Dazaifu, Fukuoka

Dazaifu 太宰府市
City
Flag
Location of Dazaifu in Fukuoka Prefecture
Dazaifu Location in Japan
Coordinates: 33°31′N 130°31′E / 33.517°N 130.517°E / 33.517; 130.517Coordinates: 33°31′N 130°31′E / 33.517°N 130.517°E / 33.517; 130.517
Country	Japan
Region	Kyushu
Prefecture	Fukuoka Prefecture
Government
• Mayor	Yoshirō Satō
Area
• Total	29.58 km2 (11.42 sq mi)
Population (May 31, 2011)
• Total	70,587
• Density	2,386.31/km2 (6,180.5/sq mi)
Symbols
• Tree	Kusunoki
• Flower	Ume blossom
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City hall address	1-1-1 Kanzeon-ji, Dazaifu-shi, Fukuoka-ken 818-0198
Website	www.city.dazaifu.lg.jp

Dazaifu (太宰府市, Dazaifu-shi^?) is a city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Nearby cities include Ōnojō and Chikushino. Although mostly mountainous, it does have arable land used for paddy fields and market gardening.

As of May 31, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 70,587 with 29,355 households and a population density of 2,386.31 persons per km². The total area is 29.58 km².

The city was officially founded on April 1, 1982, although it has been important historically for more than a thousand years.

Dazaifu was the imperial office governing Kyūshū (corresponding to Tagajō in Tōhoku) after it was moved from present-day Fukuoka City in 663.

According to the Taiho Code of 701, an attempt by the Yamato state to exert further control over its territories, Dazaifu was given two principal administrative functions: to supervise the affairs of Tsukushi (present-day Kyushu) and to receive foreign emissaries. Dazaifu hosted foreign embassies from China and Korea. Kōrokan, a guesthouse for foreign embassies, was also established. The Korokan featured in contemporary literature, such as the Man'yōshū, as a place of departure for ocean voyages. From the Nara period through the Heian period and until the Kamakura period, Dazaifu was one of the military and administrative centers of Japan.

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