Core cities of Japan
<imagemap>
File:Map of Japanese Designated cities, Core cities and Special cities.svg|384px|right|thumb|(Circle click-able)
■ ― Designated cities
■ ― Core cities
■ ― Special cities
circle 686 132 4 Sapporo
circle 661 213 4 Hakodate, Hokkaidō
circle 729 86 4 Asahikawa, Hokkaidō
circle 664 271 4 Aomori
circle 699 289 4 Hachinohe
circle 686 339 4 Morioka, Iwate
circle 675 428 4 Sendai
circle 636 340 4 Akita
circle 650 430 4 Yamagata, Yamagata
circle 656 458 4 Fukushima, Fukushima
circle 652 483 4 Kōriyama, Fukushima
circle 679 504 4 Iwaki, Fukushima
circle 660 547 4 Mito, Ibaraki
circle 995 878 4 Tsukuba, Ibaraki
circle 951 734 4 Utsunomiya, Tochigi
circle 768 780 4 Maebashi, Gunma
circle 754 799 4 Takasaki, Gunma
circle 798 802 4 Isesaki, Gunma
circle 838 807 4 Ōta, Gunma
circle 899 927 4 Saitama, Saitama
circle 863 909 4 Kawagoe, Saitama
circle 841 847 4 Kumagaya, Saitama
circle 916 942 4 Kawaguchi, Saitama
circle 859 944 4 Tokorozawa, Saitama
circle 923 895 4 Kasukabe, Saitama
circle 935 937 4 Sōka
circle 931 918 4 Koshigaya, Saitama
circle 1003 997 4 Chiba
circle 975 973 4 Funabashi, Chiba
circle 973 925 4 Kashiwa, Chiba
circle 828 981 4 Hachiōji, Tokyo
circle 897 1043 4 Yokohama
circle 912 1019 4 Kawasaki, Kanagawa
circle 905 1088 4 Yokosuka, Kanagawa
circle 832 1073 4 Hiratsuka, Kanagawa
circle 787 1093 4 Odawara, Kanagawa
circle 844 1074 4 Chigasaki, Kanagawa
circle 837 1008 4 Sagamihara
circle 835 1043 4 Atsugi, Kanagawa
circle 856 1031 4 Yamato, Kanagawa
circle 587 453 4 Niigata
circle 578 482 4 Nagaoka, Niigata
circle 548 500 4 Jōetsu, Niigata
circle 498 529 4 Toyama, Toyama
circle 470 537 4 Kanazawa, Ishikawa
circle 448 567 4 Fukui
circle 655 982 4 Kōfu, Yamanashi
circle 546 531 4 Nagano, Nagano
circle 536 557 4 Matsumoto, Nagano
circle 469 950 4 Gifu
circle 557 635 4 Shizuoka, Shizuoka
circle 524 651 4 Hamamatsu
circle 721 1140 4 Numazu, Shizuoka
circle 679 1121 4 Fuji, Shizuoka
circle 502 1017 4 Nagoya
circle 613 1132 4 Toyohashi, Aichi
circle 563 1080 4 Okazaki, Aichi
circle 479 983 4 Ichinomiya, Aichi
circle 517 999 4 Kasugai, Aichi
circle 559 1045 4 Toyota, Aichi
circle 438 1077 4 Yokkaichi, Mie
circle 330 937 4 Ōtsu, Shiga
circle 310 939 4 Kyoto
circle 250 1028 4 Osaka
circle 245 1061 4 Sakai, Osaka
circle 220 1093 4 Kishiwada, Osaka
circle 242 1003 4 Toyonaka, Osaka
circle 253 1009 4 Suita
circle 276 985 4 Takatsuki, Osaka
circle 283 994 4 Hirakata, Osaka
circle 265 994 4 Ibaraki, Osaka
circle 272 1046 4 Yao, Osaka
circle 278 1008 4 Neyagawa, Osaka
circle 272 1032 4 Higashiōsaka, Osaka
circle 180 1029 4 Kobe
circle 63 994 4 Himeji, Hyōgo
circle 228 1017 4 Amagasaki
circle 134 1042 4 Akashi, Hyōgo
circle 213 1016 4 Nishinomiya
circle 99 1010 4 Kakogawa, Hyōgo
circle 217 998 4 Takarazuka, Hyōgo
circle 319 1030 4 Nara, Nara
circle 174 1157 4 Wakayama
circle 348 599 4 Tottori
circle 292 597 4 Matsue, Shimane
circle 332 649 4 Okayama circle 321 657 4 Kurashiki, Okayama circle 254 663 4 Hiroshima circle 261 674 4 Kure, Hiroshima circle 302 660 4 Fukuyama, Hiroshima circle 180 683 4 Shimonoseki circle 336 670 4 Takamatsu, Kagawa circle 269 699 4 Matsuyama, Ehime circle 308 718 4 Kōchi, Kōchi circle 170 693 4 Kitakyushu circle 148 706 4 Fukuoka circle 152 723 4 Kurume, Fukuoka circle 138 725 4 Saga circle 117 756 4 Nagasaki circle 111 729 4 Sasebo, Nagasaki circle 160 756 4 Kumamoto circle 208 732 4 Ōita circle 194 813 4 Miyazaki circle 148 829 4 Kagoshima circle 083 188 4 Naha, Okinawa </imagemap>
Administrative divisions of Japan |
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Prefectural |
Prefectures |
Sub-prefectural |
Municipal |
