Kitakyushu Business Attraction in FY2025: Investment Decisions by New Companies Reach a Record JPY 777.7 Billion, 49 IT CompaniesMore companies are coming to Kitakyushu and new office buildings are being built
In June 2026, Kitakyushu City published its results for FY2025 (Reiwa 7) in attracting companies and U-turn/I-turn migration. Investment decided by companies entering the city was JPY 777.7 billion, 49 IT companies entered or expanded, and 298 people took jobs through U-turn/I-turn, all described as records. The city named international conditions, securing industrial land and meeting office demand as challenges, and showed completion dates for new office buildings.
Key points
- Investment decided by companies entering the city was JPY 777.7 billion in FY2025 (a record), compared with JPY 388.6 billion in FY2024 and JPY 258.1 billion in FY2023
- 49 IT companies entered or expanded (a record). Of new hires, 80% were in their 30s or younger and, of those, 60% were women
- 298 people took jobs through U-turn/I-turn (a record). Those aged 10s to 20s numbered 171, double the previous year, and women numbered 125, 1.5 times the previous year
- The city gave as reasons for the strong results low disaster risk, solid logistics infrastructure and abundant science and engineering talent, and as challenges the international situation (such as the Middle East), securing industrial land and responding to office demand
- Among new office buildings, Kokura Kyomachi Center Building (11 floors above ground, 7,974 sq m floor area) is due for completion in October 2026 (about 60% occupancy decided). Buildings in Kokura and Kurosaki are due in July 2027 and summer 2029
What to do in practice
- With demand for offices and industrial land rising, consider the timing for securing offices or land and reviewing rents in light of the city's attraction efforts
- If you plan to hire or accept U-turn/I-turn workers, check the city's initiatives such as business exchange events
Companies that build new factories or offices are gathering in Kitakyushu. In FY2025, the amount companies decided to spend there was JPY 777.7 billion, the most ever. The number of people who came from other places to work in Kitakyushu was also the highest ever, at 298.
- October 2026Kokura Kyomachi Center Building (11 floors) is due to be finished
- July 2027Another new office building in Kokura (11 floors) is due
- Summer 2029A new building in Kurosaki (tentative name, 12 floors) is due
Points
- The money companies decided to spend in Kitakyushu was JPY 777.7 billion, a record
- 49 IT companies, which do computer and internet work, came or expanded their workplaces
- Offices are running short, so new office buildings will be built in Kokura and Kurosaki
What the words mean
- Attracting companies
- A town asks companies to come to it, and they do
- U-turn/I-turn
- Returning to your hometown or moving to a new town from another area to work
- City of Kitakyushu: City of Kitakyushu: FY2025 results and future plans for attracting companies and U-turn/I-turn migration (briefing notice and materials)
This article summarizes and explains materials published by government agencies and is not advice on any individual case. Rules can change, so for actual procedures and decisions always check the latest original materials and consult professionals such as tax accountants or labor and social security attorneys. English, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese versions are translations prepared from the Japanese articles for convenience. If anything differs, the Japanese text and the original source take precedence.