Prefectures of Japan

{{Administrative divisions of Japan}}

The West's use of "prefecture" to label these Japanese regions stems from 16th-century Portuguese explorers and traders use of "prefeitura" to describe the fiefdoms they encountered there.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}} Its original sense in Portuguese, however, was closer to "municipality" than "province". Today, in turn, Japan uses its word ken ({{lang|ja|県}}), meaning "prefecture", to identify Portuguese districts while in Brazil the word "Prefeitura" is used to refer to a city hall.

Those fiefs were headed by a local warlord or family. Though the fiefs have long since been dismantled, merged, and reorganized multiple times, and been granted legislative governance and oversight, the rough translation stuck.

The Meiji government established the current system in July 1871 with the abolition of the han system and establishment of the {{Nihongo|prefecture system|廃藩置県|haihan-chiken}}. Although there were initially over 300 prefectures, many of them being former han territories, this number was reduced to 72 in the latter part of 1871, and 47 in 1888. The Local Autonomy Law of 1947 gave more political power to prefectures, and installed prefectural governors and parliaments.

In 2003, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi proposed that the government consolidate the current prefectures into about 10 regional states (so-called dōshūsei). The plan called for each region to have greater autonomy than existing prefectures. This process would reduce the number of subprefecture administrative regions and cut administrative costs.Mabuchi, Masaru, [http://siteresources.worldbank.org/WBI/Resources/wbi37175.pdf "Municipal Amalgamation in Japan"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151106103204/http://siteresources.worldbank.org/WBI/Resources/wbi37175.pdf |date=2015-11-06 }}, World Bank, 2001. The Japanese government also considered a plan to merge several groups of prefectures, creating a subnational administrative division system consisting of between nine and 13 states, and giving these states more local autonomy than the prefectures currently enjoy.[http://www.nira.go.jp/publ/seiken/ev18n10/ev18n10-s.html "Doshusei Regional System"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060926160741/http://www.nira.go.jp/publ/seiken/ev18n10/ev18n10-s.html |date=2006-09-26 }} National Association for Research Advancement. As of August 2012, this plan was abandoned.

{{main|Government of Japan#Local government}}

Japan is a unitary state. The central government delegates many functions (such as education and the police force) to the prefectures and municipalities, but retains the overall right to control them. Although local government expenditure accounts for 70 percent of overall government expenditure, the central government controls local budgets, tax rates, and borrowing.Mochida, "Local Government Organization and Finance: Japan", in {{cite book |title=Local Governance in Industrial Countries |first=Anwar |last=Shah |year=2006 |publisher=World Bank |url=http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/WBI/WBIPROGRAMS/PSGLP/0,,contentMDK:21215193~pagePK:64156158~piPK:64152884~theSitePK:461606~isCURL:Y,00.html |access-date=2013-12-01 |archive-date=2014-01-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108175935/http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/WBI/WBIPROGRAMS/PSGLP/0,,contentMDK:21215193~pagePK:64156158~piPK:64152884~theSitePK:461606~isCURL:Y,00.html |url-status=live }}

Prefectural government functions include the organization of the prefectural police force, the supervision of schools and the maintenance of prefectural schools (mainly high schools), prefectural hospitals, prefectural roads, the supervision of prefectural waterways and regional urban planning. Their responsibilities include tasks delegated to them by the national government such as maintaining most ordinary national roads (except in designated major cities), and prefectures coordinate and support their municipalities in their functions. De facto, prefectures as well as municipalities have often been less autonomous than the formal extent of the local autonomy law suggests, because of national funding and policies. Most of municipalities depend heavily on central government funding – a dependency recently further exacerbated in many regions by the declining population which hits rural areas harder and earlier (cities can offset it partly through migration from the countryside). In many policy areas, the basic framework is set tightly by national laws, and prefectures and municipalities are only autonomous within that framework.

