Transport in Fukuoka-Kitakyushu is similar to that of other large cities in Japan, but with a high degree of private transport. The region is a hub of international ferry services and has a high degree of air connectivity and a considerable rail transport network, complemented with highways and surface streets. It includes public and private rail and highway networks; airports for international, domestic, and general aviation; buses; motorcycle delivery services, walking, bicycling, and commercial shipping. The foci of the public transport system are

Hakata Station is a major railway station in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. It is the largest and busiest railway terminal in Kyushu, and is a gateway to other cities in Kyushu for travelers coming from Honshu by rail travel. The San'yō Shinkansen from Osaka en ...

Tenjin Station is a subway station located in Chūō-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. Its station symbol is 5 green dots arranged in a circle, representing a plum blossom, it is Tenmangū (a.k.a.Tenjin)'s symbol. The station is located directly under in Tenjin, Fukuoka. ...

, and

Kokura Station in Kokurakita-ku is the main railway station in Kitakyushu, Japan. It is part of the JR Kyushu network and the San'yō Shinkansen stops here. It is the second largest station in Kyushu with 120,000 users daily. In the late 1990s, the Kokura sta ...

, in

Fukuoka is the List of Japanese cities by population, sixth-largest city in Japan and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancient times. ...

and

Kitakyushu is a Cities of Japan, city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of June 1, 2019, Kitakyushu has an estimated population of 940,978, making it the second-largest city in both Fukuoka Prefecture and the island of Kyushu after the city of Fuk ...

cities respectively. Between these two cities lies a more sparse weblike regional rail network. The transit network consists of 32 surface and subterranean railway lines (see section on

rail transport Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

) operated by several and private operators. Monorails, trams, fixed-guideway lines and buses support this primary rail network. Like other cities in Japan, walking and bicycling is common.

Rail transport

Overview

Kyushu Shinkansen 800 series Shin-Minamata 20041123

The passenger rail network in Fukuoka-Kitakyushu metropolitan area (see also Northern Kyushu) is dense around the cities of Fukuoka and Kitakyushu and

Shimonoseki file:141122 Shimonoseki City Hall Yamaguchi pref Japan01s3.jpg, 260px, Shimonoseki city hall is a Cities of Japan, city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 248,193 in 128,762 households and a pop ...

, declining in density between and around the two primary cities. Passenger railway usage and density is lower than that of

Greater Tokyo The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world, consisting of the Kantō region of Japan (including Tokyo Metropolis and the prefectures of Chiba, Gunma, Ibaraki, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Tochigi) as well as the p ...

Keihanshin is a metropolitan region in the Kansai region of Japan encompassing the metropolitan areas of the cities of Kyoto in Kyoto Prefecture, Osaka in Osaka Prefecture and Kobe in Hyōgo Prefecture. The entire region has a population () of 19,302,746 ov ...

, with the region having a little less than 6 million people. Similar to other areas of Japan, few free maps exist of the entire network; only stations of a particular company are shown, along with key transfer points. The

Sanyō Shinkansen is a former Japanese electronics manufacturer founded in 1947 by Toshio Iue, the brother-in-law of Kōnosuke Matsushita, the founder of Matsushita Electric Industrial, now known as Panasonic. Iue left Matsushita Electric to start his own bus ...

serves as the backbone of intercity rail transport connecting Hakata and Kokura Stations to Honshu.

Kyūshū Shinkansen The is a Japanese Shinkansen high-speed railway network. It is an extension of the San'yō Shinkansen from Honshu connecting the city of Fukuoka (Hakata Station) in the north of Japan's Kyushu Island to the city of Kagoshima ( Kagoshima-Chuo St ...

lines are completed on March 12, 2011, running to

Kagoshima , is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 583,966 in 285,992 households, and a population density of 1100 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Etymology While the ...

. There are 33 ''operating'' passenger rail lines and a tourist-oriented cable car line in the Fukuoka-Kitakyushu area .

List of passenger railway lines in operation

JR Kyushu The , also referred to as , is one of the seven constituent companies of Japan Railways Group (JR Group). It operates intercity rail services within Kyushu, Japan. It formerly operated the Beetle hydrofoil service across the Tsushima Strait be ...

and

JR West , also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, ...

high-speed rail High-speed rail (HSR) is a type of rail transport network utilising trains that run significantly faster than those of traditional rail, using an integrated system of specialised rolling stock and dedicated railway track, tracks. While there is ...

