Sister port relationship established: July 5, 1984
| | Facts about Kitakyushu > Seeking to be a hi-tech research center, the Port of Kitakyushu Science and Research Park contains nine research organizations and four universities. > In 2003, more than 993 thousand people lived in the Port of Kitakyushu. > Within the Port of Kitakyushu is Kokura. Kokura was the first target of the "Fat Man" bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki in August 1945. Kokura escaped that fate because of a cloud layer that obscured the target, leading to the expression "Kokura's luck." The expression is used in Japan when a person avoids something unpleasant without knowing it. > Nippon Steel created the theme park Space World in 1990 when it was downsizing its steel plant in the Yahata Higashi ward of Kitakyushu. The theme park offers many attractions. |
|
| | |
World port ranking
#33 based on total tonnage (109, 367 short tons)
(Source: AAPA World Port Ranking 2008)
Japan port ranking
The sixth largest Japanese port based on cargo volume. According to the Institute for Global Environment Strategies, Kitakyushu handles twice the volume of the Port of Hakata, making it by far the most important port in Kyushu. It is also western Japan's largest port for international trade and domestic distribution, according to World Port Source.
(based on 2009 volumes, value in U.S. dollars)
Value of trade between Japan and Tacoma (2009):
- Two-way trade = $6.6 billion
Ranks #2 among Port of Tacoma's international trading partners - Exports = $1.82 billion
Ranks #1 among Port of Tacoma's export trading partners - Imports = $4.82 billion
Ranks #2 among Port of Tacoma's import trading partners
Top 5 exports from Port of Tacoma to Japan
- Inorganic chemicals and rare earth metals - $213.5 million (10,237 short tons)
- Oil seeds, misc. grain, seed, fruit - $206.5 million (788,532 short tons)
- Prepared vegetables, fruits and nuts - $199.0 million (234,237 short tons)
- Cereals - $191.0 million (1,079,549 short tons)
- Meat and edible meat offal - $146.1million (60,710 short tons)
Top 5 imports from Japan to Port of Tacoma
- Vehicles and parts, excluding railway and tram - $1.59 billion (147,653 short tons)
- Industrial machinery - $1.37 billion (96,648 short tons)
- Electrical machinery/electronics - $610.8 million (26,758 short tons)
- Optic, photo; medical/surgical instruments - $172.1 million (2,994 short tons)
- Articles of iron and steel - $153.5 million (29,658 short tons)
Location
Located in East Asia, the Port of Kitakyushu is a major port on the northern shores of Kyushu, Japan's third largest island. It is adjacent to the Port of Kokura and about 150 kilometers west-southwest of the Port of Hiroshima. The city was created in 1963 when five independent municipalities merged.
History
The ancient Port of Kitakyushu was an important gateway between Japan and the Asian continent, and a leader in Japan's modern industrialization. The area was first noted in history when the Kokura Castle was built in the 1600s and a town grew up around it. It soon became a prosperous governmental and commercial center. In the late 1800s, the Meiji government recognized the geographic value of the port, installing port facilities and rail road lines. It became an important modern distribution point for goods.
In 1901, Japan's first government-managed steel works were built at the port, creating a foundation for key industries in the city. The chemical, electrical, ceramics and steel industries developed in Kitakyushu contributed to much of Japan's industrial development. In 1963, modern Kitakyushu resulted from the merger of five independent municipalities.
Economic declines in the 1970s and 1980s forced the Port of Kitakyushu to implement new regional policies and change its industrial structure. The port authority constructed three new ports (a seaport, an airport and an e-port) and promoted the development of new industries in the semi-conductor, automotive and environmental sectors. The Port of Kitakyushu is also working to attract new high-tech industries, including industrial robots, biotechnology and integrated circuitry.
Today, the main Port of Kitakyushu is western Japan's largest port for international trade and domestic distribution. The Port of Kokura is used for the domestic distribution of goods, and the Port of Doukai serves the industry. The city is a major contributor to the industrial and the economic development for the island of Kyushu and the Yamaguchi area on the mainland island of Honshu as well.
