Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
is divided into 47
prefecture
A prefecture (from the Latin ''Praefectura'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international ...
s (, ''todōfuken'', ), which rank immediately below the national government and form the country's first level of
jurisdiction
Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United States, areas of jurisdiction apply to local, state, and federal levels.
Jur ...
and
administrative division
Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...
. They include 43 prefectures proper (, ''
ken
Ken or KEN may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Ken'' (album), a 2017 album by Canadian indie rock band Destroyer.
* ''Ken'' (film), 1964 Japanese film.
* ''Ken'' (magazine), a large-format political magazine.
* Ken Masters, a main character in ...
''), two
urban prefectures (, ''
fu'':
Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
and
Kyoto
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...
), one "
circuit" or "territory" (, ''
dō'':
Hokkai-dō) and one metropolis (, ''
to'':
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
).
In 1868, the
Meiji ''
Fuhanken sanchisei
The was the subnational government structure in early Meiji Japan. It lasted from the Boshin War, the start to the Meiji Restoration, in 1868 until the replacement of all remaining feudal domains ''(-han)'' with prefectures ''(-ken)'' in 1871. ...
'' administration created the first prefectures (urban ''fu'' and rural ''ken'') to replace the urban and rural administrators (''
bugyō
was a title assigned to '' samurai'' officials during the feudal period of Japan. ''Bugyō'' is often translated as commissioner, magistrate, or governor, and other terms would be added to the title to describe more specifically a given offic ...
'', ''
daikan
''Daikan'' (代官) was an official in Japan that acted on behalf of a ruling monarch or a lord at the post they had been appointed to. Since the Middle Ages, ''daikan'' were in charge of their territory and territorial tax collection. In the Edo ...
'', etc.) in the
parts of the country previously controlled directly by the shogunate and a few territories of rebels/shogunate loyalists who had not submitted to the new government such as
Aizu/
Wakamatsu. In 1871, all remaining feudal domains ''(
han
Han may refer to:
Ethnic groups
* Han Chinese, or Han People (): the name for the largest ethnic group in China, which also constitutes the world's largest ethnic group.
** Han Taiwanese (): the name for the ethnic group of the Taiwanese p ...
)'' were also transformed into prefectures, so that prefectures subdivided the whole country. In several waves of territorial consolidation, today's 47 prefectures were formed by the turn of the century. In many instances, these are contiguous with the ancient ritsuryō
provinces of Japan
were first-level administrative divisions of Japan from the 600s to 1868.
Provinces were established in Japan in the late 7th century under the Ritsuryō law system that formed the first central government. Each province was divided into an ...
.
[ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric, 2002]
"Provinces and prefectures"
in ''Japan encyclopedia'', p. 780.
Each prefecture's chief executive is a
directly elected
Direct election is a system of choosing political officeholders in which the voters directly cast ballots for the persons or political party that they desire to see elected. The method by which the winner or winners of a direct election are cho ...
.
Ordinance
Ordinance may refer to:
Law
* Ordinance (Belgium), a law adopted by the Brussels Parliament or the Common Community Commission
* Ordinance (India), a temporary law promulgated by the President of India on recommendation of the Union Cabinet
* ...
s and budgets are enacted by a
unicameral
Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature, which consists of one house or assembly, that legislates and votes as one.
Unicameral legislatures exist when there is no widely perceived need for multic ...
whose members are elected for four-year terms.
Under a set of 1888–1890 laws on local government until the 1920s, each prefecture (then only 3 ''-fu'' and 42 ''-ken''; ''Hokkai-dō'' and ''Okinawa-ken'' were subject to different laws until the 20th century) was subdivided into and and each district into and .
Hokkaidō
is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel.
The la ...
has 14
subprefectures that act as and of the prefecture. Some other prefectures also have branch offices that carry out prefectural administrative functions outside the capital.
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, the
, is a merged city-prefecture; a metropolis, it has features of both cities and prefectures.
Background
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
fief
A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an Lord, overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a for ...
doms they encountered there. Its original sense in Portuguese, however, was closer to "
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
" than "
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...
". Today, in turn, Japan uses its word ''ken'' (), meaning "prefecture", to identify
Portuguese districts while in Brazil the word "Prefeitura" is used to refer to a
city hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...
.
