Fukuoka's Population Rises to 5th Largest among Major Japan Cities

Fukuoka, Feb. 18 (Jiji Press)--The Fukuoka municipal government said Thursday that the southeastern Japan city's population has risen past Kobe to the fifth biggest among the 20 government ordinance-designated major cities. According to the Fukuoka government's own national census tally as of Oct. 1 last year, the number of residents in the city had increased by 74,767 from the previous nationwide population survey five years ago to 1,538,510. Young people have been flowing in Fukuoka from many other portions of the Kyushu region, on the back of the city's high ratio of job offers to seekers, municipal government officials said. Fukuoka is located in northern Kyushu. Now in fifth place, Fukuoka follows Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, and Sapporo in population scale. The 20 ordinance-designated cities exclude Tokyo. Fukuoka Mayor Soichiro Takashima told reporters that the city will continue to promote Kyushu's products and services in and outside Japan by further adding extra values to them. By contrast, the western city of Kobe sees its population continue outflowing to nearby metropolis Osaka as well as to the capital. "Amid the overall decrease of population in Japan, Kobe will not only pursue population size, but will make efforts to refine its unique attractions and brand power," Mayor Kizo Hisamoto said in a comment. END