoseki.
- Kokura (小 倉) is Kitakyushu's main hub for transportation, shopping and nightlife, also including a pleasant riverside area where Kokura Castle is located.
- Tobata (戸 畑) is a more suburban and industrial area, hosting good quality and inexpensive restaurants, as well as the city's most important cultural event, the Gion Tobata Yamagasa festival.
- Yahata (八 幡) contains a former brownfield site that has been completely redeveloped, now containing excellent museums.
- Wakamatsu (若 松), located in on an island connected to the mainland by theunnecessarily huge Wakato Bridge, is popular among locals for its beaches and pleasant green areas.
To go
By plane
- 1 Kitakyushu Airport (北九州 空港, Kitakyūshū-kūkō, IATA : KKJ) – Built on an artificial island in the sea in Suo Nada, the westernmost part of the Seto Inland Sea, it opened in March 2006. With a size much larger than the airport it replaced, the new Kitakyushu Airport hoped to increase tourism and trade dramatically.
The airport is served by several national airlines, including JAL, ANA and the low cost carrier StarFlyer. Most flights connect to Haneda airports from Tokyo and Komaki from Nagoya, but there are also a few weekly flights to Kaohsiung (called Takao in Japanese) in Taiwan.
More than 30 buses run daily between the airport and Kokura Station, several of which are direct, but most stop at every train station on the way. Buy a ticket (620 JPY) before to climb. The first bus leaves from Kokura station at 4 h and the last leaves the airport at 0 h 55, after the last flight from Tokyo. Buses also run to / from the train station Shimonoseki eight times a day (1 h 10, 1 000 JPY). If you are coming from the southern part of Kyushu, instead of continuing to Kokura you can get off at the 2 Kusami station (朽 網 駅) which has shuttles every 30 min about for the airport and taking 20 min. Only local trains stop at Kusami, not express trains.
By train
Kokura station from the south side
- 3 Kokura Station (小 倉 駅, kokura-eki) – It is the main station of Kitakyūshū. All trains of the Shinkansen San'yō line stop here. The trains Nozomi, Mizuho, Sakura and Hikari Rail Star provide frequent links with Hiroshima, Okayama and Osaka. Some trains Nozomi also circulate from Kyoto, Nagoya and Tokyo. The trains Sakura also circulate from / to Kumamoto and Kagoshima.
The Shinkansen San'yō Line and the Kagoshima Main Line (鹿 児 島 本 線Kagoshima honsen) connect Kitakyūshū to Hataka station at Fukuoka. With the Shinkansen, you can reach Kokura from Hakata in 15-20 min for 2 050 JPY for a place without reservation. Trains Kodama frequently connect the two stations during rush hour.
By ferry
You can, via the ferry terminal from Kokura, rejoin Matsuyama in Ehime prefecture, Shikoku.
The ferry terminal of Shin moji has boats to Osaka, Kobe and Tokyo.
- Ocean Tokyu Ferry (オ ー シ ャ ン 東 九 フ ェ リ ー) ,
81 3-5148-0109 
14 000 JPY in second class, 26 600 JPY first. – Offers connections to Tokyo.
Circulate
By train
For tourists, JR trains are the easiest and possibly the most convenient form of transportation (except to the airport), as they provide access to many of the city's unnatural attractions. Buying a JR North-Kyūshū Pass won't be worth it if you just want to travel around Kitakyūshū, but is a good choice if you also plan to go to nearby towns like Fukuoka and Beppu. Note that the JR Kyūshū North and JR Kyūshū passes do not allow not to take the Shinkansen to go from Kokura to Hakata (whereas the normal JR Pass allows it).
By bus
- Nishitetsu Bus (西 鉄 バ ス) – Nishitetsu Bus operates local buses as well as highway coaches to nearby towns. They accept most Japanese transport smart cards (Suica, PASMO, Sugoca, etc ...) which will save you a lot of hassle and also save you money if you change to the train or to another bus for get to your destination. Bus stops include all line and timetable info, although you will need to understand the kanjis and delays of up to 05 min are common.
