Kokura (小倉) is an ancient castle town and the center of Kitakyūshū, Japan, guarding, via its suburb Moji, the Straits of Shimonoseki between Honshū and Kyūshū. Kokura is also the name of the penultimate station on the southbound Sanyo Shinkansen line, which is owned by JR Kyūshū and an important part of the company's rail network. Ferries connect Kokura with Matsuyama on Shikoku, and Pusan in Korea. A castle town is a kind of town or city where residents live surrounding the castle at the center. ... Kitakyushu (北九州市; KitakyÅ«shÅ«-shi, literally North KyÅ«shÅ«) is a city located in Fukuoka prefecture, KyÅ«shÅ«, Japan. ... Mojiko station Moji ward in Kitakyushu is the former city of Moji which was one of five cities merged to create Kitakyushu city in 1963. ... The Kanmon Straits (関門海峡 Kanmon Kaikyō) or Straits of Shimonoseki is the stretch of water separating two of Japans four main islands. ... HonshÅ« (本州 Literally Main State) is the largest island of Japan, called the Mainland; it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait. ... KyÅ«shÅ« region of Japan and the current prefectures on KyÅ«shÅ« island KyÅ«shÅ« ), literally Nine Provinces, is the third largest island of Japan and most southerly and westerly of the four main islands. ... Kokura Station with monorail tracks Kokura Station (小倉駅; -eki) in Kokura Kita ward is the main railway station in Kitakyushu, Japan. ... Sanyō Shinkansen (山陽新幹線; Sanyō Shinkansen) is a line of Shinkansen high speed rail, connecting Shin-Osaka with Hakata Station in Fukuoka, and it is operated by West Japan Railway Company. ... See Matsuyama (disambiguation) for other places having a name Matsuyama. ... Shikoku (四国, four provinces) is the smallest and least populous (4,141,955 as of 2005) of the four main islands of Japan. ... Pūsan is also a Vedic Hindu god. ... Korea (Korean: 한국 or ì¡°ì„ , see below) is a geographic area, civilization, and former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. ...

Isetan department store, Kokura

Download high resolution version (480x640, 61 KB)Isetan (formerly Sogo) department store in front of Kokura station at New Year Photograph © Ian Ruxton, 5 January 2005. ... Download high resolution version (480x640, 61 KB)Isetan (formerly Sogo) department store in front of Kokura station at New Year Photograph © Ian Ruxton, 5 January 2005. ... Isetan Shinjuku flagship store Isetan Co. ...

History

Kokura obtained municipality status in 1900. When the city of Kitakyushu was created in 1963, it was divided into Kokura Kita ward in the north, and Kokura Minami ward in the south. 1900 (MCM) was an exceptional common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, but a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. ... Kitakyushu (北九州市; Kitakyushu-shi), literally North Kyushu, is a city located in Fukuoka prefecture, Kyushu, Japan. ... Riverwalk Kitakyushu and Kokura castle moat in Kokura Kita-ku In Japan, Kokura Kita ward is the north part of what used to be Kokura City before the merger of five cities to create Kitakyushu city in 1963. ... Categories: Japan geography stubs ...

Kokura was the primary target of the nuclear weapon “Fat Man” on August 9, 1945, but since the city had been obscured by clouds and Major Charles Sweeney of the Bockscar had orders to drop the bomb visually, they moved on to Nagasaki, the secondary target, where they dropped their lethal weapon. Consequently, the expression “Kokura's luck” became common in Japan for escaping a disaster without being aware of it. The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 kilometers (11 mi) above the hypocenter. ... A post-war Fat Man model. ... August 9 is the 221st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (222nd in leap years), with 144 days remaining. ... 1945 (MCMVL) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... Brigadier General Charles W. Sweeney (1919 - July 15, 2004) was an officer in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II and the pilot who flew the Fat Man atomic bomb to Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. ... BOCKS CAR after its mission against Nagasaki. ... Nagasaki (Japanese: 長崎市, Nagasaki-shi  , long peninsula) is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture in Japan. ...

Famous residents

• Mori Ogai
• Matsumoto Seicho

Mori Ogais statue at his birthhouse in Tsuwano-cho Mori Ogai (森 鷗外 / 森 鴎外 Mori Ōgai, February 17, 1862 - July 8, 1922) was a Japanese physician, novelist and poet. ... Matsumoto Seicho (松本清張) (December 21, 1909 – August 4, 1992) was a prolific Japanese writer and journalist, awarded the Akutagawa Prize in 1952. ...

Festivals

• The Gion Festival of Kokura is called the “Gion of Drums” and celebrates the life of local folk-hero Muhomatsu.

People and floats fill the streets at the Gion Matsuri. ... Drum carried by John Unger, Company B, 40th Regiment New York Veteran Volunteer Infantry Mozart Regiment, December 20, 1863 Several American Indian-style drums for sale at the National Museum of the American Indian. ...

Originalities

• Japan's first shopping arcade was built in Kokura.
• Japan's first cycle races (keirin) began here.
• yakiudon — food based on yakisoba, invented in Kokura.

A shopping mall (or simply mall), shopping center, or shopping arcade is a building or set of buildings that contain stores, and has interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from store to store. ... Keirin is a track cycling event in which racing cyclists sprint for victory. ... Yakisoba ), literally fried noodles, is a dish often sold at festivals in Japan. ...