Historically, during the Edo period, the Tokugawa shogunate established {{Nihongo|bugyō-ruled zones|奉行支配地}} around the nine largest cities in Japan, and 302 {{Nihongo|township-ruled zones|郡代支配地}} elsewhere. When the Meiji government began to create the prefectural system in 1868, the nine bugyō-ruled zones became {{Nihongo|fu|府}}, while the township-ruled zones and the rest of the bugyō-ruled zones became {{Nihongo|ken|県}}. Later, in 1871, the government designated Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto as fu, and relegated the other fu to the status of ken. During World War II, in 1943, Tokyo became a to, a new type of pseudo-prefecture.

Despite the differences in terminology, there is little functional difference between the four types of local governments. The subnational governments are sometimes collectively referred to as {{nihongo|todōfuken|都道府県||{{IPA|ja|todoːɸɯ̥ꜜkeɴ|}}}} in Japanese, which is a combination of the four terms.

Tokyo, capital city of Japan is referred to as {{Nihongo|to|都||{{IPA|ja|toꜜ|}}}}, which is often translated as "metropolis". The Japanese government translates {{Nihongo|Tōkyō-to|東京都||{{IPA|ja|toːkʲoꜜːto|}}}} as "Tokyo Metropolis" in almost all cases, and the government is officially called the "Tokyo Metropolitan Government".

Following the capitulation of the Tokugawa shogunate in 1868, Tōkyō-fu (an urban prefecture like Kyoto and Osaka) was set up and encompassed the former city area of Edo under the Fuhanken sanchisei. After the abolition of the han system in the first wave of prefectural mergers in 1871/72, several surrounding areas (parts of Urawa, Kosuge, Shinagawa and Hikone prefectures) were merged into Tokyo, and under the system of (numbered) "large districts and small districts" (daiku-shōku), it was subdivided into eleven large districts further subdivided into 103 small districts, six of the large districts (97 small districts) covered the former city area of Edo.National Archives of Japan: [http://www.archives.go.jp/exhibition/digital/henbou/contents/11.html 『明治東京全図』] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230102061207/https://www.archives.go.jp/exhibition/digital/henbou/contents/11.html |date=2023-01-02 }} When the ancient ritsuryō districts were reactivated as administrative units in 1878, Tokyo was subdivided into 15 [urban] districts (-ku) and initially six [rural] districts (-gun; nine after the Tama transfer from Kanagawa in 1893, eight after the merger of East Tama and South Toshima into Toyotama in 1896). Both urban and rural districts, like everywhere in the country, were further subdivided into urban units/towns/neighbourhoods (-chō/-machi) and rural units/villages (-mura/-son). The yet unincorporated communities on the Izu (previously part of Shizuoka) and Ogasawara (previously directly Home Ministry-administrated) island groups became also part of Tokyo in the 19th century. When the modern municipalities – [district-independent] cities and [rural] districts containing towns and villages – were introduced under the Yamagata-Mosse laws on local government and the simultaneous Great Meiji merger was performed in 1889, the 15 -ku became wards of Tokyo City, initially Tokyo's only independent city (-shi), the six rural districts of Tokyo were consolidated in 85 towns and villages.Tokyo Metropolitan Archives: [http://www.soumu.metro.tokyo.jp/01soumu/archives/0714tokyo_ku.htm 大東京35区物語～15区から23区へ～東京23区の歴史] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071117143917/http://www.soumu.metro.tokyo.jp/01soumu/archives/0714tokyo_ku.htm |date=2007-11-17 }} In 1893, the three Tama districts and their 91 towns and villages became part of Tokyo. As Tokyo city's suburbs grew rapidly in the early 20th century, many towns and villages in Tokyo were merged or promoted over the years. In 1932, five complete districts with their 82 towns and villages were merged into Tokyo City and organised in 20 new wards. Also, by 1940, there were two more cities in Tokyo: Hachiōji City and Tachikawa City.

