[edit]
For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Fukuoka.
Pre-Tokugawa period[edit]
Exchanges from the continent and the Northern Kyushu area date as far back as Old Stone Age. It has been thought that waves of immigrants arrived in Northern Kyushu from mainland Asia.
Among Jomon period sites, early Jomon pit dwellings have been found in the eastern Itoshima Peninsula, while early to late Jomon pottery and stone-collecting hearths have been found at Kashiwara Site (South Ward). Among middle Jomon period sites, clusters of pits for storing yew and other acorns have been found at Nodame Newatari Site (South Ward) and Arita Site (Sawara Ward). Archeological research revealed that the Fukuoka Plain was underwater during the Jomon period, and like the Paleolithic period, only the aforementioned sites at the edge of Hizen Island remain.
During the Yayoi period, the rise of early rice cultivation led to the development of large, moated villages like the Itazuke Site, and the region served as a hub of activity marked by the introduction of technologies like bronze and copper tools. Fukuoka's location near the Sea of Japan made it an early natural point of entry for trading and cultural influences from countries on the mainland such as Korea and China.
Contact with China[edit]
Interaction between the region and the Han dynasty of China was recorded as early as 57 A.D. According to the Book of the Later Han, an envoy visited the imperial court during the reign of Emperor Guangwu, and in recognition of this diplomatic mission, the ruler received a gold seal, discovered later in the 17th century.
By the end of the Asuka Period, Fukuoka, sometimes called the Port of Dazaifu (大宰府), had grown from a small town into a critical administrative center, serving as the regional government headquarters for Kyushu and as a trade centre between Japan and Tang China. Ancient texts, such as the Kojiki, Kanyen, and archaeology confirm this was a critical place in the founding of Japan. Some scholars claim that it was the first place outsiders and the Imperial Family set foot, but like many early Japan origin theories, it remains contested.
The Book of Song recorded that King Bu, thought to be the Emperor Yūryaku, sent a letter in 478 A.D. seeking the Chinese emperor's approval for the establishment of three ministries for administration of the kingdom similar to those in use in China; the remains of a ward office and temple in Ooho (大保), 15 km (9 mi) south from Dazaifu, may be one of these ministries. In addition, remains of the Kōrokan (鴻臚館, Government Guest House) were found in Fukuoka underneath a part of the ruins of Fukuoka Castle.
Heian & Kamakura Periods[edit]
Following the collapse of the Tang dynasty, relations with China declined, and Japan went into a period of isolationism. While the existing Kōrokan declined by the end of the Heian Period in the 12th century, the city's importance as a trading hub continued to grow, evidenced by the discovery of a late Heian period stone revetment from the port in modern times.
As a result of the introduction of Buddhism to Japan, several historically important Buddhist temples in Fukuoka were constructed by monks after their studies. Monk Eisai founded Shōfuku-ji which is known today as the oldest zen temple in Japan. Eisai is also known for establishing a new sect of Zen Buddhism (Rinzai) and for bringing tea and tea culture to Japan. Monk Kukai established Tocho-ji, and Joten-ji was built by Enni who is also known for bringing Udon noodles first from China to Japan.
Hakata Gion Yamakasa is the most famous festival in Fukuoka and the origin of it is believed to date back to 1241, when Enni, the founder of Jotenji temple, had people carry him around the town on a platform while praying against the plague and eventually eliminated it.
Mongol invasions (1274–1281)[edit]
Main article: Mongol invasions of Japan
Kublai Khan of the Mongol Empire turned his attention towards Japan starting in 1268, exerting a new external pressure on Japan which it had no experience of dealing with. Kublai Khan first sent an envoy to Japan to make the Shogunate acknowledge Khan's suzerainty. After the refusal of the Kamakura shogunate to recognize the Khan, the Mongols repeatedly sent envoys thereafter, each time urging the Shogunate to accept their proposal, but to no avail.
In 1274, Kublai Khan mounted an invasion of the northern part of Kyushu with a fleet of 900 ships and 33,000 troops, including troops from Goryeo on the Korean Peninsula. This initial invasion was compromised by a combination of incompetence and severe storms. After the invasion attempt of 1274, Japanese samurai built a stone barrier 20 km (12 mi) in length bordering the coast of Hakata Bay in what is now the city of Fukuoka. The wall, 2–3 metres (6 ft 7 in – 9 ft 10 in) in height and having a base width of 3 metres (9.8 ft), was constructed between 1276 and 1277, and was excavated in the 1930s.
Kublai sent another envoy to Japan in 1279. At that time, Hōjō Tokimune of the Hōjō clan (1251–1284) was the Eighth Regent. Not only did he decline the offer, but he beheaded the five Mongolian emissaries after summoning them to Kamakura. Infuriated, Kublai organized another attack on Fukuoka Prefecture in 1281, mobilizing 140,000 soldiers and 4,000 ships. The Japanese defenders, numbering around 40,000, were no match for the Mongols and the invasion force made it as far as Dazaifu, 15 km (9 mi) south of the city of Fukuoka. However, the Japanese were again aided by severe weather, this time by a typhoon that weakened the Mongolian troops, thwarting the invasion.