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
The was the government that was formed by politicians of the Satsuma Domain and Chōshū Domain in the 1860s. The Meiji government was the early government of the Empire of Japan.
Politicians of the Meiji government were known as the Meiji o ...
established the current system in July 1871 with the
abolition of the han system
The in the Empire of Japan and its replacement by a system of prefectures in 1871 was the culmination of the Meiji Restoration begun in 1868, the starting year of the Meiji period. Under the reform, all daimyos (, ''daimyō'', feudal lords) ...
and establishment of the . Although there were initially over 300 prefectures, many of them being former
han
Han may refer to:
Ethnic groups
* Han Chinese, or Han People (): the name for the largest ethnic group in China, which also constitutes the world's largest ethnic group.
** Han Taiwanese (): the name for the ethnic group of the Taiwanese p ...
territories, this number was reduced to 72 in the latter part of 1871, and 47 in 1888. The
Local Autonomy Law
The , passed by the House of Representatives and the House of Peers on March 28, 1947 and promulgated as Law No. 67 of 1947 on April 17,Ministry of Justice, Japanese Law Translation Database SystemLocal Autonomy Act/ref> is an Act of devolution t ...
of 1947 gave more political power to prefectures, and installed prefectural governors and parliaments.
In 2003,
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Junichiro Koizumi
Junichiro Koizumi (; , ''Koizumi Jun'ichirō'' ; born 8 January 1942) is a former Japanese politician who was Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from 2001 to 2006. He retired from politics in 2009. He is ...
proposed that the government
consolidate the current prefectures into about 10 regional states (so-called ''
dōshūsei
is a proposal to organize Japan into one circuit (''dō'') of Hokkaido and several new states (''shū'') that are each a combination of several prefectures. The states and circuit are proposed to have greater regional autonomy, similar to the Un ...
''). 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. 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. As of August 2012, this plan was abandoned.
Powers
Japan is a
unitary state
A unitary state is a sovereign state governed as a single entity in which the central government is the supreme authority. The central government may create (or abolish) administrative divisions (sub-national units). Such units exercise only th ...
. The central government delegates many functions (such as
education
Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...
and the
police force
The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and th ...
) to the prefectures and
municipalities
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
, but retains the overall right to control them. Although local government expenditure accounts for 70 percent of overall
government expenditure
Public expenditure is spending made by the government of a country on collective needs and wants, such as pension, provisions, security, infrastructure, etc. Until the 19th century, public expenditure was limited as laissez faire philosophies b ...
, the central government controls local budgets,
tax rate
In a tax system, the tax rate is the ratio (usually expressed as a percentage) at which a business or person is taxed. There are several methods used to present a tax rate: statutory, average, marginal, and effective. These rates can also be p ...
s, and borrowing.
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 road
in Japan are roads usually planned, numbered and maintained by the government of the respective prefecture (-to, -dō, -fu or -ken), independent of other prefectures – as opposed to national roads (kokudō), which in legal terms include ...
s, 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
* most of them depend heavily on central government funding – a dependency recently further exacerbated in many regions by the demographic transition which hits rural areas harder/earlier as cities can offset it partly through migration from the countryside, and
* in many policy areas, the basic framework is set tightly by national laws, and prefectures and municipalities are only autonomous within that framework.
Types of prefecture
Historically, during the
Edo period
The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...
, the
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia ...
established around the nine largest cities in Japan, and 302 elsewhere. When the Meiji government began to create the prefectural system in 1868, the nine bugyō-ruled zones became , while the township-ruled zones and the rest of the bugyo-ruled zones became . Later, in 1871, the government designated
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
,
Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
, and
Kyoto
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...
as ''fu'', and relegated the other ''fu'' to the status of ''ken.'' During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, 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 in Japanese, which is a combination of the four terms.
''To''
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
is referred to as , which is often translated as "metropolis". The Japanese government translates as "Tokyo Metropolis" in almost all cases, and the government is officially called the "Tokyo Metropolitan Government".
Following the capitulation of shogunate Edo 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
The was the subnational government structure in early Meiji Japan. It lasted from the Boshin War, the start to the Meiji Restoration, in 1868 until the replacement of all remaining feudal domains ''(-han)'' with prefectures ''(-ken)'' in 1871. ...
