Japan KYUSHU Tourist  ジャパン九州ツーリスト株式会社

We are a Travel Agent in Fukuoka specializing in Kyushu, Japan
warmly welcoming customers from all over the world.
We are offering the Customized Private tours in Kyushu.

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Kitakyushu Firefly Museum

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The activities for protecting fireflies have been continued for over 30 years by citizens

in Kitakyushu-city. Firefly Museum was established as a facility that supports activities

related to preservation of the natural environment, learning and research on fireflies and

other waterside creatures and their habitats.

 


 

 General information  

Address 2-5-1 Kumagai, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu-city, Fukuoka-prefecture
Access

15 by a vehicle from JR Kokura Station

Open hours

9:00 to 17:00  

Admission fee No fee is required
Days closed Tuesday, New year holidays

 


 

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Sone Tideland

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Sone tideland facing the Seto Inland Sea from Sone, in Kitakyushu-city and is one of the

largest tideland in the Seto Inland Sea ; it is about 5 km offshore with an area of about 517 ha.

 


 

The tideland is the home to some 326 species of benthic animals in the tidal flat, including a

handful of endangered species, like the ancient horseshoe crab that has not changed since the

age of dinosaurs. Several endangered birds are seen during the summer, like the Saunders’s

Gulls, Eastern Marsh Harrier, and the Intermediate Egret.

 


 

Horseshoe Raising house, the ecology of the horseshoe can be learn here.

 

 


 

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West Japan Industrial Club

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Historic Building representing modern Japanese architecture

The building was constructed in 1911 as the former Matsumoto Kenjiro residence, and

was designed by renown architectural designer Tatsuno Kingo, whose representative

works was JR Tokyo Station.  The building is designated as a national cultural asset.

 

Former owner, Matsumoto Kenjiro was a Japan’s prominent business person and one

of founder of Meiji Senmon Gakkō or Meiji Technical College, Current Kyushu Institute

of Technology.

 

This building is now open to the public, and it is used as a restaurant, party and wedding reception.

 


 

 General information  

Address 1-4-3 Ichieda, Tobata, Kitakyushu-city, Fukuoka-prefecture
Access

20 minutes by a vehicle from JR Kokura World Station

10 minutes by a vehicle from JR Tobata Station

 


 

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Hibikinada Biotope in Kitakyushu

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Japan’s largest Biotope.  The Paradise of creatures made over the year in the waste disposal

site.  237 kind of birds including circus spinouts listed on the Japan’s endangered species

and 284 kind of vegetation have been confirmed in the Biotope of 41 hectares.

 


 


 

General information  

Address 1 Hibikimachi, Wakamatsu-ku, Kitakyushu-city, Fukuoka-prefecture
Access

30 minutes by a vehicle from JR Kokura Station

Open hours

9:00 to 17:00  

Admission fee JPY 100
Days closed Tuesday

 


 

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Zero Emission Transportation System

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Global environment friendly Transportation System. The Electric bus driven by the electricity

generated by a solar power generation, therefor no global warming gases emitted from the bus.

Operation of the system is commenced in 2015. The solar power generation plant, the power

charging equipment and Electric bus can be observed.  The electric bus operates between

Wakamatsu and Tobata in Kitakyushu-city.

 

Solar Power Generation for

the Electric bus

 Electric bus

On the Electric bus


 

General information  

Address Koyomachi Wakamatsu Kitakyushu-city Fukuoka-prefecture
Access A 30 minutes ride a vehicle from JR Kokura Station
Days of visit Weekdays except Saturdays, Sundays and National Holidays
Fee No visiting fee is required
Booking Can be made by Japan KYUSHU Tourist

 


 

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Kyushu Electric Power / LNG thermal power plant

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Kyushu Electric Power / Shin-Kokura Plant. Kyushu’s first thermal power plant used LNG

and power generation capacity is 1,800,000kw.  Generation of electricity process can be

learned by visiting the turbine room, control room and boiler plant.

 

Where to visit

Exhibition hall, Control room, Turbine room and Boiler room

 


 

General information  

Address 64-1 Nishiminato-machi Kokura-kita, Kitakyushu-city. Fukuoka-prefecture
Access A 15 minutes ride a vehicle from JR Kokura Station
Days of visit Weekdays except Saturdays, Sundays and National Holidays
Fee No visiting fee is required
Booking Can be made by Japan KYUSHU Tourist

 


 

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J-Power in Kitakyushu

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The company have been supplying low-cost and reliable electricity for over 60 years.  

And research and development of the environmental measurement have been conducted.

New solar power generation and wind power generation systems can be learned.

 


 

General information

Address 1 Yanagisaki-machi, Wakamatsu-ku, Kitakyushu-city
Access 30 minutes by a vehicle from JR Kokura Station

 


 

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Wind Power Generation

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Japan’s first wind power generation plant constructed at the coast line facing windy strong

Hibikinada sea. 10 wind power generators line up and total generation capacity is 15,000kw.  

 

 

 

General information  

Address 2 Hibiki-machi, Wakamatsu-ku, Kitakyushu-city. Fukuoka-prefecture
Access 30 minutes by a vehicle from JR Kokura Station
Days of visit No closing day
Fee No visiting fee is required
Arrangement Japan KYUSHU Tourist can arrange to visit

 


 

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Environmental Future city Kitakyushu

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Kitakyushu is the city of leading Global Environment

Kitakyushu-city has the long history of Environmental improvement since the pollution problem

experienced in 1960′.  Now Kitakyushu-city is leading World environment as the Environmental

Future City selected by Japanese Government and also designated as the first ‘ Model City for

Green Growth ‘ in Asia by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development

(OECD) in 2011.

