Fukuoka–Kitakyushu


Fukuoka-Kitakyushu Greater Metropolitan Region is the most common name given to the region comprising the metropolitan areas of the cities of Fukuoka and Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan and in between. Alternate names are many, including Kitakyushu-Fukuoka Greater Metropolitan Region, Northern Part of Kyushu Greater Metropolitan Region
One reason for complications in naming is because the whole region itself was once referred to as "Kitakyushu", which had become ambiguous after the city merger in 1963 which created the city by the same name.
These cities may be referred to separately, but often are lumped together since they are close and lie in the same prefecture. Furthermore, their economic spheres, infrastructure, and transport links overlap. Note that the metro areas include the tip of Honshu island, as well as the northern part of Kyushu. The definition of Northern Kyushu is not a superset of Fukuoka–Kitakyushu; among the ways it differs: it generally does not include any cities on Honshu island.

Definition

The region consists of the following areas:
Administrative divisionPopulation
Fukuoka-Kurume-Saga within Greater Fukuoka 2,868,977
Greater Kitakyushu /Kanmon Metropolitan Area including Shimonoseki 2,400,000
Iizuka region 200,000
Ube region 270,000
Fukuoka–Kitakyushu5,738,977

There is a trend for concentration near Fukuoka, with the other areas declining in importance.
Metropolitan area19801990200020102015
Fukuoka MEA1,773,1292,129,4242,329,0212,495,5522,565,501
Kitakyushu MEA1,524,7471,428,0141,425,9201,397,6181,314,276
Kurume MEA384,264461,686419,616432,441431,897
Shimonoseki MEA348,875338,049287,935280,947268,517
Iizuka McEA188,420217,059209,400196,546189,195

Transport