Fukuoka

Fukuoka

Fukuoka (fo͝oko͞oˈōkä), city, capital of Fukuoka prefecture, N Kyushu, Japan, on Hakata Bay. An important seaport, airport hub, and railway terminus, it is one of the largest and most prosperous cities on Kyushu. It is known for iron and steel production, the manufacture of computer components and textiles, and a large fishing industry. Fukuoka is also the seat of several universities, including Kyushu Univ. The well-known Hakata dolls have been made there for centuries. The ancient port area, Hakata, was in medieval times one of the chief ports of Japan. The Mongols under Kublai Khan twice (1274, 1281) were defeated at Hakata. The city of Fukuoka has three noted shrines—the Buddhist temple of Kannonji, the Dazaifu Temmangu shrine, and a 16th-century Shinto temple. In the city and nearby are also many buildings constructed during that late 20th cent. that were designed by noted Western and Japanese architects. Fukuoka prefecture, 1,907 sq mi (4,939 sq km), is bounded on the north by Shimonoseki Strait and on the east by the Inland Sea. The Chikuho River valley in the north is a rich agricultural district, producing rice, wheat, and barley. Kitakyushu, an amalgamation (1963) of five cities, is the largest industrial complex in Kyushu.

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The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Fukuoka

 

a prefecture in Japan, in the northern part of the island of Kyushu. Area, 4,900 sq km. Population, 4.3 million (1975). The capital is the city of Fukuoka. Most of the prefecture is occupied by hills and low mountains, which rise to 1,200 m. Evergreen and broad-leaved forests cover about half the prefecture.

Fukuoka has both industry and agriculture. Kitakyushu (Yaha-ta) is one of the largest industrial centers in Japan and leads the country in the output of coal and metal products. The metalworking industry and machine-building industry, which makes aircraft, ships, electrical equipment, and other products, are highly developed. The food, chemical, porcelain, printing, rubber, wood-products, and paper industries are also of considerable importance. Hard coal is mined at Chikuho, Miike, and Hichiku. The Genkai Atomic Power Plant has a capacity of more than 500 megawatts.

In Fukuoka 26.5 percent of the land is cultivated; rice, barley, and wheat are the main crops. The prefecture has tobacco and tea plantations; vegetables, mandarins, and grapes are also grown. Sericulture and fishing occupy important places in the economy.

Many foreign tourists visit Fukuoka, which has three national preserves and five prefecture parks, including the seaside park Genkai and the mountainous Hiko-san area. The prefecture also has hot springs. The principal seaports of Fukuoka are Dokayo and Moji (part of Kitakyushu). They are linked to the port of Shimonoseki on the island of Honshu by a bridge and three tunnels across the Kammon Strait.

N. A. SMIRNOV

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Fukuoka

 

a city and major port in Japan, on the northern coast of the island of Kyushu, near Hakata Bay. Capital of Fukuoka Prefecture. Population, 935,600 (1975).

Fukuoka is an important industrial center. The city manufactures chemical, metal, and wood products and such textiles as silk and cotton. It also produces glass, porcelain, electrical equipment, ships, aircraft, and various types of machinery. National handicrafts, especially luxury articles, Hakata Ori rugs, and Hakata Ningyo toys, are made in the city. Fukuoka has an airport and special facilities for trawlers and seaplanes. The Naka River divides the city into two parts: Hakata (the commercial section) and Fukuoka proper (the administrative section). A university, which was founded in 1911, is located in Fukuoka.

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

Fukuoka

an industrial city and port in SW Japan, in N Kyushu: an important port in ancient times; site of Kyushu university. Pop.: 1 302 454 (2002 est.)

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005