In 1943, Tokyo City was abolished, Tōkyō-fu became Tōkyō-to, and Tokyo-shi's 35 wards remained Tokyo-to's 35 wards, but submunicipal authorities of Tokyo-shi's wards which previously fell directly under the municipality, with the municipality now abolished, fell directly under prefectural or now "Metropolitan" authority. All other cities, towns and villages in Tokyo-fu stayed cities, towns and villages in Tokyo-to. The reorganisation's aim was to consolidate the administration of the area around the capital by eliminating the extra level of authority in Tokyo. Also, the governor was no longer called chiji, but chōkan (~"head/chief [usually: of a central government agency]") as in Hokkaidō). The central government wanted to have greater control over all local governments due to Japan's deteriorating position in World War II – for example, all mayors in the country became appointive as in the Meiji era – and over Tokyo in particular, due to the possibility of emergency in the metropolis.

After the war, Japan was forced to decentralise Tokyo again, following the general terms of democratisation outlined in the Potsdam Declaration. Many of Tokyo's special governmental characteristics disappeared during this time, and the wards took on an increasingly municipal status in the decades following the surrender. Administratively, today's special wards are almost indistinguishable from other municipalities.

The postwar reforms also changed the map of Tokyo significantly: In 1947, the 35 wards were reorganised into the 23 special wards, because many of its citizens had either died during the war, left the city, or been drafted and did not return.{{citation needed|date=April 2013}} In the occupation reforms, special wards, each with their own elected assemblies (kugikai) and mayors (kuchō), were intended to be equal to other municipalities even if some restrictions still applied. (For example, there was during the occupation a dedicated municipal police agency for the 23 special wards/former Tokyo City, yet the special wards public safety commission was not named by the special ward governments, but by the government of the whole "Metropolis". In 1954, independent municipal police forces were abolished generally in the whole country, and the prefectural/"Metropolitan" police of Tokyo is again responsible for the whole prefecture/"Metropolis" and like all prefectural police forces controlled by the prefectural/"Metropolitan" public safety commission whose members are appointed by the prefectural/"Metropolitan" governor and assembly.) But, as part of the "reverse course" of the 1950s some of these new rights were removed, the most obvious measure being the denial of directly elected mayors. Some of these restrictions were removed again over the decades. But it was not until the year 2000 that the special wards were fully recognised as municipal-level entities.

Independently from these steps, as Tokyo's urban growth again took up pace during the postwar economic miracle and most of the main island part of Tokyo "Metropolis" became increasingly core part of the Tokyo metropolitan area, many of the other municipalities in Tokyo have transferred some of their authority to the Metropolitan government. For example, the Tokyo Fire Department which was only responsible for the 23 special wards until 1960 has until today taken over the municipal fire departments in almost all of Tokyo. A joint governmental structure for the whole Tokyo metropolitan area (and not only the western suburbs of the special wards which are part of the Tokyo prefecture/Metropolis") as advocated by some politicians such as former Kanagawa governor Shigefumi MatsuzawaThe Japan Times, 4 December 2003: [http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2003/12/04/national/few-warm-to-greater-tokyo-assembly-idea/ Few warm to greater-Tokyo assembly idea. Kanagawa chief pushes new administrative body to deal with regional issues] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220527004316/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2003/12/04/national/few-warm-to-greater-tokyo-assembly-idea/ |date=2022-05-27 }} has not been established (see also Dōshūsei). Existing cross-prefectural fora of cooperation between local governments in the Tokyo metropolitan area are the Kantō regional governors' association (Kantō chihō chijikai)Kanagawa prefectural government: [http://www.pref.kanagawa.jp/cnt/f7700/ 関東地方知事会] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170915083558/http://www.pref.kanagawa.jp/cnt/f7700/ |date=2017-09-15 }}Saitama prefectural government: [https://www.pref.saitama.lg.jp/a0101/kanto/ 関東地方知事会] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230531202438/https://www.pref.saitama.lg.jp/a0101/kanto/ |date=2023-05-31 }} and the "Shutoken summit" (formally "conference of chief executives of nine prefectures and cities", 9 to-ken-shi shunō kaigi).{{cite web|url=http://www.9tokenshi-syunoukaigi.jp/|title=九都県市首脳会議|website=www.9tokenshi-syunoukaigi.jp|access-date=2017-07-26|archive-date=2023-06-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230610010549/http://9tokenshi-syunoukaigi.jp/|url-status=live}} But, these are not themselves local public entities under the local autonomy law and national or local government functions cannot be directly transferred to them, unlike the "Union of Kansai governments" (Kansai kōiki-rengō){{cite web|url=https://www.kouiki-kansai.jp/|title=ホーム-関西広域連合|access-date=2017-07-26|archive-date=2023-08-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230816104057/https://www.kouiki-kansai.jp/|url-status=live}} which has been established by several prefectural governments in the Kansai region.

