In Japan, a prefectural capital is officially called todōfukenchō shozaichi (都道府県庁所在地; "seat of a prefectural government", singular: 都庁所在地,tochō shozaichi in the [Tōkyō]-to, 道庁所在地, dōchō shozaichi in the [Hokkai]-dō, 府庁所在地, fuchō shozaichi in -fu, 県庁所在地, kenchō shozaichi in -ken), but the term kento (県都; "prefectural capital") is also used (dōto (道都; in the -dō, but never "futo" or "toto")).
List of Japanese prefectural capitals
More information Capital, Prefecture ...
Capital |
Prefecture |
 Region |
Island |
Pop.¹ |
ISO |
Status |
Akita |
Akita |
Tōhoku |
Honshū |
327,651 |
JP-05 |
Core city |
Aomori |
Aomori |
Tōhoku |
Honshū |
304,657 |
JP-02 |
Core city |
Chiba |
Chiba |
Kantō |
Honshū |
943,568 |
JP-12 |
Designated city |
Fukui |
Fukui |
Chūbu |
Honshū |
268,210 |
JP-18 |
Core city |
Fukuoka |
Fukuoka |
Kyūshū |
Kyūshū |
1,434,650 |
JP-40 |
Designated city |
Fukushima |
Fukushima |
Tōhoku |
Honshū |
288,602 |
JP-07 |
Core city |
Gifu |
Gifu |
Chūbu |
Honshū |
411,753 |
JP-21 |
Core city |
Hiroshima |
Hiroshima |
Chūgoku |
Honshū |
1,164,885 |
JP-34 |
Designated city |
Kagoshima |
Kagoshima |
Kyūshū |
Kyūshū |
604,268 |
JP-46 |
Core city |
Kanazawa |
Ishikawa |
Chūbu |
Honshū |
455,952 |
JP-17 |
Core city |
KobeKōbe |
Hyōgo |
Kansai |
Honshū |
1,532,305 |
JP-28 |
Designated city |
KochiKōchi |
Kōchi |
Shikoku |
Shikoku |
345,418 |
JP-39 |
Core city |
KofuKōfu |
Yamanashi |
Chūbu |
Honshū |
198,757 |
JP-19 |
Core city |
Kumamoto |
Kumamoto |
Kyūshū |
Kyūshū |
670,014 |
JP-43 |
Designated city |
Kyōto |
Kyōto |
Kansai |
Honshū |
1,468,065 |
JP-26 |
Designated city |
Maebashi |
Gunma |
Kantō |
Honshū |
317,167 |
JP-10 |
Core city |
Matsue |
Shimane |
Chūgoku |
Honshū |
195,008 |
JP-32 |
Core city |
Matsuyama |
Ehime |
Shikoku |
Shikoku |
514,771 |
JP-38 |
Core city |
Mito |
Ibaraki |
Kantō |
Honshū |
263,299 |
JP-08 |
Core city |
Miyazaki |
Miyazaki |
Kyūshū |
Kyūshū |
368,984 |
JP-45 |
Core city |
Morioka |
Iwate |
Tōhoku |
Honshū |
298,959 |
JP-03 |
Core city |
Nagano |
Nagano |
Chūbu |
Honshū |
377,328 |
JP-20 |
Core city |
Nagasaki |
Nagasaki |
Kyūshū |
Kyūshū |
446,551 |
JP-42 |
Core city |
Nagoya |
Aichi |
Chūbu |
Honshū |
2,243,564 |
JP-23 |
Designated city |
Naha |
Okinawa |
Kyūshū |
Ryūkyū Islands |
313,436 |
JP-47 |
Core city |
Nara |
Nara |
Kansai |
Honshū |
366,863 |
JP-29 |
Core city |
Niigata |
Niigata |
Chūbu |
Honshū |
811,613 |
JP-15 |
Designated city |
OitaŌita |
Ōita |
Kyūshū |
Kyūshū |
467,617 |
JP-44 |
Core city |
Okayama |
Okayama |
Chūgoku |
Honshū |
700,646 |
JP-33 |
Designated city |
Ōsaka |
Ōsaka |
Kansai |
Honshū |
2,649,601 |
JP-27 |
Designated city |
OtsuŌtsu |
Shiga |
Kansai |
Honshū |
330,044 |
JP-25 |