By monorail
Kitakyūshū Monorail
- Kitakyūshū Monorail (北九州 モ ノ レ ー ル, Kitakyūshū Monorēru) – A monorail leaves every 10 min from JR Kokura Station to Kikugaoka in Kokura Minami Ward. The monorail is pleasant to ride and offers interesting views of the city, but its usefulness is limited by the fact that it does not accept transport smart cards (tickets can only be purchased with cash) and it does not offer a reduction for transfer to trains or buses. Only a few announcements at stations are in English (including stops at Kitakyushu Media Dome and Kitakyushu University).
Walk
Walking around Kokura Station is a breeze as there are many covered pedestrian walkways and arcades. It is also more convenient to visit Mojiko and Yahata on foot.
See
The city has the reputation of being only an industrial area, but this is only true on part of the coast. The city covers a very large area (much larger than that of Fukuoka, 486 km² against 340 km²), and there are many nice places to go sightseeing and leisure.
Kokura
Kokura castle and blossoming cherry trees (sakura)
- 1 Kokura Castle (小 城, kokura-jō) (at 10 min walk from JR Kokura station) Entrance to the castle for its conservation: 350 JPY; Japanese garden: 300 JPY; Matsumoto Seichō museum: 400 JPY; Combined ticket for all three: 700 JPY. – Built by Hosokawa Tadaoki in 1602, it was from 1632 to 1860 the property of the Ogasawara clan who came from Harima (near Himeji). The castle burned down in 1865 during the war between the Kokura and Chōshū clans. The keep was rebuilt in 1959, and the castle was fully restored in 1990. The Matsumoto Seichō Museum and the castle garden opened in 1998.
The keep houses a modern folk museum. Inside the castle, you can see a video show about what Kokura was during the Edo period, a model of Kokura castle and its surroundings during the Edo period with many tiny and lifelike paper dolls, and you can also climb in a palanquin as the lord of the castle would have done on his travels. The box rocks back and forth to recreate the movement. It's fun and free, so enjoy being the daimyō for a minute. You will also be able to see two beautiful paintings of tigers with gold leaf. On one floor inside the castle is a friendly elderly gentleman who is there to greet tourists. He makes models of castles in Japan with toothpicks and his models are exhibited there. If you can speak a little Japanese, you will be able to see that he is really nice and interesting to talk to him. There is a gift shop and spotting scopes on the top floor (no cash machine, bring cash!) Where you can buy souvenirs of the paintings from inside the castle. There is a wheelchair lift (to be checked). - Mori Ōgai House (森 鴎 外 旧 Octobers mori ōgai kyūkyo) – Literature giant Ōgai wrote his Kokura Nikki (Kokura diary) here. Ōgai resided at the castle at the end of XIXe century and beginning of to XXe century, when it was a military base. He was born in Tsuwano in the prefecture of Shimane.
The Hiraodai karst plateau
- 2 Hiraodai (平 尾 台) (in the district of Kokura, at 30-40 min from Kokura station) – The grassy mountains of this rare karst plateau are covered with large, round gray rocks, which locals will describe to you as resembling grazing sheep. Ideal for walks, hikes and camping. The caves can also be visited and that of Shōnyūdō is not to be missed - you can wade in the ice water in midsummer. There is no public transportation in Hiraodai, but reasonably priced taxi service is available. The taxi departs from Nakatani Nishitetsu bus station (中 谷 車庫) and stops 05 min later at the 1 JR Ishiharamachi Station (石 原 町 駅) on the Hita-Hikosan line (日 田 彦 山 線). It leaves the bus terminal twice a day on weekdays (9 h 40 and 16 h 05) and four times a day on weekends and public holidays (9 h 40, 10 h 45, 13 h 40, 14 h 50). For more taxi information, call Hiraodai Kankō taxi at 451-0201, or ask the Kokura Station Information Desk at 3e floor.
