Fukuoka Hotels

Fukuoka is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyûshû in Japan, across the Korea Strait from South Korea's Busan. It is the most populous city in Kyûshû, followed by Kitakyûshû. It is the largest city and metropolitan area west of Osaka. The city was designated on April 1, 1972 by government ordinance. Greater Fukuoka with 2.5 million people (2005 Census), is part of the heavily industrialized North Kyûshû zone. Fukuoka (the area of Kashii, Hakata, Sawara and Imazu) is said to be the oldest city in Japan, because it is the nearest city to China and Korea. The area around Fukuoka is among the oldest non-Jômon settlements in Japan. Dazaifu was an administrative capital in 663 A.D., but some say[weasel words] a prehistoric capital was in the area. Ancient texts such as the Kojiki and archaeology confirm this was a very critical place in the founding of Japan. Some scholars[1] even go as far as to claim it was the first place outsiders and the Imperial Family set foot, but like many early Japan origin theories, it remains contested. See History of Japan. Fukuoka is sometimes still referred to as Hakata, the central ward of the city.