Sub-municipal |
A core city (中核市, Chūkakushi) is a class or category of Japanese cities. It is a local administrative division created by the national government.[1] Core cities are delegated many functions normally carried out by prefectural governments, but not as many as designated cities. To become a candidate for core city status, a city must have a population greater than 300,000 and an area greater than 100 square kilometers, although special exceptions may be made by order of the cabinet for cities with populations under 300,000 but over 200,000.[2] After the abolition of special city status on April 1, 2015, any city with a population above 200,000 may apply for core city status.[3]
Application for designation is made by a city with the approval of both the city and prefectural assemblies.
History
The term "core city" was created by the first clause of Article 252, Section 22 of the Local Autonomy Law of Japan.[4]
List of core cities
As of 1 April 2021, 62 cities have been designated core cities:[3]
Name | Japanese | Flag | Emblem | Area (km2) | Population (2012) | Date of designation | Region | Prefecture | Map |
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Akashi | 明石市 | ![]() |
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49.22 | 290,927 | 2018-04-01 | Kansai | Hyōgo | ![]() |
Akita | 秋田市 | ![]() |
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906.07 | 322,224 | 1997-04-01 | Tōhoku | Akita | ![]() |
Amagasaki | 尼崎市 | ![]() |
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49.77 | 451,353 | 2009-04-01 | Kansai | Hyōgo | ![]() |
Aomori | 青森市 | ![]() |
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824.61 | 297,348 | 2006-10-01 | Tōhoku | Aomori | ![]() |
Asahikawa | 旭川市 | ![]() |
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747.6 | 351,765 | 2000-04-01 | Hokkaidō | ![]() | |
Fukui | 福井市 | ![]() |
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536.41 | 266,612 | 2019-04-01 | Chūbu | Fukui | ![]() |
Fukushima | 福島市 | ![]() |
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767.72 | 289,355 | 2018-04-01 | Tōhoku | Fukushima | ![]() |
Fukuyama | 福山市 | ![]() |
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518.14 | 462,144 | 1998-04-01 | Chūgoku | Hiroshima | ![]() |
Funabashi | 船橋市 | ![]() |
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85.62 | 610,492 | 2003-04-01 | Kantō | Chiba | ![]() |
Gifu | 岐阜市 | ![]() |
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203.60 | 412,718 | 1996-04-01 | Chūbu | Gifu | ![]() |
Hachinohe | 八戸市 | ![]() |
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305.56 | 241,613 | 2017-01-01 | Tōhoku | Aomori | ![]() |
Hachiōji | 八王子市 | ![]() |
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186.38 | 579,799 | 2015-04-01 | Kantō | Tokyo | ![]() |
Hakodate | 函館市 | ![]() |
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677.89 | 279,056 | 2005-10-01 | Hokkaidō | ![]() | |
Higashiōsaka | 東大阪市 | ![]() |
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61.78 | 508,267 | 2005-04-01 | Kansai | Osaka | ![]() |
Himeji | 姫路市 | ![]() |
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534.43 | 536,218 | 1996-04-01 | Kansai | Hyōgo | ![]() |
Hirakata | 枚方市 | ![]() |
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65.08 | 407,997 | 2014-04-01 | Kansai | Osaka | ![]() |
Ichinomiya | 一宮市 | ![]() |
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113.82 | 379,654 | 2021-04-01 | Chūbu | Aichi | ![]() |
Iwaki | いわき市 | ![]() |
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1,232.02 | 332,994 | 1999-04-01 | Tōhoku | Fukushima | ![]() |
Kagoshima | 鹿児島市 | ![]() |
