Kitakyushu-city aiming for the World’s Environmental Capital.   Kitakyushu-city is the birthplace of Japanese modern steel industry, is now the world’s leading environmental future city after overcoming serious environmental pollution while it  contributed greatly to Japan’s industrial development. 　　 　　　Higashida No.1 Blast Furnace   Situated at the northern end of Kyushu Island, Kitakyushu City is one of Japan’s 20 government- decreed cities, with a population of 969,000 (according to the estimation as of May, 2013) and has an area of approx.490㎢. 　　            In 1963, five municipal cities were equally merged to make Kitakyushu City, which was a very rare case in the world as each of the cities had such different personalities;Moji City flourished as an international trading port, Kokura City had lots of historical background as a Samurai town, Wakamatsu City was a busy coal port, and Yahata City and Tobata City had steel industry which greatly contributed to the industrial modernization of Japan. 　　   Kitakyushu City has long been called the ‘Town of Manufacturing’ as its economy relies on such heavy chemical industries, such as steel, chemicals, and metal manufacturing, which occupy a much higher percentage of its gross product compared with other major cities in Japan. 　　   Ever since the international trading ports were constructed in Moji and Wakamatsu.  Japan’s steel industry began in Yawata in 1901, and many other manufacturing industries have originated here in Kitakyushu City, which has made the city a major driving force of Japan’s industrial …

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