. After the
abolition of the han system
The in the Empire of Japan and its replacement by a system of prefectures in 1871 was the culmination of the Meiji Restoration begun in 1868, the starting year of the Meiji period. Under the reform, all daimyos (, ''daimyō'', feudal lords) ...
in the first wave of prefectural mergers in 1871/72, several surrounding areas (parts of
Urawa,
Kosuge,
Shinagawa
is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. The Ward refers to itself as Shinagawa City in English. The Ward is home to ten embassies.
, the Ward had an estimated population of 380,293 and a population density of 16,510 persons per km2. The total are ...
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. When the ancient ritsuryō districts were reactivated as administrative units in 1878, Tokyo was subdivided into 15
rbandistricts ''(-
ku)'' and initially six
ural
Ural may refer to:
*Ural (region), in Russia and Kazakhstan
*Ural Mountains, in Russia and Kazakhstan
*Ural (river), in Russia and Kazakhstan
* Ual (tool), a mortar tool used by the Bodo people of India
*Ural Federal District, in Russia
*Ural econ ...
districts (''-
gun
A gun is a ranged weapon designed to use a shooting tube (gun barrel) to launch projectiles. The projectiles are typically solid, but can also be pressurized liquid (e.g. in water guns/cannons, spray guns for painting or pressure washing, p ...
''; nine after the
Tama transfer from
Kanagawa
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-dens ...
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
Shizuoka can refer to:
* Shizuoka Prefecture, a Japanese prefecture
* Shizuoka (city), the capital city of Shizuoka Prefecture
* Shizuoka Airport
* Shizuoka Domain, the name from 1868 to 1871 for Sunpu Domain, a predecessor of Shizuoka Prefecture
...
) and Ogasawara (previously directly Home Ministry-administrated) island groups became also part of Tokyo in the 19th century. When the modern municipalities –
istrict-independentcities and
ural
Ural may refer to:
*Ural (region), in Russia and Kazakhstan
*Ural Mountains, in Russia and Kazakhstan
*Ural (river), in Russia and Kazakhstan
* Ual (tool), a mortar tool used by the Bodo people of India
*Ural Federal District, in Russia
*Ural econ ...
districts containing towns and villages – were introduced under the
Yamagata-
Mosse Mosse may refer to:
Ethnic Groups
* Mossé of Burkina Faso Medicine
* Bartholomew Mosse (1712-1759), Irish surgeon and founder of the Rotunda Hospital
* Markus Mosse (1808-1865), German physician
Literature
* Hans Lachmann-Mosse (1885-1944), Germ ...
laws on local government and the simultaneous Great Meiji merger was performed in 1889, the 15 ''-ku'' became wards of
Tokyo City
was a Cities of Japan, municipality in Japan and part of Tokyo Prefecture (1868–1943), Tokyo-fu which existed from 1 May 1889 until its merger with its prefecture on 1 July 1943. The historical boundaries of Tokyo City are now occupied by ...
, initially Tokyo's only independent city ''(-shi)'', the six rural districts of Tokyo were consolidated in 85 towns and villages. 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
sually: 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
The Potsdam Declaration, or the Proclamation Defining Terms for Japanese Surrender, was a statement that called for the surrender of all Japanese armed forces during World War II. On July 26, 1945, United States President Harry S. Truman, Uni ...
. 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. 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
The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world, consisting of the Kantō region of Japan (including Tokyo Metropolis and the prefectures of Chiba, Gunma, Ibaraki, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Tochigi) as well as the pre ...
, many of the other municipalities in Tokyo have transferred some of their authority to the Metropolitan government. For example, the
Tokyo Fire Department
The Tokyo Fire Department (TFD) (Japanese: 東京消防庁, Tokyo Shōbōchō) is a fire department headquartered in Ōtemachi, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. 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 Matsuzawa
is a Japanese politician and a current member of the House of Councillors for the Kanagawa at-large district in the Diet of Japan. A native of Kawasaki, Kanagawa and graduate of Keio University with a bachelor's degree in Political Science, h ...
has not been established (see also
Dōshūsei
is a proposal to organize Japan into one circuit (''dō'') of Hokkaido and several new states (''shū'') that are each a combination of several prefectures. The states and circuit are proposed to have greater regional autonomy, similar to the Un ...
