Fukuoka福岡県

Fukuoka-ken, ふくおかけん. The name ends in 県 (ken), prefecture.

Fukuoka is the northern end of Kyūshū, where the tunnels and bridge from Honshū arrive. It is the only prefecture in Kyūshū with two designated cities: Fukuoka and Kitakyūshū.

Open Fukuoka on the map

Facts

Japanese name

福岡県

Reading

Fukuoka-ken / ふくおかけん

Region

Kyūshū-Okinawa 九州・沖縄

Capital

Fukuoka 福岡市

Population

5,135,214 (2020 census)

Area

4,987 km²

Density

1,030 people per km²

Municipalities

60: 29 cities, 29 towns, and 2 villages

Designated cities

Kitakyushu City and Fukuoka City

Districts (郡)

11

Codes

JIS 40, ISO 3166-2 JP-40

Website

www.pref.fukuoka.lg.jp

Tree

azalea ツツジ

Flower

Japanese plum ウメ

Bird

Japanese bush warbler ウグイス

The tree, flower, and bird are the prefectural symbols, chosen by ordinance. Every prefecture has all three.

The most populous municipalities

2020 census. Share is the municipality's part of the prefecture's population. The other 50 are listed below.

How an address here begins

The prefecture name is written first, then the municipality name, then the name of one of Fukuoka's 7 wards. The guide explains the rest of the address, and the map finds any address you paste into it.

Neighbouring prefectures

• Saga佐賀県
• Kumamoto熊本県
• Ōita大分県

Questions about Fukuoka

Is Fukuoka a city or a prefecture?

Fukuoka (福岡県) is a prefecture, one of Japan's 47. Fukuoka City (福岡市) is a municipality inside it and its capital. On its own, the name usually means the city. With 県 on the end it means the prefecture.

What is the capital of Fukuoka?

Fukuoka City (福岡市). The prefectural office is there. It is also the largest municipality in the prefecture. It is a designated city, divided into wards.

What does 県 mean in 福岡県?

県 (ken) means prefecture. It is the ordinary word for prefecture, used by 43 of the 47. The other four are Tokyo (都), Hokkaidō (道), Osaka, and Kyoto (府), which are the same kind of government with a different word at the end of the name.

How many municipalities are in Fukuoka?

60: 29 cities, 29 towns, and 2 villages. Each is a local government with its own mayor and assembly. Two of them are designated cities, divided into wards: Kitakyushu City (7 wards) and Fukuoka City (7 wards). The wards are offices of the city, not governments. The towns and villages are grouped into 11 districts (郡), names used in addresses, not governments.

What is the population of Fukuoka?

5,135,214 at the 2020 census, on 4,987 km², which is 1,030 people per km². Fukuoka is the 9th most populous of the 47 prefectures and the 29th largest by area.

Which prefectures border Fukuoka?

Three prefectures: Saga (佐賀県), Kumamoto (熊本県), and Ōita (大分県). Borders across water are not counted.

What region is Fukuoka in?

Kyūshū-Okinawa (九州・沖縄). A region is a customary grouping of prefectures, not a government, so Fukuoka elects a governor and an assembly but the region elects nothing.

How is Fukuoka written in Japanese?

福岡県, read Fukuoka-ken and written ふくおかけん in hiragana. The last character, 県, is the word for prefecture, and the name is often used without it in English.

How does an address in Fukuoka begin?

With the prefecture name, then the municipality name: 福岡県福岡市… (Fukuoka-ken, Fukuoka-shi, …). In Fukuoka the ward name is written after the city name, since it is a designated city. After that are written the named area, the chōme, the block, and the building number.

What is the largest city in Fukuoka?

Fukuoka City (福岡市), with 1,612,392 people at the 2020 census. It is also the capital. The three most populous municipalities are Fukuoka City (福岡市, 1,612,392), Kitakyushu City (北九州市, 939,029), and Kurume City (久留米市, 303,316).

What are the symbols of Fukuoka?

The prefectural tree is the azalea (ツツジ), the flower the Japanese plum (ウメ), and the bird the Japanese bush warbler (ウグイス). Fukuoka chose them by ordinance, as every prefecture has.