Fukuoka, chief town of a prefecture and Japan's tenth largest city, is the administrative, economic and cultural center of the island of Kyushu and one of the most progressive cities in the south of Japan. Situated in Hakata Bay, it is the northern gateway to Kyushu.
The territory of present day Fukuoka is divided into
two by the River Naka. Hakata, the older eastern part of the town, was formerly known as Nanotsu, a port and commercial center. To the west of Hakata the castle town of Fukuoka grew up in the 17th C. The two towns were amalgamated in 1889, but Hakata is still mainly the business center, while banks and administrative offices are concentrated in Fukuoka. The city's principal products are electrical, appliances, tools, textiles and foodstuffs; it is also famed for its porcelain dolls (Hakata-ningyo).
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