***

**Intercity ***

Fukuhoku Yutaka Line The is the collective name for four sections of railway lines operated by Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu) in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. It runs between Kurosaki Station and Hakata station (66.6 km). The sections called Fukuhoku Yutaka L ...

(

Sasaguri Line is a railway line in Japan operated by Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). It connects Keisen Station in Keisen, Fukuoka with Yoshizuka Station in Fukuoka, Fukuoka. Stations History The Kyushu Railway Co. opened the Yoshizuka - Sasaguri ...

and Chikuho Main Line) ***

Gotōji Line The is a Japanese railway line in Fukuoka Prefecture connecting Tagawa-Gotōji Station in the city of Tagawa and Shin-Iizuka Station in the city of Iizuka. It is part of the JR Kyushu network. Basic data *Operator, distances: **Kyushu Rail ...

***

Kagoshima Main Line The is a major railway line operated by the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu) between Mojiko Station, Mojikō in Kitakyushu, and Kagoshima Station in Kagoshima, Kagoshima, Kagoshima City, at the southern end of Kyushu. Until March 13, 2004, it ...

***

Nippo Main Line Nippo may refer to: Companies and organizations * Nippo, colloquial name for * Nippo Batteries, an Indian battery manufacturer * Nippo Corporation, a Japanese construction company and sponsor of cycling teams ** EF Education–Nippo, a cycling t ...

***

Hitahikosan Line The is a railway line in Japan, operated by Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). It connects Jōno Station (JR Kyushu), Jōno Station in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture with Yoake Station in Hita, Ōita Prefecture and features the 4380 m Shakadake ...

***

Kashii Line The is a railway line in Japan operated by Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). It connects Saitozaki Station in Fukuoka is the List of Japanese cities by population, sixth-largest city in Japan and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, J ...

(Uminonakamichi Line) ***

Chikuhi Line The is a railway line in Kyushu, Japan, connecting Meinohama Station in Fukuoka, Fukuoka (and via a subway through service, Fukuoka itself) to Karatsu Station in Karatsu, Saga, and from Yamamoto Station in Karatsu to Imari Station in Imari, ...

***

Hakata Minami Line The is an railway line in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, connecting Hakata Station in Fukuoka with Hakataminami Station in Kasuga. It is operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). Service Although the line uses Shinkansen equipment, ...

Nishi-Nippon Railroad The , also called or NNR, is one of Japan's "Big 16" private railroad companies. With headquarters in Fukuoka, it operates local and highway buses, supermarkets, real estate and travel agencies, as well as railways in Fukuoka Prefecture. It ...

(Nishitetsu) **

Tenjin Ōmuta Line Tenjin may be: * Tenjin (kami) In the Shinto religion of Japan, , also called , is the Patron deities, patron kami (deity) of Academic, academics, scholarship, of learning, and of the intelligentsia. Tenjin is the deification of Sugawara no ...

Kaizuka Line The is an Japanese railway line in Fukuoka prefecture, run by the private railway operator Nishi-Nippon Railroad which operates publicly as Nishitetsu. It links Kaizuka Station in Higashi-ku, Fukuoka with Nishitetsu Shingū Station in Shi ...

Fukuoka City Subway The serves Fukuoka, Japan. The lines are operated by the Fukuoka City Transportation Bureau. Unlike most other public operators in Japan, the company only operates subways without any bus lines. All stations are equipped with automatic platf ...

** Kūkō Line **

Hakozaki Line The is a rapid transit, subway line, which forms part of the Fukuoka City Subway system in the city of Fukuoka, Japan. It connects Nakasu-Kawabata Station, Nakasu-Kawabata in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Hakata Ward with Kaizuka Station (Fukuoka), Kaiz ...

Nanakuma Line The is a subway line, part of the Fukuoka City Subway system in Fukuoka, Japan. It runs from Hashimoto Station in Nishi Ward to Hakata Station in Hakata Ward, all within Fukuoka. The line's color on maps is green. Officially, the line is ca ...

* Amagi Railway Amagi Line *

Chikuhō Electric Railroad Line The is a railway line in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, connecting Kurosaki-Ekimae in Kitakyushu with Chikuhō-Nōgata Station in Nōgata, operated by . The line does not have an official name. The company and the line is also called . The company ...

Heisei Chikuhō Railway The is a third-sector operator of four railway lines in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The railway's nickname is ''Heichiku.'' Principal investors Fukuoka Prefecture holds 27.5% of the stock in the railway. The cities of Tagawa, Nōgata, and Yu ...