- Sugao no taki waterfall (菅 生 の 滝) (Bus from Kokura station.) – Refreshing and popular in the summer with Japanese residents. Beware of baby wild boars (uribo) which have been known to nibble their feet in search of food. You can rent bikes from the Dobaru Bike Terminal and cycle around all areas for a few hundred yen.
Zenrin building at Riverwalk
- 3 Annex of the Kitakyushu City Art Museum (北九州 市立 美術館 分 館, Kitakyūshū Shiritsu Bijutsukan bunkan) (at the Riverwalk shopping complex)
- 4 Zenrin Cartography Museum (ゼ ン リ ン 地 図 の 資料 館, zenrin no chizu no shiryōkan) (in the Riverwalk shopping complex, at the Zenrin head office, at 14e floor of the black Zenrin-Asahi Shinbun building)
10 h - 17 h weekdays, closed on weekends and public holidays. 100 JPY. – Zenrin Company is a major local employer that has launched mapping software in Japan. This location was chosen because a famous cartographer of the Edo period, Ino Tadataka, began his map of Kyūshū here. The view of the city and Kanmon Strait from the museum is excellent in good weather.
Moji
The old Moji customs building and rickshaw for rent
- Moji-ko Retro (門 司 港 レ ト ロ) (a few minutes walk from Moji-ko station) – This area, also attractive, is aimed specifically at the tourism industry. You can rent a rickshaw, tour the old buildings (including the room where Albert Einstein spent the night at the Mitsui Club in 1922), and shop for souvenirs. Also be sure to go up to the Moji Port Retro observation point, there on sunny days a great 180 degree view from the 31e floor. Moji-ko is connected to Shimonoseki, across the Kanmon Strait, by a small fast ferry. There is also an underground promenade crossing the Kanmon Strait and connecting Kyūshū with the main island of Honshū. Moji-ko is famous for its yakicurry, rice topped with Japanese curry, covered with cheese and an egg, and cooked. There are several restaurants in the surrounding area serving variations of this specialty. The restaurant of shabu shabu in Moji-ko station is also worth a visit. Moji was supposedly a place where bananas were imported and you can now eat various banana-flavored dishes (ice cream…) in tourist spots. For those who have some money and love adventure, it is also famous for its fugu (puffer fish).
- 5 Kaikyo Dramaship (海峡 ド ラ マ シ ッ プ) (west coast of Moji-ko) – Features a museum and sound and light show on the history of Kanmon Strait, great nautical memorabilia and regular concerts.
- 6 Kyushu Railroad History Museum (九州 鉄 道 記念 館, kyūshū tsetsudō kinenkan) (in Moji-ko near the station)
- 7 Idemitsu Art Museum (出 光 美術館, Idemitsu bijutsukan)
Wakamatsu
Iwaya Square in Wakamatsu
- Iwaya Beach (岩 屋, iwaya) (municipal bus 41 from JR Kokura and Orio stations. Get off at the last stop, Iwaya. Direct bus from Kokura station to 12 h 09 during the week and 10 h 16 weekends and public holidays (440 JPY).) – Watch out for jellyfish from mid-August.
Yahata
- 8 Kawachi water tank (河内 貯 水池) (in Yahata Higashi district, free shuttle from 2 Yahata station ) – There is an onsen (hot spring) with a rotenburo (open air bath). You can go around the reservoir, formed by the dam of the same name, by 1 h approximately, or rent a bike.
- 9 Mount Sarakura (皿 倉山, sarakura-san) – Accessible by 3 Hobashira cable car , it offers a superb view of the city, especially at night.