 


 

The history of Environmental improvement

 

The History has commenced in 1901. The city once experienced the worst air pollution in Japan

and saw Dokai Bay turned into a “sea of death.” But it regained blue skies after overcoming its

pollution problem by the efforts of city, companies as well as the women’s association. Kitakyushu

City, once known as a “town of pollution,” now plays the role of the driving force in creating a

recycling-oriented society in Japan making use of the experience and know-how it accumulated

in the process of overcoming its pollution in order to provide international cooperation.

 

The city grew as an industrial city after the establishment of Yawata Steel Works in 1901. 
It led Japan during the period of modernization and high economic growth with a focus 
placed on heavy industry.

 


 

Back then, plumes of smoke coming out of the steelworks were referred to as  “seven-colored

smoke” which was sung as part of the lyrics of the song of former Yahata City as it was regarded

as a symbol of prosperity. However, the prosperity of industries brought about severe pollution 

and quite naturally the “seven-colored smoke” polluted the air and caused dust deposition. 

 

In the 1960s, air pollution in the Kitakyushu area was the worst in Japan and Dokai Bay was turned

into a “sea of death” due to effluent from factories. It was citizens who first noticed this problem of

pollution. The city started to hear the voices of its residents saying such things as, “my house is

becoming sandy” and “the laundry gets dirty” from around 1950.

 

The Women’s Association in Tobata area stood up, investigated the problem themselves and asked

the council, administration and companies to take measures against pollution. ‘I Want Blue Sky’, a

documentary film produced by the Tobata Women’s Association in 1965 was what symbolized the

citizens’ campaign calling for measures against pollution.

 

Pushed by the voices of its citizens, the Kitakyushu administration started to take action to grasp 

the actual situation by measuring the level of air pollution. It then gave instructions and conducted 

on-site inspections at these companies urging them to take measures to improve the situation.

Finally, the city concluded a pact on pollution prevention with each plant and established the Council

on Air Pollution Prevention made up of the city, Fukuoka Prefecture, then Regional Bureaus of

International  Trade and Industry and about 30 companies in the city.

 

These companies responded by putting pollution control facilities in place as well as improving the

process of production.

In the meantime, the Air Pollution Control Act and Noise Regulation Act came into force in 1968 and

the following year, in 1969, a smog alert was issued for the first time in Japan. Fourteen pollution

control related bills passed the so-called ‘Pollution Diet’ in 1970.  Thus, public concern towards

pollution problems grew high throughout Japan while in Kitakyushu, the city and companies worked

hand in hand to tackle the pollution  problem which resulted in rapid improvement in the environment.

 

As a result, by around 1980, the blue sky came back to the town once covered with ‘ seven-colored

smoke.’ Furthermore, over 100 species of fish live in Dokai Bay which was once nicknamed the ‘sea

of death’ where not even bacteria could live. In 1985, the Organization for Economic Co-operation

and Development (OECD)  introduced Kitakyushu in its White Paper on the environment as a city

that transformed itself from a ‘Gray Town’ into a ‘Green Town.’ Also the city was selected as one of

the  ‘Starry Towns’ with a favorable atmospheric environment in the ‘Starry Town Contest’ 
held by the Environment Agency in 1987.

These initiatives by Kitakyushu City are highly recognized by the global society. In 1990,  the city

received the ‘Global 500 Award’, which is given by the UN Environment  Program (UNEP) to

individuals and organizations that combat environmental issues, and was the first local government

to win the Award in Japan. At the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992, Kitakyushu

City was honored with the ‘Local Government Honors Award. The city is the only local government

to win the Award  in Japan.

 

In addition, the initiative towards a better environment was enhanced and it started the sorted

collection of cans and bottles in 1993. In 1998, a system in which residents are obliged to use

designated plastic bags for municipal waste started. In 2001, ‘Kitakyushu Expo-Festival 2001’ 

with the environment as a theme was held at Higashida area, an idle land owned by Nippon

Steel Corporation, where infrastructure improvement work was going on based on the concept

of ‘Kitakyushu Renaissance. Then, the concept of a ‘Green Village’ in Yahata Higashida began

in 2003. Thus, efforts towards a better environment advanced further.

 

As mentioned above, Kitakyushu was recognized as the ‘Environmental Model City’ together with

12 other local governments in 2008. The ‘Kitakyushu Asian Center for Low Carbon Society’ was

opened in 2010, and in 2011 the city was selected as a ‘Environmental Future City’ and also as

the first ‘Model City for Green Growth’ in Asia by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and

Development (OECD).

 

A new challenge as the driving force towards realizing a global low carbon society  has started 

in Kitakyushu City where Japanese industry started.

Tobata Gion Yamagasa

 

Tobata Gion Oo-Yamagasa is one of the most exciting summer festivals in

Kitakyushu .festival

The Festival is registered on UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2016.

The festival has a lot of energy and is very dynamic as is the case with festivals such as the

Hakata Gion Yamagasa,with young men wearing the happi (festival costume) and hachimaki 

(head band), carrying the Yamagasa (festival float) and walking around the town shouting
 “yoitosa yoitosa”. 

 

What is remarkable is the way the character of the Yamagasa changes from daytime,with the

Nobori Yamagasa (festival floats with flags); to nighttime,with the Chochin Yamagasa

( festival floats with lanterns).

The highlight is the Chochin Yamagasa Contest held in Tobata Ward Office on Saturday night. 
The Nobori Yamagasa used during the daytime is dismantled,and the 10 metre-high Chochin
Yamagasa,with its 309 lanterns arranged in 12 tiers,is assembled and carried along in a race
by dozens of young people crying  “yoitosa yoitosa”.