Fukuoka, Japan
Fukuoka, capital of Fukuoka Prefecture, sits on the northern shore of Japan’s Kyushu Island. It’s known for ancient temples, beaches and modern shopping malls, including Canal City. Maizuru Park contains ruins of 17th-century Fukuoka Castle. The central Hakata district contains Tōchō-ji Temple, home to a 10m wooden Buddha and the Hakata Machiya Folk Museum, with displays on daily life in the Meiji and Taishō eras.
Fukuoka is the biggest city in the southern island of Kyushu and Japan's sixth largest city. Located on the northern coast of Kyushu, Fukuoka is a port city split by the Nakagawa River between what was once the the castle town of Fukuoka to the west and the merchant quarter of Hakata to the east, Fukuoka is one of Japan's most dynamic and livable cities with many attractions for visitors.
Fukuoka Prefecture has developed as an economic center for western Japan and provides an attractive environment as a business location for companies focusing on not only Japanese markets but also on those of East Asian. Its GDP exceeds US$154 billion, which is the same size as that of a medium-sized country. Furthermore, the GDP of Kyushu as a whole has reached US$408 billion, representing the 22nd place in the world. With respect to the automobile industry, in particular, Fukuoka Prefecture has grown into a major manufacturing base, boasting production capability of over 1.5 million cars annually, mainly at the leading-edge plants of Toyota, Nissan, and Daihatsu. There is also a brisk clustering of related industries, including parts-manufacturing and R&D bases.