). Existing cross-prefectural fora of cooperation between local governments in the Tokyo metropolitan area are the Kantō regional governors' association ''(Kantō chihō chijikai)'' and the "
Shutoken
The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world, consisting of the Kantō region of Japan (including Tokyo Metropolis and the prefectures of Chiba, Gunma, Ibaraki, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Tochigi) as well as the pre ...
summit" (formally "conference of chief executives of nine prefectures and cities", ''9 to-ken-shi shunō kaigi''). 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)'' 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 instead of , 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
is a Japanese TV personality, politician and lawyer. He was the mayor of Osaka city and is a member of Nippon Ishin no Kai and the Osaka Restoration Association. He is one of Japan's leading right-wing conservative-populist politicians.
Early ...
, then mayor of
Osaka City
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2.7 ...
and former governor of
Osaka Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Osaka Prefecture has a population of 8,778,035 () and has a geographic area of . Osaka Prefecture borders Hyōgo Prefecture to the northwest, Kyoto 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.
''Dō''
Hokkaidō
is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel.
The la ...
is referred to as a or
circuit. This term was originally used to refer to Japanese regions consisting of several
provinces
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
(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.)
, the only remaining ''dō'' today, was not one of the original seven ''dō'' (it was known as
Ezo
(also spelled Yezo or Yeso) is the Japanese term historically used to refer to the lands to the north of the Japanese island of Honshu. It included the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, which changed its name from "Ezo" to "Hokkaidō" in 18 ...
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 , and later divided the island into three prefectures (Sapporo, Hakodate, and Nemuro). These were consolidated into a single 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 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".
''Fu''
Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
and
Kyoto
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...
Prefectures are referred to as . 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.
''Ken''
43 of the 47 prefectures are referred to as . 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 ( zh, t=縣, s=县, hp=Xiàn), formally county-level divisions, are found in the third level of the administrative hierarchy in Provinces and Autonomous regions and the second level in municipalities and Hainan, a level that is known ...
,
counties of Taiwan
A county, constitutionally known as a hsien, is a ''de jure'' second-level administrative division unit in the Republic of China (Taiwan). Under the administrative structure of Taiwan, it is with the same level of a provincial city.
The coun ...
and
districts of Vietnam
The provinces of Vietnam are subdivided into second-level administrative units, namely districts ( vi, huyện), provincial cities (), and district-level towns (). The centrally-controlled municipalities (the other first-level division, in add ...
.
Lists of prefectures
File:Regions_and_Prefectures_of_Japan_2.svg, 550px, 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
is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel.
The la ...
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
is the capital city of Aomori Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 278,964 in 136,457 households, and a population density of 340 people per square kilometer spread over the city's total area of ...
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
is a Japanese name and may refer to:
Places
* 8182 Akita, a main-belt asteroid
* Akita Castle, a Nara period fortified settlement in Akita, Japan
* Akita Domain, also known as Kubota Domain, feudal domain in Edo period Japan
* Akita, Kumamoto ...
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 Miyagi may refer to:
Places
* Miyagi Prefecture, one of the 47 major divisions of Japan
* Miyagi, Gunma, a village in Japan, merged into Maebashi in 2004
*Miyagi District, Miyagi, a district in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan
Other uses
* Miyagi (surna ...
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
may refer to:
Japan
* Fukushima Prefecture, Japanese prefecture
** Fukushima, Fukushima, capital city of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan
***Fukushima University, national university in Japan
*** Fukushima Station (Fukushima) in Fukushima, Fukushim ...
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
Chiba may refer to:
Places China
* (), town in Jianli County, Jingzhou, Hubei
Japan
* Chiba (city), capital of Chiba Prefecture
** Chiba Station, a train station
* Chiba Prefecture, a sub-national jurisdiction in the Greater Tokyo Area on ...
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
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Gunma Prefecture has a population of 1,937,626 (1 October 2019) and has a geographic area of 6,362 km2 (2,456 sq mi). Gunma Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture and Fukushima P ...
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
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
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
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-dens ...
rect 423 538 457 551 Tōkyō
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
rect 386 551 438 565 Kanagawa
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-dens ...
circle 551 737 119 Okinawa
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city ...