Kitakyūshū Monorail The is a monorail system in the city of Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, operated by , which is wholly owned by the Kitakyushu municipal government. The is the only line. It runs the 8.8 km (5.5 mi) between Kokura station and ...

List of cable car systems in operation

Hobashira Cable The , formerly (until March 2015) known as the , is a Japanese funicular line operated by the Sarakurayama Tozan Railway Company. The line climbs Mount Sarakura in Kitakyūshū, Fukuoka. The company is fully owned by the city of Kitakyūshū. It o ...

Bridges

The bridge over the

Kanmon Straits The or the Straits of Shimonoseki is the stretch of water separating Honshu and Kyushu, two of Japan's four main islands. On the Honshu side of the strait is Shimonoseki (, which contributed "Kan" () to the name of the strait) and on the Kyushu ...

plays an important connectivity role in the region, supporting automobile, rail, and ferry traffic between

Honshu , historically known as , is the largest of the four main islands of Japan. It lies between the Pacific Ocean (east) and the Sea of Japan (west). It is the list of islands by area, seventh-largest island in the world, and the list of islands by ...

and

Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's Japanese archipelago, four main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands (i.e. excluding Okinawa Island, Okinawa and the other Ryukyu Islands, Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Ryukyu Islands, Islands ...

islands.

Road transport

Local and regional highways

* Route 2 * Route 3 * Route 9 * Route 10 * Route 34 * Route 190 * Route 191 * Route 198 * Route 199 * Route 200 * Route 201 * Route 202 * Route 208 *

Route 209 The following highways are numbered 209: Canada * Manitoba Provincial Road 209 * Nova Scotia Route 209 * Prince Edward Island Route 209 * Quebec Route 209 * Saskatchewan Highway 209 China * China National Highway 209 Costa Rica * Natio ...

* Route 210 * Route 211 * Route 263 * Route 264 * Route 316 * Route 322 * Route 385 * Route 386 * Route 442 * Route 443 * Route 490 * Route 491 * Route 495 * Route 496 * Route 497 part of

Nishi-Kyūshū Expressway The is one of the expressways of Japan which goes from Fukuoka to Takeo, running through the prefecture of Saga and the northern half of the Nagasaki Prefecture. The total length is 150 km. Part of the road is specified as Route 497. This ro ...

* Route 500

Expressways

Major area expressways include: * Fukuoka Urban Expressway * Kitakyūshū Urban Expressway *

Kyūshū Expressway (Asian Highway Network ) is one of the Expressways of Japan from Kitakyūshū (and the bridge to Honshū) to west of Kagoshima linking with the Higashikyushu Expressway and the Ibusuki Skyline. It runs through the prefectures of Fukuoka, the e ...

* Nagasaki Expressway *

Ōita Expressway is a Japanese expressway in Kyushu that travels from Tosu to Hiji, where it connects to the Higashikyushu Expressway. It runs through the southern half of Fukuoka Prefecture, and the northern half of Ōita Prefecture. The total length of Ōi ...

* Higashi-Kyūshū Expressway * Chugoku Expressway * Sanyō Expressway

Buses

Several private and public bus companies operate with hundreds of routes throughout the region. Most local bus routes complement existing rail service to form an effective intermodal transit network.

Air transport

Primary

Fukuoka Airport — formerly known as Itazuke Air Base — is an international airport located east of Hakata Station in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. The facility has two runways and covers 355 hectares (877 acres) of land. Fukuoka Airport is the principal a ...

is the busiest airport in the region, serving international and domestic flights. Kitakyushu Airport is an international airport built on an artificial island in the

Inland Sea An inland sea (also known as an epeiric sea or an epicontinental sea) is a continental body of water which is very large in area and is either completely surrounded by dry land (landlocked), or connected to an ocean by a river, strait or " arm of ...

, and serves as a major cargo hub for Kityakyushu area factories as well as a relief airport for Fukuoka.

Secondary

Saga Airport is an airport in the Kawasoe, Saga, Kawasoe area of Saga, Saga, Saga, Saga Prefecture, Japan. It also uses the unofficial name . Saga Airport is located on the edge of the Ariake Sea, in what is effectively a polder, 35 minutes from JR Saga Sta ...

also provide air services to the region. Just outside the region is

Oita Airport is an international airport in Kunisaki City, Ōita Prefecture Japan, northeast of Ōita City. Oita Airport is an offshore airport built on reclaimed coastal waters off the Kunisaki Peninsula. It opened as New Oita Airport in 1971 as a ...

and

Kumamoto Airport , also known as , is an airport in Mashiki, Kumamoto, Japan. History The first Kumamoto Airport opened in 1960 on the site of a former Imperial Japanese Army air base and had a 1,200 m runway. It was replaced by the current Kumamoto Airport in ...