It was this typhoon that came to be called the Kamikaze (Divine Wind), and was the origin of the term Kamikaze used to indicate suicide attacks by military aviators of the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels during World War II.
Takezaki Suenaga
Genkō Bōrui
Formation of the modern city (1300–1889)[edit]
By the end of the 1300s, the threat of Mongol invasions declined, and Fukuoka began to flourish. The 1300s also marked the fall of the Kamakura shogunate and the rise of the Muromachi shogunate. Kyushu, including Fukuoka, was a contested region during this transition. Throughout the Muromachi period, Hakata was the first free city in Japanese history, with its government run by a council of 12 wealthy merchants called Tongyoji. It prospered as a trading city alongside Sakai City, whose government was run by a council of 36 members. The region continued to experience growth, and Hakata continued to serve as Japan's primary port for trade with mainland Asia, particularly with the Song and Yuan dynasties of China and with Korea.
Famous Views of the Sixty-odd Provinces
By the 1500s, the control shifts from various clans, and ultimately the fall to Toyotomi Hideyoshi's forces, marked a period of conflict for the region. The Battle of Sekigahara eventually led to Kuroda Nagamasa being granted the region and beginning the construction of Fukuoka Castle in the early 1600s. Fukuoka was formerly the residence of the powerful daimyō of Chikuzen Province, and played an important part in the medieval history of Japan. The renowned temple of Tokugawa Ieyasu in the district was destroyed by fire during the Boshin War of 1868. The modern city was formed on April 1, 1889, with the merger of the former cities of Hakata and Fukuoka. Historically, Hakata was the port and merchant district, and was more associated with the area's culture and remains the main commercial area today. On the other hand, the Fukuoka area was home to many samurai, and its name has been used since Kuroda Nagamasa, the first daimyō of Chikuzen Province, named it after his birthplace in Okayama Prefecture and the "old Fukuoka" is the main shopping district, now called Tenjin.
When Hakata and Fukuoka decided to merge, a meeting was held to decide the name for the new city, and after multiple ties, Fukuoka ultimately was chosen. However, Hakata is still used to refer to the Hakata area of the city and, most famously, to refer to the city's train station, Hakata Station, and dialect, Hakata-ben.
20th century[edit]
Fukuoka continued to grow during the early 20th century following the Meiji Restoration and industrialization of Japan. The city saw exponential growth with the introduction of new colleges and universities such as the Fukuoka Medical College in 1903 and the introduction of citywide public transit such as the Fukuoka Streetcar Service in 1910.
During World War II, Fukuoka played a significant role as a regional military center and base for the Imperial Japanese Military due to its geographic position near the Korean Peninsula and China. The region also housed the largest POW base in Japan, Fukuoka 17 which operated from 1943 to 1945. In 1945, Fukuoka was firebombed on June 19, with the attack destroying 21.5 percent of the city's urban area.
1945–1989[edit]
The annual Cherry Blossom Festival in 1955
Following the close of World War II, Fukuoka then began a period of recovery and development, including the rebuilding of the city and the establishment of Itazuke Air Base, which became the largest USAF base on Kyushu, in addition to a new municipal airport in 1951. The postwar era also saw the establishment of key institutions and events in the city such as the Fukuoka Marathon in 1947, and the founding of the Fukuoka Zoo in 1953. Fukuoka benefited greatly from the Japanese economic miracle, and in 1975, absorbed the town of Sawara. 1975, Sanyō Shinkansen high-speed railway was extended to Hakata station, providing more efficient high-speed connection to Tokyo and the rest of the country.
In 1981, the Fukuoka City Subway began operations with the opening of its initial segment between Muromi and Tenjin, marking a turning point in Fukuoka’s urban transit infrastructure and signifying a transition from the existing older street-level tram and bus systems toward a high-capacity, grade-separated urban rail network. In doing so, the establishment of the subway system also helped reduce surface traffic congestion in the city core and provided a more reliable and faster mode of transit. Towards the end of the 1980s, the city held two important expositions, including the 1989 Asian-Pacific Exposition, and the 30th annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank.
Partnership with Atlanta, Georgia, United States[edit]
Fukuoka established a partnership with Atlanta, Georgia after a visit by former Japan Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu in 1994. The sister city partnership was formalized in February 2005 by Former Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin and former Fukuoka mayor Hirotaro Yamasaki. For 20 years the program has been supporting yearly student exchanges, economic forums and cultural performances. At the yearly cultural celebration “JapanFest” in Atlanta, Fukuoka performers showcase traditional music and dance.
21st century[edit]
In February 2005, the Nanakuma Line started operations, serving as the fourth linear motor subway line to be built in Japan. The Nanakuma Line was originally conceived in the 1960s to provide access to Nakamura Gakuen University and Fukuoka University, but the plan was subsequently amended for the line to end at Hashimoto Station. The line also linked the Central business district and the southwestern part of the city which previously unserved by rail.
In 2014, the city was selected as the National Strategic Zone for "global startups & job creation" by Japanese government, following an increase in economic activity in the region stemming from Abenomics.