See also

• Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
• Kokura prefecture
• Hiroshima
• Nagasaki
• "The Train is Leaving Kokura", a song inspired by Kokura.

Fukuoka Prefecture
Cities
Asakura | Buzen | Chikugo | Chikushino | Dazaifu | Fukuoka (capital) | Fukutsu | Iizuka | Kasuga | Kama | Kitakyūshū | Koga | Kurume | Maebaru | Munakata | Nakama | Nogata | Ogori | Okawa | Omuta | Onojo | Tagawa | Ukiha | Yame | Yanagawa | Yukuhashi
Districts
Asakura | Chikujo | Chikushi | Itoshima | Kaho | Kasuya | Kurate | Mii | Miike | Miyako | Mizuma | Onga | Tagawa | Yamato | Yame
See also: Towns and villages by district edit

Coordinates: 33°53′N 130°53′E The Fat Man mushroom cloud resulting from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rises 18 km (11 mi, 60,000 ft) into the air from the hypocenter. ... Kokura prefecture The short-lived Kokura prefecture (小倉県 Kokura ken) was founded separately from Fukuoka prefecture in December 1871 after the clan system was abolished earlier that year. ... The Japanese city of Hiroshima ) is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the ChÅ«goku region of western HonshÅ«, the largest of Japans islands. ... Nagasaki (Japanese: 長崎市, Nagasaki-shi  , long peninsula) is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture in Japan. ... Image File history File links Fukuoka_Prefecture_shadow_picture. ... Fukuoka Prefecture ) is located on KyÅ«shÅ« Island, Japan. ... Asakura (朝倉町; -machi) is a town located in Asakura District, Fukuoka, Japan. ... Buzen was also an old province of Japan. ... Chikugo (筑後市; -shi) is a city located in Fukuoka, Japan. ... Chikushino (筑紫野市; -shi) is a city located in Fukuoka, Japan. ... Dazaifu (太宰府市; -shi) is a city located in Fukuoka prefecture, Japan. ... This page is about Fukuoka, Fukuoka (福岡市), a city in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. ... Map showing location of Fukutsu in Fukuoka Prefecture (as of 2006). ... Iizuka (飯塚市; -shi) is a city located at the confluence of the Honami and Onga rivers in central Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. ... Kasuga (春日市; -shi) is a city located in Fukuoka, Japan. ... Kama (嘉麻市 -shi) is the city in Fukuoka, Japan. ... Kitakyushu (北九州市; KitakyÅ«shÅ«-shi, literally North KyÅ«shÅ«) is a city located in Fukuoka prefecture, KyÅ«shÅ«, Japan. ... Map showing location of Koga in Fukuoka Prefecture (as of 2006). ... Kurume (久留米市; -shi) is a city located in Fukuoka, Japan. ... Maebaru (前原市; -shi) is a city located in Fukuoka, Japan. ... Munakata City is the city located in the Fukuoka Prefecture northwest part, is central existence of a North Chikuzen (Munakata) area, and has accomplished fast development focusing on the city part of the Akama-ku,Munakata area at the center of politics and economy in recent years. ... Nakama (中間市; -shi) is a city located in Fukuoka, Japan. ... Nōgata (直方市; -shi) is a city located in Fukuoka, Japan. ... Ogōri (小郡市; -shi) is a city located in Fukuoka, Japan. ... Ōkawa (大川市; -shi) is a city located in Fukuoka, Japan. ... ÅŒmuta (大牟田市 -shi) is a city located in Fukuoka prefecture, Japan. ... Onojo (大野城市; -shi) is a city located in Fukuoka, Japan. ... Tagawa (田川市; -shi) is a city located in Fukuoka, Japan. ... Ukiha (浮羽町; -machi) is a town located in Ukiha District, Fukuoka, Japan. ... Yame (八女市; -shi) is a city located in Fukuoka, Japan. ... Yanagawa (柳川市; -shi) is a city located in Fukuoka, Japan. ... Yukuhashi (行橋市; -shi) is a city located in Fukuoka, Japan. ... Asakura (朝倉郡; -gun) is a district located in Fukuoka, Japan. ... Chikujō (築上郡; -gun) is a district located in Fukuoka, Japan. ... Chikushi (筑紫郡; -gun) is a district located in Fukuoka, Japan. ... Itoshima (糸島郡; -gun) is a district located in Fukuoka, Japan. ... Kaho (嘉穂郡; -gun) is a district located in Fukuoka, Japan. ... Kasuya (糟屋郡; -gun) is a district located in Fukuoka, Japan, east of Fukuoka city. ... Kurate (鞍手郡; -gun) is a district located in Fukuoka, Japan. ... Mii (三井郡; -gun) is a district located in Fukuoka, Japan. ... Miike (三池郡; -gun) is a district located in Fukuoka, Japan. ... Miyako (京都郡; -gun) is a district located in Fukuoka, Japan. ... Mizuma (三潴郡; -gun) is a district located in Fukuoka, Japan. ... Onga (遠賀郡; -gun) is a district located in Fukuoka, Japan. ... Tagawa (田川郡; -gun) is a district located in Fukuoka, Japan. ... Yamato (山門郡; -gun) is a district located in Fukuoka, Japan. ... Yame (八女郡; -gun) is a district located in Fukuoka, Japan. ... Fukuoka Prefecture ) is located on KyÅ«shÅ« Island, Japan. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...