Kitakyushu
Discover Kitakyushu
Kitakyūshū (北九州) is a large city in Fukuoka prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. Kokura, the heart of Kitakyushu, is an ancient feudal castle town guarding the Straits of Shimonoseki. Together with Shimonoseki it is part of the Kanmon Straits area. In terms of area it is the largest city in Kyushu, though Fukuoka has the bigger population. The population of Kitakyushu is about one million (or 1.3 million including Shimonoseki). Kitakyushu was created in 1963 from the five smaller cities of Kokura (小倉), Moji (門司), Tobata (戸畑), Wakamatsu (若松) and Yahata (八幡), and it retains this sense of being a country area with much diversity and beautiful nature, despite its reputation as a steel town.
Taste of Kitakyushu...
There are all sorts of options from the lap of luxury down to the cheapest ryokan. Ask at the Information desk, third floor of Kokura station. Kudo-kai, a yakuza organization known to use firearms and explosives, headquarters in Kitakyushu, and have records of using firearms and explosives to deal with anyone and any organizations dare to resist them, and in rare occasions, causing death of innocent civilians. The current situation have been improved, yet for the sake of your safety, stay away from gang activities. During gang wars, explosives, especially hand grenades, are used often. If you encounter any suspicious objects, do not touch them. You should instead, dial 110 for local police assistance.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsMore than 30 buses per day run between the airport and the Kokura station, many of them nonstop, but most stopping at each train station along the way. Buy the tickets before boarding for ¥620. The first bus leaves Kokura station Bus Center at 04:00, and the last bus leaves the airport at 24:55, after the last flight from Tokyo. Buses also run to/from Shimonoseki station eight times per day (70 minutes, ¥1000). If coming from the southeastern side of Kyushu, instead of going all the way to Kokura you can disembark at Kusami station (朽網駅), which has shuttle buses every 30 minutes or so to the airport, 20 minutes away, but only local trains stop at Kusami, no express trains. Both the San'yo Shinkansen Line and the Kagoshima Main Line (鹿児島本線 Kagoshima honsen) connect Kitakyushu to Hakata station in Fukuoka. On the Shinkansen, Kokura can be reached from Hakata in 15-20 minutes at a cost of ¥2050 for an unreserved seat....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
For a tourist, JR trains are the easiest and likely the most convenient means of transport (except to and from the airport), as they give access to most of the city's non-natural attractions. Acquiring the JR Northern Kyushu pass is an overkill if you just want to go around Kitakyushu, but an attractive option if you also intent to go to nearby cities like Fukuoka and Beppu. Take note that the JR Northern Kyushu/JR Kyushu passes do not allow you to use the Shinkansen to go from Kokura to Hakata (but the normal JR Pass does). Nishitetsu Bus operates local services as well as highway buses to nearby cities. Nishitetsu Buses accept most Japanese transport smartcards (Suica, PASMO, Sugoca, etc.) which will save you a lot of hassle and also save you some money when you transfer to the train or another bus to get to your destination.
Where to Stay
There are all sorts of options from the lap of luxury down to the cheapest ryokan. Ask at the Information desk, third floor of Kokura station. Kudo-kai, a yakuza organization known to use firearms and explosives, headquarters in Kitakyushu, and have records of using firearms and explosives to deal with anyone and any organizations dare to resist them, and in rare occasions, causing death of innocent civilians. The current situation have been improved, yet for the sake of your safety, stay away from gang activities. During gang wars, explosives, especially hand grenades, are used often. If you encounter any suspicious objects, do not touch them. You should instead, dial 110 for local police assistance.
Money & Budget
There are all sorts of options from the lap of luxury down to the cheapest ryokan. Ask at the Information desk, third floor of Kokura station. Kudo-kai, a yakuza organization known to use firearms and explosives, headquarters in Kitakyushu, and have records of using firearms and explosives to deal with anyone and any organizations dare to resist them, and in rare occasions, causing death of innocent civilians. The current situation have been improved, yet for the sake of your safety, stay away from gang activities. During gang wars, explosives, especially hand grenades, are used often. If you encounter any suspicious objects, do not touch them. You should instead, dial 110 for local police assistance.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Kudo-kai, a yakuza organization known to use firearms and explosives, headquarters in Kitakyushu, and have records of using firearms and explosives to deal with anyone and any organizations dare to resist them, and in rare occasions, causing death of innocent civilians. The current situation have been improved, yet for the sake of your safety, stay away from gang activities. During gang wars, explosives, especially hand grenades, are used often. If you encounter any suspicious objects, do not touch them. You should instead, dial 110 for local police assistance.