There are some differences in terminology between Tokyo and other prefectures: police and fire departments are called {{Nihongo|chō|庁}} instead of {{Nihongo|honbu|本部}}, for instance. But the only functional difference between Tōkyō-to and other prefectures is that Tokyo administers wards as well as cities. Today, since the special wards have almost the same degree of independence as Japanese cities, the difference in administration between Tokyo and other prefectures is fairly minor.

In Osaka, several prominent politicians led by Tōru Hashimoto, then mayor of Osaka City and former governor of Osaka Prefecture, proposed an Osaka Metropolis plan, under which Osaka City, and possibly other neighboring cities, would be replaced by special wards similar to Tokyo's. The plan was narrowly defeated in a 2015 referendum, and again in 2020.{{cite news |title=Osaka metropolis plan rejected by slim margin in 2nd referendum |url=https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2020/11/602c90c5b457-voting-begins-in-2nd-referendum-on-osaka-metropolis-plan.html |access-date=14 July 2021 |agency=Kyodo News |date=2 November 2020 |archive-date=28 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728124533/https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2020/11/602c90c5b457-voting-begins-in-2nd-referendum-on-osaka-metropolis-plan.html |url-status=live }}

Hokkaidō is referred to as a {{Nihongo|dō|道||{{IPA|ja|doꜜː|}}}} or circuit. This term was originally used to refer to Japanese regions consisting of several provinces (e.g. the Tōkaidō east-coast region, and Saikaido west-coast region). This was also a historical usage of the character in China. (In Korea, this historical usage is still used today and was kept during the period of Japanese rule.)

{{Nihongo|Hokkai-dō|北海道||{{IPA|ja|hokkaꜜidoː|}}}}, the only remaining dō today, was not one of the original seven dō (it was known as Ezo in the pre-modern era). Its current name is believed to originate from Matsuura Takeshiro, an early Japanese explorer of the island. Since Hokkaidō did not fit into the existing dō classifications, a new dō was created to cover it.

The Meiji government originally classified Hokkaidō as a {{Nihongo|"Settlement Envoyship"|開拓使|kaitakushi}}, and later divided the island into three prefectures (Sapporo, Hakodate, and Nemuro). These were consolidated into a single {{Nihongo|Hokkaido Department|北海道庁|Hokkaido-chō}} in 1886, at prefectural level but organized more along the lines of a territory. In 1947, the department was dissolved, and Hokkaidō became a full-fledged prefecture. The -ken suffix was never added to its name, so the -dō suffix came to be understood to mean "prefecture".

When Hokkaidō was incorporated, transportation on the island was still underdeveloped, so the prefecture was split into several {{Nihongo|"subprefectures"|支庁 |shichō}} that could fulfill administrative duties of the prefectural government and keep tight control over the developing island. These subprefectures still exist today, although they have much less power than they possessed before and during World War II. They now exist primarily to handle paperwork and other bureaucratic functions.