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547.58 | 607,257 | 1996-04-01 | Kyushu | Kagoshima | ![]() |
Kashiwa | 柏市 | ![]() |
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114.74 | 404,863 | 2008-04-01 | Kantō | Chiba | ![]() |
Kanazawa | 金沢市 | ![]() |
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468.64 | 462,796 | 1996-04-01 | Chūbu | Ishikawa | ![]() |
Kawagoe | 川越市 | ![]() |
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109.13 | 345,361 | 2003-04-01 | Kantō | Saitama | ![]() |
Kawaguchi | 川口市 | ![]() |
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61.95 | 561,788 | 2018-04-01 | Kantō | Saitama | ![]() |
Kōchi | 高知市 | ![]() |
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309.22 | 342,568 | 1998-04-01 | Shikoku | Kōchi | ![]() |
Kōfu | 甲府市 | ![]() |
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212.47 | 197,318 | 2019-04-01 | Chūbu | Yamanashi | ![]() |
Kōriyama | 郡山市 | ![]() |
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757.20 | 331,140 | 1997-04-01 | Tōhoku | Fukushima | ![]() |
Koshigaya | 越谷市 | ![]() |
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60.24 | 328,079 | 2015-04-01 | Kantō | Saitama | ![]() |
Kurashiki | 倉敷市 | ![]() |
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355.63 | 477,086 | 2002-04-01 | Chūgoku | Okayama | ![]() |
Kure | 呉市 | ![]() |
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352.80 | 236,595 | 2016-04-01 | Chūgoku | Hiroshima | ![]() |
Kurume | 久留米市 | ![]() |
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229.96 | 301,821 | 2008-04-01 | Kyushu | Fukuoka | ![]() |
Maebashi | 前橋市 | ![]() |
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311.59 | 338,481 | 2009-04-01 | Kantō | Gunma | ![]() |
Matsue | 松江市 | ![]() |
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572.99 | 208,160 | 2018-04-01 | Chūgoku | Shimane | ![]() |
Matsumoto | 松本市 | ![]() |
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978.47 | 239,466 | 2021-04-01 | Chūbu | Nagano | ![]() |
Matsuyama | 松山市 | ![]() |
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429.40 | 516,823 | 2000-04-01 | Shikoku | Ehime | ![]() |
Mito | 水戸市 | ![]() |
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217.32 | 269,162 | 2020-04-01 | Kantō | Ibaraki | ![]() |
Miyazaki | 宮崎市 | ![]() |
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643.67 | 402,289 | 1998-04-01 | Kyushu | Miyazaki | ![]() |
Morioka | 盛岡市 | ![]() |
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886.47 | 299,734 | 2008-04-01 | Tōhoku | Iwate | ![]() |
Naha | 那覇市 | ![]() |
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39.98 | 321,695 | 2013-04-01 | Kyushu | Okinawa | ![]() |
Nagano | 長野市 | ![]() |
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834.81 | 380,581 | 1999-04-01 | Chūbu | Nagano | ![]() |
Nagasaki | 長崎市 | ![]() |
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240.71 | 440,911 | 1997-04-01 | Kyushu | Nagasaki | ![]() |
Nara | 奈良市 | ![]() |
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276.84 | 365,421 | 2002-04-01 | Kansai | Nara | ![]() |
Neyagawa | 寝屋川市 | ![]() |
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24.73 | 238,819 | 2019-04-01 | Kansai | Osaka | ![]() |
Nishinomiya | 西宮市 | ![]() |
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99.96 | 483,878 | 2008-04-01 | Kansai | Hyōgo | ![]() |
Ōita | 大分市 | ![]() |
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502.38 | 476,008 | 1997-04-01 | Kyushu | Ōita | ![]() |
Okazaki | 岡崎市 | ![]() |
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387.20 | 374,085 | 2003-04-01 | Chūbu | Aichi | ![]() |