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
Shizuoka can refer to:
* Shizuoka Prefecture, a Japanese prefecture
* Shizuoka (city), the capital city of Shizuoka Prefecture
* Shizuoka Airport
* Shizuoka Domain, the name from 1868 to 1871 for Sunpu Domain, a predecessor of Shizuoka Prefecture
...
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 Nagano may refer to:
Places
* Nagano Prefecture, a prefecture in Japan
** Nagano (city), the capital city of the same prefecture
*** Nagano 1998, the 1998 Winter Olympics
*** Nagano Olympic Stadium, a baseball stadium in Nagano
*** Nagano Universi ...
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
Toyama may refer to:
Places and organizations
* Toyama Prefecture, a prefecture of Japan located in the Hokuriku region on the main Honshu island
* Toyama, Toyama, the capital city of Toyama Prefecture
* Toyama Station, the main station of 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
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,552,873 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the west, Gifu Prefectu ...
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
is a Japanese name meaning "fortunate" or sometimes "one who is from the Fukui prefecture". It may refer to:
Places
* Fukui Domain, a part of the Japanese han system during the Edo period
* Fukui Prefecture, a prefecture of Japan located in ...
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
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Shiga Prefecture has a population of 1,412,916 (1 October 2015) and has a geographic area of . Shiga Prefecture borders Fukui Prefecture to the north, Gifu Prefecture to the nort ...
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
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the c ...
poly 242 548 246 548 252 555 252 573 253 575 239 575 243 566 244 564 243 553 Ōsaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2.7 ...
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
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It i ...
rect 222 616 253 628 Ōsaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2.7 ...
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 Wakayama may refer to:
*Wakayama Prefecture, a prefecture of Japan
*Wakayama (city)
Wakayama City Hall
is the capital city of Wakayama Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 351,391 in 157066 househol ...
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
is the capital city of Okayama Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan. The city was founded on June 1, 1889. , the city has an estimated population of 720,841 and a population density of 910 persons per km2. The total area is .
The city is ...
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
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Shimane Prefecture is the second-least populous prefecture of Japan at 665,205 (February 1, 2021) and has a geographic area of 6,708.26 km2. Shimane Prefecture borders Yamaguc ...
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
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui h ...
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 may refer to:
* , the smallest prefecture of Japan by area, located on the island of Shikoku
* , a district in Kagawa Prefecture
* , a town located in Kagawa District
* , train station in Chigasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture
* Kagawa (surname) Kagawa (w ...
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
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Tokushima Prefecture has a population of 728,633 (1 October 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,146 km2 (1,601 sq mi). Tokushima Prefecture borders Kagawa Prefecture to the nort ...
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
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Ehime Prefecture has a population of 1,342,011 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 5,676 km2 (2,191 sq mi). Ehime Prefecture borders Kagawa Prefecture to the northeast, Tokush ...
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
is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancie ...
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
is a series of science fantasy role-playing video games by Square Enix. The series originated on the Game Boy in 1989 as the creation of Akitoshi Kawazu at Square (video game company), Square. It has since continued across multiple platforms, ...
poly 19 641 19 648 25 654 49 662 49 673 37 678 17 679 6 671 7 641 12 638 Nagasaki
is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan.
It became the sole port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through 19th centuries. The Hidden Christian Sites in the ...
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
is the capital city of Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 738,907 and a population density of 1,893 people per km2. The total area is 390.32 km2.
had a population of 1,461,000, ...
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
, abbreviated to , is the capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Located at the southwestern tip of the island of Kyushu, Kagoshima is the largest city in the prefecture by some margin. It has been nicknamed the "Naples of the Eastern wor ...
The different systems of
parsing
Parsing, syntax analysis, or syntactic analysis is the process of analyzing a string of symbols, either in natural language, computer languages or data structures, conforming to the rules of a formal grammar. The term ''parsing'' comes from Lati ...
frame
A frame is often a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction and/or steel frame that limits the construction's extent.
Frame and FRAME may also refer to:
Physical objects
In building construction
*Framing (con ...
the ways in which Japanese prefectures are perceived:
By Japanese ISO
The prefectures are also often grouped into eight
regions
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
(''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
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO ) is an international standard development organization composed of representatives from the national standards organizations of member countries. Membership requirements are given in Ar ...
(ISO) coding.
[See ]ISO 3166
ISO 3166 is a standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that defines codes for the names of countries, dependent territories, special areas of geographical interest, and their principal subdivisions (e.g., ...