"Hokkaidō Prefecture" is, technically speaking, a redundant term because dō itself indicates a prefecture, although it is occasionally used to differentiate the government from the island itself. The prefecture's government calls itself the "Hokkaidō Government" rather than the "Hokkaidō Prefectural Government".

Osaka and Kyoto Prefectures are referred to as {{Nihongo|fu|府||pronounced {{IPA|ja|ɸɯꜜ|}} when a separate word but {{IPA|ja|ꜜɸɯ|}} when part of the full name of a prefecture, e.g. {{IPA|ja|kʲoꜜːto|}} and {{IPA|ja|ɸɯꜜ|}} become {{IPA|ja|kʲoːtoꜜɸɯ|}}}}. The Classical Chinese character from which this is derived implies a core urban zone of national importance. Before World War II, different laws applied to fu and ken, but this distinction was abolished after the war, and the two types of prefecture are now functionally the same.

43 of the 47 prefectures are referred to as {{Nihongo|ken|県||pronounced {{IPA|ja|keꜜɴ|}} when a separate word but {{IPA|ja|ꜜkeɴ|}} when part of the full name of a prefecture, e.g. {{IPA|ja|aꜜitɕi|}} and {{IPA|ja|keꜜɴ|}} become {{IPA|ja|aitɕi̥ꜜkeɴ|}}}}. The Classical Chinese character from which this is derived carries a rural or provincial connotation, and an analogous character is used to refer to the counties of China, counties of Taiwan and districts of Vietnam.

File:Regions and Prefectures of Japan.svg|550px|thumb|Prefectures of Japan with coloured regions

poly 421 1 549 43 569 93 492 177 412 197 382 220 366 203 358 161 408 13 413 7 Hokkaidō

poly 382 264 388 261 411 261 415 257 420 257 421 260 421 264 422 266 426 266 431 264 433 260 439 259 445 256 431 205 409 203 387 221 372 255 Aomori

poly 382 266 389 263 409 263 413 262 415 258 418 258 420 260 420 265 421 267 418 271 418 296 415 300 415 312 420 318 423 324 423 329 418 332 415 333 399 327 387 327 373 291 Akita

poly 455 335 446 337 443 336 434 331 425 329 425 322 420 314 417 311 417 302 419 297 419 272 422 268 428 268 432 265 435 261 440 260 446 257 454 264 467 281 470 300 466 319 Iwate

poly 387 328 366 341 367 355 380 357 391 365 394 368 394 374 389 377 388 381 388 385 392 389 394 390 407 390 411 388 414 384 409 380 409 376 416 367 417 363 418 346 416 343 415 335 399 329 388 329 Yamagata

poly 417 335 424 331 433 332 444 339 454 337 462 357 440 381 431 382 425 380 419 380 415 383 411 379 411 376 418 367 420 347 418 342 417 340 416 338 Miyagi

poly 378 357 339 372 332 387 317 441 325 449 328 447 330 444 334 447 336 447 337 445 344 444 349 436 353 435 356 437 361 445 362 446 365 446 369 442 371 436 375 432 380 433 379 430 375 425 374 416 375 411 379 409 382 409 387 405 387 396 391 391 387 387 386 379 392 372 393 372 393 368 Niigata

poly 381 433 380 428 376 424 376 415 379 411 385 410 389 405 389 397 392 391 409 392 416 384 421 381 425 382 431 384 441 383 447 393 450 419 444 431 438 429 435 429 431 431 429 434 427 434 413 421 406 420 402 423 396 430 391 433 389 434 383 434 Fukushima

poly 422 432 427 436 431 435 432 431 436 430 443 433 451 480 448 480 445 478 442 475 437 474 429 477 426 481 422 481 413 475 408 474 402 469 408 468 419 459 423 454 Ibaraki

poly 384 436 391 435 398 430 404 422 406 422 410 422 413 424 421 431 420 437 421 454 415 460 409 465 407 466 400 468 391 459 390 456 390 450 389 447 386 445 386 438 Tochigi