. There are also a number of

Japan Air Self-Defense Force The , , also referred to as the Japanese Air Force, is the Aerial warfare, air and space warfare, space branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, responsible for the defense of Japanese airspace, other air and space operations, cyberwarfare and ...

airfields.

Maritime transport

Major area seaports include: * Port of Hakata * Port of Shimonoseki * Port of Kokura * Port of Shin Moji

Passenger ferries

See List of ferry operators in Japan.

International

Because of its geographic proximity to Korea and China, the region is the major hub in Japan for international passenger ferries. ''Pukwan Ferry'', ''Camelia Line'', and high-speed ferry

Beetle (JR Kyushu) 250px, The Queen Beetle ferry in 2022 250px, An original Beetle ferry in 2015 was a high-speed ferry service that travelled between Fukuoka, Japan and Busan, South Korea. It was operated by JR Kyushu Jet Ferry, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kyus ...

Kobee Kobee (, Japanese: コビー) is a South Korean jet hydrofoil ferry line that operates services between Busan, South Korea and Fukuoka, Japan. Miraejet operates the ferry line. See also * Beetle - A ferry line between Fukuoka and Busan operated b ...

operate out of both Hakata and Shimonseki, there are also ferry services to

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

and

Dalian Dalian ( ) is a major sub-provincial port city in Liaoning province, People's Republic of China, and is Liaoning's second largest city (after the provincial capital Shenyang) and the third-most populous city of Northeast China (after Shenyang ...

in China,

Busan Busan (), officially Busan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's second list of cities in South Korea by population, most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.3 million as of 2024. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economi ...

Ulsan Ulsan (; ), officially the Ulsan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's seventh-largest metropolitan city and the eighth-largest city overall, with a population of over 1.1 million inhabitants. It is located in the south-east of the country, neighbo ...

in Korea.

Regional Domestic

There are ferry services to Tsushima Island as well as major Japanese cities (such as

Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui has b ...

Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...

Matsuyama 270px, Matsuyama City Hall 270px, Ehime Prefectural Capital Building is the capital city of Ehime Prefecture, on the island of Shikoku, in Japan and is also Shikoku's largest city. , the city had an estimated population of 505,948 in 243,541 h ...

Tokushima is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Tokushima Prefecture has a population of 682,439 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 4,146 Square kilometre, km2 (1,601 sq mi). Tokushima Prefecture b ...

Kōbe Kobe ( ; , ), officially , is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. With a population of around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in the Kansai re ...

and

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

) from Fukuoka, Kitakyushu, and Shimonoseki ports.

Cross Strait/Local

Within the Kanmon-Kitakyūshū area, there are three commuter ferry lines: the Wakato Ferry, the Kanmon Straits Ferry, and the Kanmon Straits Liner. There are services to some small islands near Kitakyushu and Fukuoka from their respective cities as well.

Shipping

Shipping plays a major role moving freight in and out of the Fukuoka-Kitakyushu area. Finished automobiles for export are handled by ports in the region. With just-in-time requirements of automobile manufacturers and suppliers, Kitakyūshū Airport plays an important role as a hub for cargo and logistics. The region is home to three regasification LNG terminals.

Other modes

In addition to the primary modes of transport—rail, bus, road, air, and sea—Greater Fukuoka offers several other transportation options that contribute to its comprehensive transit network.

Cycling

Cycling is an increasingly popular mode of transport in Greater Fukuoka, particularly for short-distance travel within the city. Fukuoka City has invested in cycling infrastructure, including dedicated bike lanes and bike-sharing programs. The “Chari Chari” bike-sharing service, for example, allows residents and visitors to rent bicycles from various locations across the city, promoting an eco-friendly and healthy alternative to motorized transport. The city’s relatively flat terrain makes it conducive to cycling, and many residents use bicycles for commuting, shopping, and recreational activities.

References

External links

Fukuoka-Kitakyushu Railway Network Map
{{DEFAULTSORT:Transport In Fukuoka-Kitakyushu Transport in Fukuoka Prefecture