Municipalities in Japan

Municipalities in Japan (市区町村, shikuchōson)^[1] are the local governments and sub-divisions of the island nation.^[2]

There are three main types of municipalities in Japan:

• cities,
• towns,
• villages

There is a fourth type of municipality — the 23 special wards of Tokyo.

History

In 1878, the national government enacted the "Municipalities Formation Law", the "Prefectural Assemblies Act", and the "Local Tax Ordinance".^[2] Japan was organized into three levels of government:

1. the national government of Japan
2. the mid-level Prefectures of Japan
3. the local municipality governments

In 1889, the ''shikuchōson was refined to create 39 cities and 15,820 towns and villages. The "Municipal Government Act" was a blend of Japanese customs and Prussia’s local government system.^[2]

After 1898, local officials were elected in municipal elections.^[2]

Since the 19th century, Japan has been divided into 47 prefectures; and each prefecture has many districts and municipalities.

In 1947, the "Local Autonomy Law" (LAL) further refined Japan's municipalities.^[2]

Related pages

• Capital of Japan
• Provinces of Japan
• Districts of Japan