Sawara-ku, Fukuoka

Sawara-ku (早良区, Sawara Ward) is one of the seven wards of Fukuoka-shi (福岡市, Fukuoka City), Fukuoka-ken (福岡県, Fukuoka Prefecture), Kyūshū, Japan.

Data

• Population: 210,887 people (As of January 1 of 2007)
• Area: 95.88 square kilometers (Largest of the seven wards of Fukuoka-shi)

Profile

Sawara (早良) is western part of central Fukuoka-shi. Hakata (博多) is eastern part of central Fukuoka-shi.

On April 1 of 1889, Fukuoka-shi was founded. Then, northeastern part of the former Sawara-gun (早良郡, Sawara District) was merged into Fukuoka-shi.

On April 1 of 1972, Fukuoka-shi was designated as a government ordinance city. Then, Fukuoka-shi was subdivided into the five wards of Hakata-ku, Chūō-ku, Higashi-ku, Minami-ku and the former Nishi-ku. The area now called Sawara-ku was central part of the former Nishi-ku.

By March 1 of 1975, the towns and the villages of the former Sawara-gun had been merged into Fukuoka-shi.

On May 10 of 1982, the former Nishi-ku was subdivided into the three wards of Sawara-ku, Jōnan-ku and Nishi-ku. Because the area now called Sawara-ku had been central part of the former Sawara-gun, the area was named after the former Sawara-gun.

Places

• Momochihama (百道浜): Fukuoka Tower, Fukuoka City Museum, Fukuoka City Library
• Nishijin (西新): Nishijin Praliva
• Fujisaki (藤崎): Sawara Ward Office, Fukuoka Prefecture Sawara Police Station, Fujisaki Bus Terminal
• Hara (原): Hara Saty
• Noke (野芥)
• Higashiirube (東入部): Sawara Ward Irube Branch Office

Schools

• Momochihama: Seinan Gakuin Junior and Senior High School
• Nishijin: Seinan Gakuin University, Fukuoka Prefecture Shūyūkan High School
• Arita (有田): Fukuoka Prefecture Kōrinkan High School
• Tamura (田村): Fukuoka Dental College

Stations

• Fukuoka City Subway Kūkō Line: Nishijin, Fujisaki, Muromi (室見)
• Fukuoka City Subway Nanakuma Line: Noke, Kamo (賀茂), Jirōmaru (次郎丸)

Roads

Sawara-kaidō Avenue (早良街道, Sawara Road) is a historical road consisting of Prefectural Route 558 and southern part of National Route 263. Sawara-gaidō Street (早良街道) is an officially-named road consisting of Municipal Route Nishijin-Arae and northern part of National Route 263.

• National Route 202 (Prefectural Route 559)
• National Route 202 Bypass
• National Route 263
• Prefectural Route 49
• Prefectural Route 56
• Prefectural Route 136
• Prefectural Route 558
• Municipal Route Chiyo-Imajuku
• Municipal Route Nishijin-Arae

Rivers

• Muromi-gawa River
• Kanakuzu-gawa River
• Aburayama-gawa River