was a company that built and operated railways in Kyushu

Kyushu

is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....

, one of four main islands of Japan. Most of its lines came under the control of Japanese Government Railways

Japanese Government Railways

The Japanese Government Railways was the national railway system directly operated by the central government of Japan until 1949. It is a predecessor of Japanese National Railways and the Japan Railways Group.- Name :...

 following nationalization in 1907, and many are now operated by Kyushu Railway Company

Kyushu Railway Company

The , also referred to as , is one of the constituent companies of Japan Railways Group . It operates intercity rail services in Kyushu, Japan and the JR Kyushu Jet Ferry Beetle hydrofoil service across the Tsushima Strait between Fukuoka and Busan, South Korea.When Japan Railways was divided in...

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The company was incorporated on August 15, 1888 in Fukuoka, Fukuoka

Fukuoka, Fukuoka

is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...

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The first 22 miles (35.4 km) of the railway, between Hakata Station

Hakata Station

Hakata Station , located in Hakata-ku, is the main railway terminal of the city of Fukuoka, Japan. It is the largest and busiest station on Kyūshū, and is a gateway to other cities in Kyūshū for travellers from Honshū. The Sanyō Shinkansen from Osaka ends at this station...

 in Fukuoka and Chitosegawa temporary station in Asahi, Saga (near Kurume, Fukuoka

Kurume, Fukuoka

is a city located in Fukuoka prefecture, Japan.The city has an estimated population of 303,277 and a population density of 1,319.51 persons per km²...

), opened on December 11, 1889 as the first railway in Kyushu.

The company expanded the railway by means of both construction and acquisition of other companies.