poly 409 476 414 477 420 482 426 483 430 478 438 475 442 477 446 481 449 482 451 481 453 485 442 490 440 495 440 513 423 530 417 529 413 503 413 493 412 486 411 480 Chiba

poly 362 448 365 448 370 443 372 436 375 434 380 434 385 439 385 445 388 450 389 450 389 457 391 461 399 468 384 468 374 478 370 482 369 486 363 480 362 476 362 468 360 466 355 465 352 461 353 457 Gunma

poly 381 493 381 489 384 488 388 488 392 490 394 491 398 491 402 490 406 490 410 488 410 483 408 476 400 469 385 469 371 483 370 487 374 491 Saitama

poly 382 493 382 491 383 489 387 489 392 491 393 492 399 492 401 491 406 491 410 489 411 490 412 494 407 498 401 498 399 499 388 499 386 496 Tōkyō

poly 393 500 400 500 403 499 408 499 413 510 412 518 389 521 385 520 383 517 383 512 380 510 378 510 379 507 393 507 Kanagawa

rect 423 538 457 551 Tōkyō

rect 386 551 438 565 Kanagawa

circle 551 737 119 Okinawa

poly 352 493 364 493 367 491 368 487 373 492 381 494 384 496 387 499 392 499 392 507 378 507 377 510 376 511 369 511 366 513 364 515 364 520 362 521 359 519 351 508 351 506 343 506 343 499 352 499 Yamanashi

poly 338 529 345 520 348 514 349 511 350 510 353 513 359 521 362 522 365 521 365 515 369 512 377 512 378 511 380 511 382 513 382 518 385 521 389 522 393 526 393 540 383 551 356 556 325 557 325 547 328 541 335 534 Shizuoka

poly 325 450 330 446 334 449 338 447 343 446 346 444 350 437 352 436 355 437 361 447 352 456 351 462 354 466 359 467 360 468 361 470 361 479 363 483 367 486 366 490 363 492 351 492 351 499 343 499 343 506 350 506 350 508 348 510 347 513 338 527 336 528 326 527 326 512 321 503 316 499 316 497 321 492 322 486 322 477 321 473 321 471 323 470 323 454 Nagano

poly 294 447 316 441 324 450 322 453 322 469 320 471 301 471 297 476 296 476 293 475 291 475 290 466 287 459 287 458 290 458 291 449 Toyama

poly 291 476 293 476 295 478 298 478 302 472 320 472 321 479 321 488 320 492 315 496 315 500 320 504 324 512 325 514 325 524 324 527 313 527 307 523 296 523 293 526 292 530 289 534 288 534 283 534 280 529 279 524 272 511 274 508 279 505 285 505 291 501 291 497 286 493 286 489 291 483 Gifu

poly 290 535 293 530 294 526 297 524 305 524 312 528 328 528 336 529 334 533 327 540 324 547 324 557 308 561 298 552 296 542 Aichi

poly 268 477 247 477 247 462 276 461 276 431 299 415 307 418 305 425 294 446 291 447 289 451 289 458 287 458 289 464 290 482 285 488 280 488 Ishikawa

poly 267 478 280 489 285 489 285 493 289 497 289 499 289 500 285 504 278 504 272 508 270 512 261 521 257 523 253 527 247 527 243 524 243 521 256 492 Fukui

poly 271 512 277 524 280 532 280 544 278 547 275 549 271 549 268 551 264 556 258 542 257 541 256 531 254 528 261 522 Shiga

poly 280 533 284 535 288 535 294 542 297 555 307 568 306 577 271 606 265 604 262 600 262 598 270 591 272 586 272 564 265 557 269 552 277 550 281 544 Mie

poly 217 518 225 508 237 509 242 520 242 524 246 528 252 528 255 533 256 535 256 542 263 556 263 558 255 556 247 547 241 547 235 538 231 536 225 535 222 533 223 531 226 528 226 526 220 522 Kyōto

