Once a major industry hub in Southern Japan, Kitakyushu City in Fukuoka Prefecture is experiencing renewed growth. In 2024, Kitakyushu Port and Airport handled their highest-ever annual cargo volume (Figure 1). The city is evolving further, benefiting from its geographical advantage as a gateway to Mainland Asia as well as integrated land, sea, and air transportation infrastructure.

Figure 1: Kitakyushu Airport air cargo volume and Port of Kitakyushu Ferry Cargo volume trends

Source: Kitakyushu City Port and Airport Bureau, analysed by JLL

The Greater Fukuoka logistics market has seen rental increases exceeding even those of Tokyo and Osaka over the past decade (Figure 2), with the Tosu submarket playing a pivotal role in driving this growth. The e-commerce boom and Kyushu's burgeoning semiconductor industry have helped Tosu become a crucial wide-area distribution hub for the entire Kyushu region, located at the nexus of the Kyushu and Nagasaki Expressways.

Figure 2: Rental growth trends in three major cities