From north to south (numbering in
ISO 3166-2:JP order), the prefectures of Japan and their commonly associated regions are:
*
Hokkaidō
is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel.
The la ...
*
Tōhoku
*
Kantō
*
Chūbu
*
Kansai
The or the , lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshu, Honshū. The region includes the Prefectures of Japan, prefectures of Nara Prefecture, Nara, Wakayama Prefecture, Wakayama, Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto, Osaka Prefectur ...
*
Chūgoku
*
Shikoku
is the smallest of the four main islands of Japan. It is long and between wide. It has a population of 3.8 million (, 3.1%). It is south of Honshu and northeast of Kyushu. Shikoku's ancient names include ''Iyo-no-futana-shima'' (), '' ...
*
Kyūshū
is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surround ...
By English name
:''The default alphabetic order in this sortable table can be altered to mirror the traditional Japanese regions and ISO parsing.''
Former prefectures
1870s
1880s
Lost after World War II
Here are some territories that were lost after World War II. This does not include all the territories of the
Empire of Japan
The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent fo ...
such as
Manchukuo
Manchukuo, officially the State of Manchuria prior to 1934 and the Empire of (Great) Manchuria after 1934, was a puppet state of the Empire of Japan in Northeast China, Manchuria from 1932 until 1945. It was founded as a republic in 1932 afte ...
.
See also
*
List of Japanese prefectural name etymologies
*
List of Japanese prefectures by area
Prefectures of Japan ranked by area as of 2022
Figures here are according to the official estimates of Japan. Ranks are given by estimated areas. Undetermined areas here account for domestic boundary regions either in uncertainty or disputed amo ...
*
List of Japanese prefectures by population
This is a list of Japanese prefectures by population.
For details of administrative divisions of Japan, see Prefectures of Japan.
Prefectures of Japan ranked by population as of October 1, 2020
Prefectures of Japan ranked by population as of ...
*
List of Japanese prefectures by GDP
*
List of Japanese prefectures by GDP per capita
This is a list of Japanese prefectures by GDP per capita.
List of prefectures by GDP per capita
Prefectures by GDP per capita in 2018 according to data by the OECD. Regional Economy > Regional GDP per Capita">Regions and Cities > Regional Stati ...
*
List of Japanese prefectures by Human Development Index
This article presents a list of Japanese regions by Human Development Index as of 2019. This article also includes a list of Japanese prefectures by historical HDI in 1990, 1995 and 2000 further below.
Japanese regions by HDI (2019)
This is a l ...
*
List of Japanese prefectures by life expectancy
This is a list of Japanese prefectures by life expectancy.
List (2015)
Prefectures by life expectancy at birth according to Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan. The total life expectancy is calculated out of the averages for me ...
*
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
ISO 3166-2:JP is the entry for Japan in ISO 3166-2, part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), which defines codes for the names of the principal subdivisions (e.g. provinces or states) of ...
*
List of prefectural governors in Japan
The governor is the highest ranking executive of a prefecture in Japan.
See also
* Lists of governors of prefectures of Japan
Notes
References
*
*
{{JapanGovernors
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonko ...
*
Flags of Japanese prefectures
Each modern Prefectures of Japan, Japanese prefecture has a unique flag, most often a bicolour geometric highly stylised design (''Mon (emblem), mon''), often incorporating the letters of Japanese writing system and resembling minimalistic compan ...
*
Provinces of Japan
were first-level administrative divisions of Japan from the 600s to 1868.
Provinces were established in Japan in the late 7th century under the Ritsuryō law system that formed the first central government. Each province was divided into an ...
General
*
List of regions of Japan
Japan is divided into eight regions. They are not official administrative units, though they have been used by government officials for statistical and other purposes since 1905. They are widely used in, for example, maps, geography textbooks, ...
*
Government of Japan
The Government of Japan consists of legislative, executive and judiciary branches and is based on popular sovereignty. The Government runs under the framework established by the Constitution of Japan, adopted in 1947. It is a unitary stat ...
References
External links
National Governors' Association website
{{Articles on first-level administrative divisions of Asian countries
1
Prefectures
A prefecture (from the Latin ''Praefectura'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international ...
Japan 1
Prefectures, Japan
Lists of places in Japan