In 1158, when TAIRA no Kiyomori became Dazai no daini (Senior Assistant Governor-General), the political center in Kitakyushu was transferred to Hakata (Fukuoka City), 20 kilometers north of Dazai-fu to promote the trade between Japan and Sung Dynasty in China, which was the basis of the Taira clan government.
1158年に平清盛が大宰大弐になると、平氏政権の基盤である日宋貿易の意図もあり、やがて北九州での政治的中心地は、大宰府から20キロメートル北の博多（福岡市）へ移る。