poly 242 548 246 548 252 555 252 573 253 575 239 575 243 566 244 564 243 553 Ōsaka

poly 253 556 257 559 263 559 264 558 270 564 271 580 272 580 272 587 268 592 261 598 261 600 256 600 251 597 251 589 252 586 252 579 255 579 253 572 Nara

rect 222 616 253 628 Ōsaka

poly 238 576 241 576 253 576 254 579 252 579 252 585 250 589 250 597 253 600 256 601 261 601 265 605 271 607 271 618 260 623 260 631 285 631 285 644 228 644 228 631 254 631 254 617 253 616 242 614 230 600 229 581 Wakayama

poly 198 518 202 515 215 517 219 523 224 526 224 528 221 532 222 535 226 537 231 537 235 540 237 545 240 548 242 555 242 565 230 567 227 578 223 587 216 587 214 577 222 567 221 565 200 563 197 557 197 553 195 549 197 544 204 535 204 527 Hyōgo

poly 156 529 163 521 197 519 203 528 203 534 200 538 191 538 186 534 181 534 178 537 169 537 163 542 155 549 152 550 149 547 149 544 152 541 157 535 Tottori

poly 154 551 157 549 169 539 172 538 178 538 182 535 185 535 190 539 199 539 194 545 194 551 197 554 197 561 200 565 185 578 167 579 162 569 159 562 156 558 155 553 Okayama

poly 92 574 89 558 89 549 142 523 149 523 155 531 155 536 148 543 148 548 151 551 138 551 133 557 129 564 126 565 119 565 109 573 106 580 104 587 102 588 96 585 92 580 Shimane

poly 106 582 110 574 119 566 128 566 130 564 139 552 153 552 155 554 155 558 159 564 159 566 166 579 164 582 158 582 150 589 133 596 116 592 112 590 110 585 Hiroshima

poly 91 574 91 581 96 587 101 589 104 589 106 583 109 586 111 590 117 593 113 616 75 613 59 602 62 588 Yamaguchi

poly 158 582 177 582 185 579 204 582 203 587 198 591 186 594 181 595 174 600 171 596 158 592 Kagawa

poly 175 601 182 596 198 592 205 586 213 586 218 597 229 598 229 607 217 607 202 620 197 615 187 607 181 607 175 604 Tokushima

poly 132 658 138 653 138 650 136 647 136 644 145 636 145 629 150 625 155 616 155 614 166 608 174 605 181 608 187 608 202 622 196 635 162 635 152 662 137 667 Kōchi

poly 118 610 133 610 139 597 147 594 171 597 174 601 174 604 166 607 155 612 151 621 145 627 143 629 143 636 135 642 134 647 137 651 136 653 131 658 120 663 119 658 126 641 124 636 107 635 108 628 118 622 Ehime

poly 77 624 67 608 62 605 34 619 29 634 32 636 51 636 52 638 51 641 42 651 46 657 52 652 60 650 63 648 63 637 68 632 72 631 Fukuoka

poly 64 649 64 638 69 633 74 631 79 625 91 620 97 621 102 632 113 657 110 662 100 662 98 665 96 665 93 664 88 664 84 661 80 655 79 648 78 646 73 646 70 649 69 652 66 652 Ōita

poly 84 663 87 665 94 665 98 666 102 663 109 663 104 681 103 688 120 688 120 700 96 700 94 735 87 737 83 731 83 723 79 719 71 713 64 702 74 698 77 693 76 683 73 679 73 676 Miyazaki

poly 27 633 31 637 50 637 51 638 50 640 38 653 36 657 26 653 21 648 20 641 18 633 23 632 Saga

poly 19 641 19 648 25 654 49 662 49 673 37 678 17 679 6 671 7 641 12 638 Nagasaki

poly 46 658 53 653 62 650 64 650 66 653 69 653 70 651 74 647 76 647 78 649 78 654 83 662 72 676 72 680 74 684 75 686 75 694 73 698 63 701 58 697 43 698 22 693 22 682 25 681 48 681 48 674 51 672 51 663 Kumamoto

poly 13 707 43 699 57 699 62 702 70 714 81 723 82 733 80 744 64 753 39 744 35 721 12 720 Kagoshima

