Kyushu

Rare card · No. 29623

Kyushu (Japanese: 九州, Hepburn: Kyūshū; pronounced [k̟ʲj̊ɨ́ɨ̀.ɕɨ̀ɨ̀] , lit. 'nine provinces') is the third-largest and most southerly of Japan's four main islands. In the past, it has been known as Kyūkoku (九国, "Nine Countries"), Chinzei (鎮西, "West of the Pacified Area") and Tsukushi-no-shima (筑紫島, "Island of Tsukushi"). The historical regional name Saikaidō (西海道; lit. West Sea Circuit) referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands. Kyushu has a land area of 36,782 square kilometres (14,202 sq mi) and a population of 12,382,121 as of 2025, a population size similar to New Guinea or Cuba. There is a theory that Kyushu was in ancient times home to its own independent dynasty, where a unique, southern-influenced culture and tradition distinct from that of Honshu flourished. In the 8th-century Taihō Code reforms, Dazaifu was established as a special administrative term for the region.

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