Kitakyushu is a transformative city that has overcome many problems in its modern history. The city developed around the heavy chemical industry starting in 1901, when the government-owned Yawata Steel Works started operations. Since then, the city has added a cluster of robotics, automotive and other high-value-added industries, and developed into a manufacturing hub. Collaboration between industry, academia and government helped the city overcome the serious pollution problems of the 1960s, and in 2011 Kitakyushu was named Asia’s first OECD Green Growth City.
With its rich history of transformation, conventions in Kitakyushu are sure to provide participants with truly transformative experiences.
Fukuoka Airport→JR Kokura Station：Subway⇒Shinkansen (30 min.)
Fukuoka Airport→JR Kokura Station：Highway express bus (80 min.)
Kitakyushu Airport→JR Kokura Station：Airport bus (35 min.)
Tokyo Station→JR Kokura Station：Shinkansen (4 hr. 33 min.)
Osaka Station→JR Kokura Station：Shinkansen (2 hr. 11 min.)
Hakata Station→JR Kokura Station：Shinkansen (16 min.)
The Kitakyushu Convention Bureau provides all-inclusive services from consultation during convention preparation to operation support during events, centered around the Kitakyushu International Convention Zone, which is just 5 minutes on foot from JR Kokura Station.
(1) Support for venue selection
KCB provides DVDs and presentation materials to introduce Kitakyushu as a potential host city, and hosts preliminary visits to introduce venues after Kitakyushu is selected as the city.
(2) Kitakyushu City MICE subsidy program
KCB provides up to 15 million yen according to the size of the convention.
Requirements: Kyushu regional or larger conventions that draw at least 100 participants and result in at least 50 hotel-room nights within Kitakyushu city limits
Amount: Up to 50% of event expenses (up to 20% for sports tournaments) according to the size of the convention
(3) Support at the Kitakyushu International Conference Center, West Japan General Exhibition Center, and AIM Building
KCB provides venue plans and all-inclusive support from preparation to day of operation for conventions at the Kitakyushu International Convention Center, the West Japan General Exhibition Center, and the AIM Building located in the Kitakyushu International Convention Zone. KCB also collaborates with local hotels to propose accommodations and banquet venues.
(4) Providing pre-/post-tour plans
KCB accommodates organizers’ wishes and suggests excursions and banquet venues sure to be memorable for the participants. Industrial tours are excursions with the distinct flavor of Kitakyushu, and are very well received by participants.
(5) Arranging convention volunteers
KCB’s registered volunteers help with reception and other administrative tasks at venues, and also provide simple interpretation.
(6) Providing free convention goods
KCB provides convention bags, area maps and tourism guidebooks free of charge.
(7) Providing welcome signs, local products and attractions
Depending on the convention, KCB sets up welcome signs at JR Kokura Station, and arranges attractions at banquets as well as local products.
Yaskawa Innovation Center
Kitakyushu Eco-Town, Kitakyushu Next Generation Energy Park
Kitakyushu offers a full slate of industrial tourism options unique to a manufacturing city. These pre-/post-convention attractions have earned high praise. At TOTO, experience the history and technology of products that have always adhered to the strictest quality standards. At Yaskawa Innovation Center, experience factory tours and an exhibition hall that make industrial robot technology approachable and relatable.
Kitakyushu also boasts a full raft of facilities that introduce advanced efforts in the environmental field, including the Kitakyushu Environment Museum, where visitors trace Kitakyushu’s path from overcoming pollution to becoming a Green Growth City, and Kitakyushu Eco-Town, one of the largest in the country where visitors tour recycling companies and Kitakyushu Next Generation Energy Park.
Kitakyushu Convention Bureau (Kitakyushu Convention and Visitors Association)
| Facility | Rooms | |
| Hotel | 53 | 7,700 |
| Ryokan | 44 | 593 |
| Total | 97 | 8,293 |
Venues
