Kitakyushu is actually a union of five cities which are in very close proximity to one another on the northern tip of Kyushu. The five cities; Kokura, Moji, Tobata, Yahata and Wakamatsu joined in 1963. The population these days is approximately one million and the city provides a major transport link to the main island of Honshu. Kokura, where I live, was an ancient feudal city and is nowadays the largest ward and centre of Kitakyushu. During World War II the area had a very lucky escape on a cloudy morning in August 1945. Kokura’s weapon manufacturers were the primary target of the second nuclear bomb. Fortunately for the people here the pilot of the bomber ‘Bockscar’ was unable to get a suitable visual of the city and so flew on to Nagasaki. The term ‘Kokura’s luck’ has become a popular expression in Japan for unwittingly escaping a dire situation.
When my friend Matt and I first arrived we encountered the towering smoke stacks of numerous factories along the city’s waterfront. Kitakyushu has been a centre of the steel industry in Japan since the 1950s and most of these industrial plants are steel manufacturers such as the huge Nippon Steel Company. Unfortunately on most days there seems to be a noticeable haze on the horizon and in the first few weeks I lived here I could detect a bitter chemical smell in the air. Nowadays I don’t notice that at all which I’m not sure is a good or bad thing. At any rate the factories are a major employer of people throughout the region and the pollution these days is nowhere near as bad as it used to be.
After World War II the Kitakyushu area had become one of the four main industrial regions driving Japan’s high speed economic development. But by the 1950s and 60s rapid industrialization had made a serious environmental impact. The city’s water and air pollution levels were amongst the worst in the world. Industrial waste flowed untreated into local waterways and at times emissions of toxic soot and smoke filled the air. Old photos of the local Dokai bay area are quite disturbing. After years of pollution by nearby steel and chemical plants the water in the bay was a lethal yellow and it became known as the ‘sea of death’. Kokura’s Murasaki River, for centuries the heart of the settlement, fared little better and became little more than a foul smelling waste site during the sixties.
By this time many Kitakyushu residents were so upset at the abysmal state of their city that they sparked some of the first environmental demonstrations in Japan. In fact one account I’ve read credits a group of housewives from the Tobata ward (where I currently work) with initiating the protest movement because they were fed up with their washing becoming black with soot when they hung it out to dry.
By 1970 the city took action and launched a task-force on pollution control. Measures such as factory inspections, stronger emissions and waste regulations were implemented and local companies advised to adopt eco-friendly policies thereafter. Today the situation is much improved. You can take a cruise on the Murasaki River and the water is considered so safe in Dokai Bay that an annual swimming contest is held there. Although the air doesn’t seem to be totally clean even now, it’s not too bad most days and tests indicate it measures up favourably in comparison with other Japanese cities.
Kitakyushu’s pollution measures are currently considered the most advanced in Japan and representatives of the city often share their knowledge internationally. In 1990 the city was awarded the Global 500 award by the United Nations Environmental Program in recognition of its efforts to reverse pollution and conserve the environment.
Unfortunately, even these days Kitakyushu still suffers a little at home and abroad from its outdated image as a polluted industrial city. As a result it’s not a popular tourist destination and has the reputation of a place you have to pass through to get to somewhere more interesting. To be fair some days the city can seem very grey and there are probably not enough public areas and parks to get away from all the concrete, but I guess you could say the same about most Japanese cities.
The good news for people here is that Kitakyushu is undergoing something of a resurgence. In 1988 mayor Koichi Sueyoshi instigated the ‘Kitakyushu Renaissance’ project which had a stated aim of creating a more enjoyable international city with a green environment. Nearly twenty years on the city has changed a great deal.
For me one of the more appealing features of urban Kokura is the ‘Riverwalk’ area which encompasses a giant shopping mall and Kokura Castle. Restoration of this area was begun to give the city some more green space and a place to gather. It’s located beside the now clean Murasaki River and has an abundance of grass and trees in relation to the rest of the city. It’s a really pleasant place to go on a fine day and becomes the focal point of the city during festivals or holidays. Biking around recently I’ve noticed work is still going on to extend this area and a new park has just been completed further west of the castle.Another major objective of the project was achieved earlier this year when the new Kitakyushu International Airport was opened on March 16th. It’s constructed on an artificial island in the Seto Inland Sea south of the city. The airport is the first in Japan to be virtually open all hours as it’s only closed three out of every twenty four hours daily. It’s hoped this will boost domestic tourism and investment in the region as well as making the area more accessible to international travelers.
It’s been great to see some positive things happening around Kitakyushu during my time here. Although I’ll be leaving soon I’m hoping the city will continue to advance towards the aims of becoming a really pleasant place to live and visit. If the current generation of Kitakyushu people continue to show the same determination revitalizing the city as those before did to clean it up then I think success will be assured.
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