- 10 Museum of natural and human history (北九州 市立 い の ち の た び 博物館, kitakyūshū shiritsu inochi no tabi hakubutsukan) (near Space World station)
- 11 Environment museum (環境 ミ ュ ー ジ ア ム, kankyō myūjiamu) (near Space World station)
- 12 Center for Contemporary Art (CCA 北九州, CCA Kitakyushu) 2-6-1 3F Ogura Yahata-Higashi-ku (in Yahatahigashi-ku) – The CCA has an annual international program of resident artists, studios and an interesting contemporary art gallery.
Tobata
- 13 Kitakyushu City Art Museum (北九州 市立 美術館, Kitakyūshū Shiritsu Bijutsukan)
Make
- Blast furnace (炉 史, kōro) (near Space World station) – Japan's steel industry began here in 1901 and the original furnace has been preserved given the importance of the steel industry to Japan and to the development of Kitakyūshū in XXe century. Nearby is also the natural History Museum and the environment museum from the city.
Kanmon tunnel pedestrian entrance
- 1 Kanmon Pedestrian Tunnel (関門 国 道 ト ン ネ ル, kanmon kokudō tonneru) – You can reach Honshū on foot through this tunnel located under the sea. After about 10 min walk you will arrive at Shimonoseki on Honshū, where you can take a cable car to reach the top of Hinoyama and enjoy a beautiful view of the Kanmon Strait and Kitakyūshū (especially on a clear day).
- 2 ChaCha Town (チ ャ チ ャ タ ウ ン) (from the bus platform under Kokura station, take the bus to 100 JPY marked "Sunatsu / Chacha Town".) – It is a shopping and entertainment center with a movie theater, a game center, a food court, clothing stores, a grocery store and a very large store in 100 JPY. It is popular with families and young teens. On weekends there are concerts and other attractions in the amphitheater, usually a children's dance group, a magician or a local musician. The mall's red Ferris wheel isn't the biggest, but it's a bit of a fun way to see the city at night.
- 3 Aru Aru City (あ る あ る City) (connected by a pedestrian bridge to Kokura station at the north exit) – Aru Aru City is the center of otaku culture in Kitakyushu, frequently hosting events, and containing multiple floors of shops dedicated to anime, manga and games, game rooms, a manga kissa and the Kitakyūshū Manga Museum. Obviously not as huge asAkihabara at Tokyo or Den Den Town at Osaka, it is much more specialized than these two and has the advantage of having all the stores under one roof.
Midsummer Festivals
Kurosaki Gion
- Kokura Gion (小 倉 祇 園 太 鼓, kokura gion daiko) 3e July weekend.
- Tobata Gion (戸 畑 祇 園 大 山 笠, tobata gion yamagasa) 4e July weekend. – Designated an important intangible cultural asset of Japan, it dates back to 1802. It features large chariots called Yamagasa carried by around 100 men who shout in rhythm "Yoitosa».
- Kurosaki Gion (黒 崎 祇 園 山 笠, kurosaki gion yamagasa) July 20 to 24.
- Wakamatsu Summer Festival (若 松 み な と 祭 り wakamatsu minuto matsuri) July 20 and 21.
- Wasshoi Hyakuman Summer Festival (わ っ し ょ い 百万 夏 祭 り, Wasshoi Hyakuman Matsuri) August 6-7 (in 2005). – Many dance groups. Ends with a parade and fireworks.
Summer fireworks
Fireworks (hanabi taikai) are also held in various locations in and around Kitakyushu in July and August. Usually at least 3000 fireworks are fired.
The most important, with no less than 13,000 fireworks (!), Is that of the Kanmon Strait between Kitakyushu and Shimonoseki (in 2005, the ). Be prepared to come across large crowds, especially on the trains between Kokura and Moji-ko.
Blooming cherry trees (hanami) in spring
One of the best and most popular places to hanami is around Kokura Castle, but there are many more.
Buy
- 1 Riverwalk Shopping Center (リ バ ー ウ ォ ー ク) – A spacious and ultra-modern resort near the Murasaki river and near the castle
- Big stores Colet and Izutsuya
- 2 Uomachi shopping area (魚 町)
- Tanga market (旦 過 市場, tangi ichiba) – This small, traditional market has fresh fish, fruits and vegetables in abundance. It is the oldest shopping arcade in Japan.