Ōtsu | 大津市 | ![]() |
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464.51 | 339,469 | 2009-04-01 | Kansai | Shiga | ![]() |
Sasebo | 佐世保市 | ![]() |
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426.06 | 259,676 | 2016-04-01 | Kyushu | Nagasaki | ![]() |
Shimonoseki | 下関市 | ![]() |
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716.14 | 277,937 | 2005-10-01 | Chūgoku | Yamaguchi | ![]() |
Suita | 吹田市 | ![]() |
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36.11 | 357,917 | 2020-04-01 | Kansai | Osaka | ![]() |
Takamatsu | 高松市 | ![]() |
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375.41 | 420,356 | 1999-04-01 | Shikoku | Kagawa | ![]() |
Takasaki | 高崎市 | ![]() |
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459.16 | 371,820 | 2011-04-01 | Kantō | Gunma | ![]() |
Takatsuki | 高槻市 | ![]() |
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105.31 | 355,840 | 2003-04-01 | Kansai | Osaka | ![]() |
Tottori | 鳥取市 | ![]() |
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765.31 | 196,538 | 2018-04-01 | Chūgoku | Tottori | ![]() |
Toyama | 富山市 | ![]() |
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1,241.77 | 421,393 | 2005-04-01 | Chūbu | Toyama | ![]() |
Toyohashi | 豊橋市 | ![]() |
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261.86 | 375,804 | 1999-04-01 | Chūbu | Aichi | ![]() |
Toyonaka | 豊中市 | ![]() |
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36.38 | 390,457 | 2012-04-01 | Kansai | Osaka | ![]() |
Toyota | 豊田市 | ![]() |
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918.32 | 420,680 | 1998-04-01 | Chūbu | Aichi | ![]() |
Utsunomiya | 宇都宮市 | ![]() |
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416.85 | 513,722 | 1996-04-01 | Kantō | Tochigi | ![]() |
Wakayama | 和歌山市 | ![]() |
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210.25 | 368,684 | 1997-04-01 | Kansai | Wakayama | ![]() |
Yamagata | 山形市 | ![]() |
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381.58 | 254,519 | 2019-04-01 | Tōhoku | Yamagata | ![]() |
Yao | 八尾市 | ![]() |
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41.71 | 270,735 | 2018-04-01 | Kansai | Osaka | ![]() |
Yokosuka | 横須賀市 | ![]() |
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100.7 | 415,259 | 2001-04-01 | Kantō | Kanagawa | ![]() |
Former core cities
Name | Japanese | Flag | Emblem | Area (km2) | Population | Date of designation | Date of reclassification | Region | Prefecture | Map |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hamamatsu | 浜松市 | ![]() |
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1,558.06 | 795,350 | 1996-04-01 | 2007-04-01 (Designated city) | Chūbu | Shizuoka | ![]() |
Kumamoto | 熊本市 | ![]() |
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390.32 | 737,812 | 1996-04-01 | 2012-04-01 (Designated city) | Kyushu | Kumamoto | ![]() |
Niigata | 新潟市 | ![]() |
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726.45 | 807,450 | 1996-04-01 | 2007-04-01 (Designated city) | Chūbu | Niigata | ![]() |
Okayama | 岡山市 | ![]() |
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789.95 | 720,841 | 1996-04-01 | 2009-04-01 (Designated city) | Chūgoku | Okayama | ![]() |
Sagamihara | 相模原市 | ![]() |
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328.91 | 720,986 | 2003-04-01 | 2010-04-01 (Designated city) | Kantō | Kanagawa | ![]() |
Sakai | 堺市 | ![]() |
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149.82 | 833,544 | 1996-04-01 | 2006-04-01 (Designated city) | Kansai | Osaka | ![]() |
Shizuoka | 静岡市 | ![]() |
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1,411.90 | 697,578 | 1996-04-01 | 2005-04-01 (Designated city) | Chūbu | Shizuoka | ![]() |
