Kitakyushu

Kitakyushu 北九州市
Designated city
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
Flag Emblem
Location of Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture
Kitakyushu Location in Fukuoka Kitakyushu Location in Kyushu Kitakyushu Location in Japan
Coordinates: 33°53′N 130°53′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.city.kitakyushu.lg.jp
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 in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. In 2019, Kitakyushu had an estimated population of 940,978, making it the second-largest city in Fukuoka Prefecture and on 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; its name means "North Kyushu". It is located on the Kanmon Straits which separate Kyushu from Honshu, and faces 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.