Eat
Specialties
Popular dishes in Kitakyushu include: karashi mentaiko (辛子明 太子, spicy marinated cod roe), the tonkotsu ramen (the smelly the better, apparently), and the yaki-udon (like the yakisoba but using noodles udon). The chanpon, the yakiniku, and Korean food like bibimba also seem very popular.
You can buy Yahata sea biscuits (dry pancakes) since the 1920s. Be careful with your teeth.
Kokura is, literally, a synonym for a type of red bean jam finely filtered known as ogura-an (小 倉 餡, which can also be read kokura-an) found in all kinds of Japanese pastries and desserts. But in fact theogura-an comes from Ogurayama, Sakyō-ku, to Kyoto, and theogura-an pan (red bean jam a bun) was first made at Tokyo.
Restaurants
- There are many restaurants to suit all budgets in the Uomachi area near Kokura station, and at the top of the Isetan and Izutsuya department stores. Also try the 6e floor of the Amu Plaza building above Kokura station.
- Amu Plaza Kaiten-zushi (to 6e floor of Amu Plaza, above Kokura station) – In this restaurant kaiten-zushi (conveyor belt sushi), chefs will make sushi on demand, making substitutions or omitting wasabi on demand. They also do some grilled / pan-fried fish sushi - delicious! They have a few vegetarian choices like the kappamaki (cucumber) and you can also have fresh fruit and fried chicken and other dishes other than sushi. The service can really vary from time to time however: the waitresses can sometimes be very helpful or ignore you.
- Isetan and Izutsuya basements – For inexpensive stuff or takeaway caterer, you can go to the basement of its department stores.
- Himawari Street (towards the back of Kokura station, in front of the Shinkansen gates) – At the bottom of this shopping district you'll find a cluster of places to eat, including a sports bar from Yakitori, of the'oden, of the'okonomiyaki, yakisoba, a Ringer Hut (Japanese chain specializing in noodle dishes) for fast food, and a retro 1950s-60s style area with tonkotsu ramen.
Cheap
- There is a McDonalds and Lotteria Burger near Kokura Station for those who are hungry and desperate.
Average price
Luxury
- Rihga Royal Hotel – Includes several high priced restaurants.
Have a drink / Go out
Housing
There are all kinds of choices, from the most luxurious to the inexpensive ryokan. Ask at the information desk at 3e floor of Kokura station.
Cheap
- MediaCafe 802-0001, Fukuoka Prefecture, Kitakyūshū, Kokurakita Ward, Asano１ 丁目 -１- (North exit on the ground floor) depending on the duration. From 100 JPY time. Monthly plan less than 40 000 JPY. – Common room, open and private cabins. They have a list of rates in English, where you can find the monthly rate at the bottom.
Average price
Luxury
Around
- Shimonoseki sure Honshū is a short train ride from Kokura. In addition, StarFlyer has a promotion with which if you come from Tokyo or go there with one of their flights, they will sell you a taxi ride between Kitakyushu Airport and Shimonoseki for only 1 000 JPY.
- Hakata Station in the city of Fukuoka is at 20 min by Shinkansen train from Kokura station, or approximately 1 h by express train.
| Routes via Kitakyūshū |
 ← Hakata ← | O  E | → Shin-shimonoseki → Hiroshima |
| END ← | NOT  S | → Nogata → Chikushino |
 ← Moji Station ← | NOT  S | → Fukuoka → Kumamoto |
| END ← | NOT  S | → Beppu → Ōita |
 ← Moji Station ← | O  E | → Shimonoseki → Yamaguchi |
| Kumamoto ← Hakata ← | O  E | → Shimonoseki →  |
| This article uses content from Wikipedia's 北九州 市 article (ja). See the history of this page for the list of authors. |