Fukuoka Now

(English) Kyudai Issues Proposal on Hakozaki Campus Site Use

(English) The Kyushu University Future Vision Review Committee, a panel which has been discussing ways to use the Hakozaki Campus site, has issued a proposal to use the land, once it is vacated, as a reserve zone to supplement urban functions that are concentrated downtown. The proposal focuses on five areas, including human exchange, research and education, for which the land could be used and emphasizes the physical benefits of location—no nearby fault lines and low risk of tsunami. The plan was presented to Mayor Takashima who said he would like to use it to start a discussion with local residents about the future of the site. Kyushu University plans to move the remaining schools at Hakozaki to its Ito Campus by fiscal 2019. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, Feb. 20

(English) Mariko Shinoda Resigns as Leader of Kawaii-ku

(English) Kawaii is wonderfully versatile word: not only is it a term of endearment for youngsters and small things, it can be used to refer to people and things that are lovable and soothing. This applies to all kinds of people— not just women—as well as animals, things andgestures.

Kawaii-ku was launched as part of the City’s efforts to promote Fukuoka’s many strong points— healthy and delicious foods, the compact scale of the city, the history of exchange with Asia, our creative culture and our wealth of talent—under the banner of “kawaii”. Over 40,000 people have already registered as “residents”.

At present, however, the Fukuoka Gender Equality Promotion Council is reviewing four complaints that claim Kawaii-ku assists gender discrimination. We feel it is highly unfortunate that we have been unable to sufficiently communicate our objectives for Kawaii-ku and why we think it is a meaningful project.

(English) City Proposes Vision for Port

(English) Fukuoka City released a draft summary of its Hakata Port Cruise Vision, a proposal to make Hakata Port a hub for Asian cruise ships by adding a new cruise ship terminal and improving facilities to allow for the berthing of two large liners at Chuo Wharf. In light of the record 91 port calls by cruise ships at Hakata in 2012 and increasing demand to use the port, the draft vision aims to boost the number of port calls to 250 by 2022. It also calls for the “timely enactment of necessary measures” and includes the addition of a new roofed cruise ship terminal. At present, if two large liners enter the port, one must dock at Hakozaki Wharf, so the plan calls for improvements that would allow two large liners to dock simultaneously at Chuo Wharf. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, Feb. 18

(English) Fukuoka Asia Month to Become Asian Party

(English) After 23 years, Fukuoka City has decided to end its annual Asian arts and culture event, Fukuoka Asia Month, and re-launch it as Asian Party, an event aimed at publicizing Fukuoka and expanding business opportunities with Asia. The primary elements of Asia Month, including the film festival, will remain, but the City will add a new events to showcase its game development and fashion industries as well an international symposium. According to the City, visitors from Asia have nearly tripled from 200,000 to almost 600,000 between 1993 and 2011, and exchange events continue to expand. Amid criticism that Asia Month had grown stale, the city decided that the event had achieved its initial aim of “making Fukuoka an international city” and changed it to Asian Party. Events are primarily scheduled for September, although the details have yet to be fixed. They will include Creative Fest, an event to showcase the game development, animation and fashion industries, as well as the aforementioned international symposium. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, Feb. 18

(English) Gvt. Designates Kyushu as Asian Tourism Island

(English) On Feb. 15 the government designated the whole of Kyushu as the Kyushu Asian Tourism Island Comprehensive Special Zone and Nagasaki Prefecture as the Nagasaki Marine and Environmental Industry Core Zone as part of a program to create special regional zones with tax breaks and other incentives. The former aims to attract foreign tourists and increase port calls by foreign cruise liners, while the latter is designed to promote the marine and environmental industries through the construction of energy efficient ships and the installation of windmills. The prefectures of Kyushu, Fukuoka City and the Kyushu Tourism Promotion Organization filed a joint application for the Kyushu Asian Tourism Island Comprehensive Special Zone. The application includes plans to create a simplified tour guide interpreter system to alleviate the dearth of Chinese and Korean-speaking tour guides, relax laws to allow exchange students to act as interpreters and simplify taxes and customs procedures for international visitors on cruise ships. The cities of Nagasaki, Sasebo and Saikai filed the application for the Nagasaki Marine and Environmental Industry Core Zone. They plan to extend the period that imported goods can be stored in shipyards without tariffs and enact special measures to increase foreign trainee intake. The government approved five applications from 11 regions this time, bringing the number of comprehensive special zones to 44 nationwide. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, Feb. 16

(English) International Passenger Numbers at Hakata Port Rebound

(English) According to early estimates released by Fukuoka City, approximately 846,000 international passengers passed through Hakata Port last year, the second highest number after 2010’s 873,000 mark. This translates to a 27.3 % increase over 2011 (664,000) when passenger numbers plummeted in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake. These figures will likely keep Hakata Port in first place in international passengers handled for the 20th consecutive year. The port primarily handles regularly scheduled ferries to and from Busan, Korea and non-regular cruises from China. Foreign cruise ships made 91 ports of call in 2012, up from 32 in 2011. The outlook for 2013 remains unclear, however, since several scheduled cruises from China have been cancelled in the wake of the Senkaku Islands spat.Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, Feb. 15

(English) Kumamoto Rice is Rated Best in Japan

(English) On Feb. 14 the Japan Grain Inspection Association announced it’s the results of its annual rice taste test. Of the 128 rice varieties inspected, 29 were given the highest grade of ‘Special A’, including 7 from Kyushu—a record for the island. The highest scoring rice was Kumamoto’s Mori no Kumasan Rice, and two other Kyushu rice brands, Hinohikari (Kumamoto) and Sagabiyori (Saga), were part of a three-way tie for second place.

(English) ¥980 Softbank Hawks Ticket Offer

(English) Softbank Hawks Marketing have announced that Softbank Mobile phone users will have the opportunity to enter a lottery for ¥980 ‘A seat’ tickets this season. 2000 seats will be allocated to the offer per game of the regular season at Yafuoku! Dome, Fukuoka. The regular price for such tickets is ¥4,300.

(English) Kumamoto’s Ultraman Land to Close

(English) Tokyo-based Tsuburaya Productions announced on Feb. 14 that it will close the Ultraman Land amusement park in Arao, Kumamoto on Sept. 1. The only theme park in Japan devoted to the red and white superhero, Ultraman Land has seen annual admissions in recent years fall to around 100,000, a quarter of its initial year mark. Ultraman Land opened in 1996 next door to the Greenland amusement park. Live stage shows are held under a 1,800 m2 dome, and attractions include a walk-through diorama where visitors can defeat monsters. The company said it was moving out of the theme park business to “develop new events using visual interpretations and cutting-edge technology”. The owner of the theme park site, Greenland Resort Co., said it would like to “attract a facility with which it can create a synergistic effect” in light of the nearby hotels and golf courses.
Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, Feb. 15

(English) ¥500 Kyushu Shinkansen Ticket Sale

(English) To celebrate the second anniversary of the Kyushu Shinkansen, ¥500 tickets are available for travel on Sat. Mar. 16th. The JR Kyushu’s special one coin tickets can be used for travel between one station to the next station on the Kyushu Shinkansen line only. The tickets can save travellers up to 75%. The sale tickets will be available for purchase between Feb 16~Mar 15 for travel on Sakura and Tsubame trains. The shinkansen between Hakata and Kokura is on the Sanyo Shinkansen line and therefore will not accept the one coin tickets. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, Feb. 14