Scheduled to become a core city
Name | Japanese | Flag | Emblem | Area (km2) | Population (2012) | Scheduled date | Region | Prefecture | Map |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chigasaki | 茅ヶ崎市 | ![]() |
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35.71 | 236,222 | 2020-04-01 | Kantō | Kanagawa | ![]() |
Fuji | 富士市 | ![]() |
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244.95 | 253,455 | TBD | Chūbu | Shizuoka | ![]() |
Kishiwada | 岸和田市 | ![]() |
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72.68 | 198,615 | 2020-04-01 | Kansai | Osaka | ![]() |
Odawara | 小田原市 | ![]() |
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113.79 | 197,413 | 2020-04-01 | Kantō | Kanagawa | ![]() |
Tsukuba | つくば市 | ![]() |
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283.72 | 216,221 | TBD | Kantō | Ibaraki | ![]() |
Tokorozawa | 所沢市 | ![]() |
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72.11 | 342,321 | TBD | Kantō | Saitama | ![]() |
Yokkaichi | 四日市市 | ![]() |
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206.44 | 307,599 | 2020 (aiming) | Kansai | Mie | ![]() |
Cities that meet the requirements but have not yet been nominated
The following cities have populations greater than 200,000 but have not yet been nominated. (Special cities and cities planning to apply for core city status are not shown.)
Name | Japanese | Flag | Emblem | Area (km2) | Population | Region | Prefecture | Map |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ageo | 上尾市 | ![]() |
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45.51 | 229,517 | Kantō | Saitama | ![]() |
Chōfu | 調布市 | ![]() |
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21.58 | 240,668 | Kantō | Tokyo | ![]() |
Fuchū | 府中市 | ![]() |
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29.43 | 260,891 | Kantō | Tokyo | ![]() |
Fujisawa | 藤沢市 | ![]() |
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69.57 | 420,254 | Kantō | Kanagawa | ![]() |
Ichihara | 市原市 | ![]() |
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368.17 | 274,117 | Kantō | Chiba | ![]() |
Ichikawa | 市川市 | ![]() |
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56.39 | 491,804 | Kantō | Chiba | ![]() |
Machida | 町田市 | ![]() |
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71.80 | 429,040 | Kantō | Tokyo | ![]() |
Matsudo | 松戸市 | ![]() |
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61.38 | 498,575 | Kantō | Chiba | ![]() |
Nishitokyo | 西東京市 | ![]() |
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15.75 | 206,047 | Kantō | Tokyo | ![]() |
Tokushima | 徳島市 | ![]() |
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191 | 258,554 | Shikoku | Tokushima | ![]() |
Tsu | 津市 | ![]() |
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711.11 | 279,304 | Kansai | Mie | ![]() |
See also
References
- ^ Web-Japan.org, "Local self-government", p. 3; retrieved 2012-11-28.
- ^ 日本財団図書館(電子図書館) Revised Local Autonomy Law. nippon.zaidan.info.
- ^ 3.0 3.1 日本總務省 - 中核市・施行時特例市. soumo.go.jp (in 日本語).
- ^ 日本財団図書館(電子図書館) Revised Local Autonomy Law. nippon.zaidan.info.
External links
- "Japan's Evolving Nested Municipal Hierarchy: The Race for Local Power in the 2000s", by A. J. Jacobs at Urban Studies Research, Vol. 2011 (2011); doi:10.1155/2011/692764
- "Large City System of Japan" Archived 2019-09-17 at the Wayback Machine—graphic shows core cities compared with other Japanese city types at p. 1 (PDF p. 7 of 40)
- "Growth in Second Tier Cities - Urban Policy Lessons from Japan"—briefing by CLAIR London on classes of Japanese cities (PDF)