Fukuoka Prefecture

Fukuoka Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. It is notable as the northernmost prefecture on Kyūshū, facing the Kanmon Straits, which connect the Tsushima Strait and the Seto Inland Sea, and lies across from Yamaguchi Prefecture on Honshu. The prefecture also extends south toward the Ariake Sea and borders Saga, Kumamoto, and Ōita prefectures. Its geography includes a number of small islands near Kyūshū’s north coast, and as of 2012, 18% of its land area was designated as natural parks, including the Setonaikai National Park and several quasi-national and prefectural parks. Historically, the region comprised the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen. Fukuoka Prefecture is a major industrial and cultural center, containing the two largest cities on Kyūshū, Fukuoka and Kitakyushu, along with other major cities such as Kurume and Ōmuta. Its economy accounts for nearly 40% of Kyūshū’s total, with a GDP exceeding 154 billion US dollars, driven by industries like automobiles, semiconductors, and steel. Notable companies founded here include Bridgestone and Best Denki, and the prefecture is home to Kyushu University, one of Japan’s top five universities. The prefecture also holds significant religious sites: chief Shinto shrines include Kōra taisha, Sumiyoshi-jinja, and Hakozaki-gū. Important Buddhist temples include Shōfuku-ji, the oldest zen temple in Japan, founded by monk Eisai; Tocho-ji, established by Kukai; and Joten-ji, built by Enni, who also introduced udon noodles. The oldest temple is Kanzeon-ji, founded in Dazaifu during the 7th century, which together with Kaidan-in was one of only three places in Japan where monks could ordain. Bairin-ji in Kurume, moved by daimyo Arima Toyōji during the Tokugawa shogunate, remains a major zen temple. Culturally, the prefecture hosts museums such as the Fukuoka Art Museum, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, and the Kyushu National Museum, as well as the Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival and the HKT48 Theater. Demographically, the population was 5,081,879 as of October 2025, having declined from 5,135,214 in 2020, though it moved from the 9th to the 8th most populated prefecture in Japan.