Trade
The Port of Kitakyushu is a leading manufacturing center for Japan, and heavy industry is a major contributor to the city's economy. With its proximity to the Asian continent, it is a major port for daily connections with several East Asian countries and serves as an important gateway between Japan and East Asia. Domestically, the Port of Kitakyushu serves both the island of Kyushu and the southern area of the mainland island of Honshu. It occupies an enviable and strategic position in the movement of both foreign and domestic cargoes for the nation.
Land and infrastructure
The Port of Kitakyushu's Tachinoura Container Terminal is the largest container terminal in Western Japan. It covers 29 hectares, contains two terminals and handles more than 180 vessels each month. Terminal 1 has a floor area of 161.5 thousand square meters with a capacity for 6,346 TEUs, and Terminal 2 has a floor area of 161.6 thousands square meters with a capacity for 5,900 TEUs.
The Port of Kitakyushu's harbor facilities areas are:
- Mojiko area - Includes the Shinhama and the Nisikaigan facilities with cargo and freight handling capabilities.
- Shinmoji area - A hub for cargo distribution and is connected to land, sea and air networks.
- Kokura container terminal - Covers 70 thousand square meters and provides multi-storage, disposal and distribution of goods. It also contains the Sunatsu ferry wharf with regular ferry service lines.
- Hibiki container terminal - The only terminal on the Japan Sea with a deep-water pier that can accommodate post-Panamax vessels. It has capacity to store over 22.4 TEUs, and it offers 324 reefer points for refrigerated containers. The area along the Hibiki container terminal is being developed as an industrial park.
- Tobata/Doukai area - The only facility in the port with a protruding embankment.
Management
The Kitakyushu Seaport and Airport Bureau serves as the port authority.
June 15, 1982: A delegation from the Port of Kitakyushu visits the Port of Tacoma to recognize the sister city relationship between the two ports.
1989: The two ports exchange gifts. Tacoma presented Kitakyushu with an Indian totem pole, and Kitakyushu gave Tacoma a stainless steel monument. The monument is currently displayed on Tacoma's waterfront.
October 8, 1993: A 10-person delegation from the Port of Kitakyushu, led by The Honorable Koichi Sueyoshi, Mayor of Kitakyusgu City, visit the Port of Tacoma to recognize the sister city relationship between the two ports.
January 31, 1994 to February 8, 1995: The Port of Tacoma visits the Port of Kitakyushu. Tacoma representatives included Executive Director John J. Terpstra and T. A. Wollefeck, senior director of marketing and trade.
August 8, 1995: A delegation from Kitakyushu visits the Port of Tacoma, led by the Director of the Port and Harbor Bureau for the City of Kitakyushu. Seventeen of the city's business leaders also attended and were recognized by the City of Tacoma for their sister city relationship.
November 18, 1995: The two ports held the third Sister Port Conference.
June 1996: A delegation of business and government officials from Kitakyushu visit the Port of Tacoma to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the two ports sister relationship.
October 4-9, 1999: A 10-person delegation from the Kitakyushu Port Promotions Association visit the Port of Tacoma, led by Mr. Hisakazu Sanemasa, managing director of Kitakyushu Marine Terminal Ltd.
October 23, 2003: The Port of Tacoma presents the Port of Kitakyushu with a painting titled "Waterfall with Azaleas," in recognition of their sister port relationship.
January 18-22, 2005: The Port of Tacoma travels to Port of Kitakyushu. The delegation included Commissioner Ted Bottiger, Executive Director Tim Farrell, Rod Koon, senior director of marketing and public relations, Akira Tatara, director of Asia, and Cindy Lin, environmental compliance manager.
October 7-10, 2007: The two ports hold the eighth Sister-Port Conference. Tacoma presented Kitakyushu with a porcelain gift created by Brenda and Alan Newman as a symbol of the enduring friendship between the two ports.
November 8, 2009: Joint agreement on the "Green Port" signed between the Port of Tacoma and the Port of Kitakyushu, along with the Port of Dalian, the Port of Chabang and Incheon Port. The 25th anniversary of the Port of Kitakyushu and Port of Tacoma relationship was also celebrated.
Our other sister ports: Belawan, Indonesia | Kaohsiung, Taiwan | Tianjin, China | Vladivostok, Russia
Return to sister ports & cities home