Kitakyushu City
Japan
About
Kitakyushu is the 11th most populous city in Japan. The city is strategically located between Shanghai and Tokyo, and plays an important role as a commercial gateway to Asia. For many years, steel was the backbone of the local economy, which contributed considerably to the industrial development of Japan. Industrialization was favoured by easy access to energy from nearby coalfields and the availability of iron ore from China. The downside of this rampant industrial activity was air and water pollution.