Core city |
Saga |
Saga |
Kyūshū |
Kyūshū |
239,003 |
JP-41 |
Special city |
Saitama |
Saitama |
Kantō |
Honshū |
1,197,471 |
JP-11 |
Designated city |
Sapporo |
Hokkaidō |
Hokkaidō |
Hokkaidō |
1,896,704 |
JP-01 |
Designated city |
Sendai |
Miyagi |
Tōhoku |
Honshū |
1,029,576 |
JP-04 |
Designated city |
Shinjuku[1] |
Tōkyō |
Kantō |
Honshū |
314,262 |
JP-13 |
Special wards |
Shizuoka |
Shizuoka |
Chūbu |
Honshū |
709,888 |
JP-22 |
Designated city |
Takamatsu |
Kagawa |
Shikoku |
Shikoku |
417,671 |
JP-37 |
Core city |
Tokushima |
Tokushima |
Shikoku |
Shikoku |
265,248 |
JP-36 |
City |
Tottori |
Tottori |
Chūgoku |
Honshū |
199,319 |
JP-31 |
Core city |
Toyama |
Toyama |
Chūbu |
Honshū |
420,584 |
JP-16 |
Core city |
Tsu |
Mie |
Kansai |
Honshū |
287,849 |
JP-24 |
City |
Utsunomiya |
Tochigi |
Kantō |
Honshū |
508,114 |
JP-09 |
Core city |
Wakayama |
Wakayama |
Kansai |
Honshū |
371,504 |
JP-30 |
Core city |
Yamagata |
Yamagata |
Tōhoku |
Honshū |
254,724 |
JP-06 |
Core city |
Yamaguchi |
Yamaguchi |
Chūgoku |
Honshū |
191,714 |
JP-35 |
City |
Yokohama |
Kanagawa |
Kantō |
Honshū |
3,643,641 |
JP-14 |
Designated city |
Close
Non-capitals which share a name with their prefecture
In most cases, a city that shares a name with its prefecture is a prefectural capital. However, there are some municipalities that are not capitals.
Capitals that are not the largest city/metropolitan area in their prefecture
Those in italics are prefectural capitals, or metropolitan areas of them.
Fukushima Prefecture
1. | Iwaki | 348,322 | 1. | Kōriyama Metropolitan Area | 537,493 |
2. | Kōriyama | 338,887 | 2. | Fukushima Metropolitan Area | 412,353 |
3. | Fukushima | 294,724 | 3. | Iwaki Metropolitan Area | 365,864 |
Gunma Prefecture
1. | Takasaki | 342,662 | 1. | Takasaki Metropolitan Area | 532,271 |
2. | Maebashi | 317,114 | 2. | Maebashi Metropolitan Area | 458,996 |
Mie Prefecture
1. | Yokkaichi | 307,418 | 1. | Yokkaichi Metropolitan Area | 606,071 |
2. | Tsu | 288,874 | 2. | Tsu Metropolitan Area | 308,375 |
Shizuoka Prefecture
1. | Hamamatsu | 812,692 | 1. | Shizuoka Metropolitan Area | 999,360 |
2. | Shizuoka | 709,772 | 2. | Hamamatsu Metropolitan Area | 919,933 |
Tottori Prefecture
1. | Tottori | 199,263 | 1. | Yonago Metropolitan Area | 252,387 |
2. | Yonago | 148,234 | 2. | Tottori Metropolitan Area | 249,067 |
Yamaguchi Prefecture
1. | Shimonoseki | 284,693 | 1. | Shimonoseki Metropolitan Area | 287,935 |
2. | Yamaguchi | 191,740 | 2. | Ube Metropolitan Area | 258,180 |
3. | Ube | 175,334 | 3. | Yamaguchi Metropolitan Area | 178,402 |
Notes:
- City populations are as of July 2008.
- Metropolitan area populations are as of 2000. (Urban Employment Areas)