{{clear|left}}

The different systems of parsing frame the ways in which Japanese prefectures are perceived:

The prefectures are also often grouped into eight regions (地方, chihō). Those regions are not formally specified, they do not have elected officials, nor are they corporate bodies. But the practice of ordering prefectures based on their geographic region is traditional. This ordering is mirrored in Japan's International Organization for Standardization (ISO) coding.See ISO 3166 From north to south (numbering in ISO 3166-2:JP order), the prefectures of Japan and their commonly associated regions are:

{{div col|colwidth=10em}}

• Hokkaidō {{ordered list|Hokkaidō}}
• Tōhoku {{ordered list|start=2|Aomori|Iwate|Miyagi|Akita|Yamagata|Fukushima}}
• Kantō {{ordered list|start=8|Ibaraki|Tochigi|Gunma|Saitama|Chiba|Tōkyō|Kanagawa}}
• Chūbu {{ordered list|start=15|Niigata|Toyama|Ishikawa|Fukui|Yamanashi|Nagano|Gifu|Shizuoka|Aichi}}
• Kansai{{Efn|It is sometimes expressed as "Kinki".}}　　 {{ordered list|start=24|Mie|Shiga|Kyōto|Ōsaka|Hyōgo|Nara|Wakayama}}
• Chūgoku {{ordered list|start=31|Tottori|Shimane|Okayama|Hiroshima|Yamaguchi}}
• Shikoku {{ordered list|start=36|Tokushima|Kagawa|Ehime|Kōchi}}
• Kyūshū {{ordered list|start=40|Fukuoka|Saga|Nagasaki|Kumamoto|Ōita|Miyazaki|Kagoshima}}
• Ryūkyū Islands {{ordered list|start=47|Okinawa}}

{{div col end}}

:The default alphabetic order in this sortable table can be altered to mirror the traditional Japanese regions and ISO parsing.

{{hatnote|See this Japanese Wikipedia article for all the changes in that period. See also the English Wikipedia List of Japanese prefectures by population#Historical demography of prefectures of Japan for lists of prefectures since the late 1860s.}}

Here are some territories that were lost after World War II. This does not include all the territories of the Empire of Japan such as Manchukuo.

• List of Japanese prefectural name etymologies
• List of Japanese prefectures by area
• List of Japanese prefectures by population
• List of Japanese prefectures by GDP
• List of Japanese prefectures by GDP per capita
• List of Japanese prefectures by Human Development Index
• List of Japanese prefectures by life expectancy
• List of Japanese prefectures by highest mountain
• List of prefectural capitals in Japan
• List of Prefecture songs of Japan
• ISO 3166-2 codes for Japan
• List of prefectural governors in Japan
• Flags of Japanese prefectures
• Provinces of Japan

• List of regions of Japan
• Government of Japan

{{Notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Prefectures of Japan}}

• [http://www.nga.gr.jp/english/index.html National Governors' Association website]
• [http://gojapan.about.com/cs/japanmaps/l/blprefecturemap.htm Map of Japan showing prefectures] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303153926/http://gojapan.about.com/cs/japanmaps/l/blprefecturemap.htm |date=2012-03-03 }}
• [http://www.biwa.ne.jp/~toda-m/geo-hist/prefrank.html Japanese essay on types of prefectures]
• [http://citymayors.com/government/jap_locgov.html CityMayors.com profile of prefectures]

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{{Regions and administrative divisions of Japan}}

{{Articles on first-level administrative divisions of Asian countries}}

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Prefectures

Japan 1

Prefectures, Japan

Category:Lists of places in Japan