Japanese prefectures by annual population change, in percent (Oct 1, 2021 to Oct 1, 2022).Japanese prefectures by population density (2022). The tan color means between 0 and 99 per km2.
Prefectures of Japan ranked by population as of October 1, 2011
Figures here are according to the official estimates of Japan as of October 1, 2011,[3] except for the census population held on October 1, 2010.[4] Population is given according to the de jure population concept for enumerating the people. That is, a person was enumerated at the place where they usually lived, and was counted as the population of the area including the place. Ranks are given by the estimated population as of October 1, 2011.
Population before 1920 was calculated based on information of family registries, while door-to-door censuses have been held every 5 years as of October 1 since 1920 in Japan except for the year of 1945.
Population in the following tables is given according to the A-type de facto population concept for enumerating the people, based on koseki registration systems.
Source: Imperial Japan Static Population Statistics (as of December 31 for the years of 1918, 1913, 1908 and 1903),
Imperial Japan Population Statistics (as of December 31, 1898),
Imperial Japan Registered Household Tables (as of December 31 for the years of 1897, 1896, 1895, 1894, 1893, 1892, 1891, 1890, 1889, 1888, 1887 and 1886),
Japan Registered Household Tables (as of January 1, 1886),
Japan Household Tables (as of January 1 for the years of 1885 and 1884).
Population in the following table is given according to the original family registries population concept for enumerating the people, based on koseki registration system.[21]
Source: Japan Household Tables (as of January 1 for the years of 1883, 1882, 1878 and 1877),
Japan Population Tables (as of January 1 for the years of 1881 and 1880),
Japan Gun Ku Population Tables (as of January 1, 1879),
Japan Registered Population Tables (as of January 1, for the years of 1876, 1875, 1874 and 1873; and as of March 8, 1872).
Several demographic data remain for three urban prefectures,(i.e. Kyōto-fu, Ōsaka-fu and Tōkyō-fu), 266 domains, 40 prefectures and one commission (i.e. Kaitaku-shi only in Hokkaidō) that existed for short time between Meiji Restoration and the Abolition of the han system, though not thoroughly surveyed. Prefectural system was only introduced to imperial territories which the Meiji government gained from Tokugawa shogunate or the revolted feudal lords, while many areas still belonged to local lordship governments. The table below summarizes demographic data from three sources.
Source': (ref.1): Table of households for shi, fu and ken (Meiji-shi-yō).
(ref.3): Bunzo Kure, "Estate population Table of fu, han and ken" Tōkei Shūshi (Statistics Bulletin) no. 8 pp. 96–107 (1882). Estate populations were also given.
Statistical data were given as of August 29, 1871 (29th day of the 8th month, Meiji 4) for (1), as of February 2, 1869 (1st day of the 1st month, Meiji 2), for (2) or uncertain for (3), although all these populations seemed to be collected from several koseki populations surveyed in 1869 and 1870. Naotarō Sekiyama noted that the population of Japan as of August, 1870 (7th month, Meiji 3) was 32,794,897 (Kinsei Nihon jinkō-no kenkyū (Study of the Population of Japan in the Early Modern Period) (1948)).
It is quite apparent that the above demographic data contain many textual errors, but could not be corrected because the original unpublished reports preserved at the office of the Ministry of Interior of Japan were burned by a fire after the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake.
Okinawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan and has a population of 1,457,162 and a geographic area of 2,281 km2.
Japan is divided into 47 prefectures, which rank immediately below the national government and form the country's first level of jurisdiction and administrative division. They include 43 prefectures proper, two urban prefectures, one regional prefecture and one metropolis. In 1868, the Meiji Fuhanken sanchisei administration created the first prefectures to replace the urban and rural administrators 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) 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.
The Ryukyuan people are a Japonic-speaking East Asian ethnic group native to the Ryukyu Islands, which stretch between the islands of Kyushu and Taiwan. Administratively, they live in either the Okinawa Prefecture or the Kagoshima Prefecture within Japan. They speak one of the Ryukyuan languages, considered to be one of the two branches of the Japonic language family, the other being Japanese and its dialects. Hachijō is sometimes considered by linguists to constitute a third branch.
Saitama Prefecture is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Saitama Prefecture has a population of 7,338,536 and has a geographic area of 3,797 km2. Saitama Prefecture borders Tochigi Prefecture and Gunma Prefecture to the north, Nagano Prefecture to the west, Yamanashi Prefecture to the southwest, Tokyo to the south, Chiba Prefecture to the southeast, and Ibaraki Prefecture to the northeast.
"Mainland Japan" is a term used to distinguish Japan's core land area from its outlying territories. It is most commonly used to distinguish the country's four largest islands from smaller islands such as the Ryukyu Islands and Ogasawara Islands, although depending on the context the term "Mainland Japan" might refer only to Honshū, the largest island.
Subprefecture of Japan are a Japanese form of self-government which focuses on local issues below the prefectural level. It acts as part of the greater administration of the state and as part of a self-government system.
The Ryukyu Kingdom was a kingdom in the Ryukyu Islands from 1429 to 1879. It was ruled as a tributary state of imperial Ming China by the Ryukyuan monarchy, who unified Okinawa Island to end the Sanzan period, and extended the kingdom to the Amami Islands and Sakishima Islands. The Ryukyu Kingdom played a central role in the maritime trade networks of medieval East Asia and Southeast Asia despite its small size. The Ryukyu Kingdom became a vassal state of the Satsuma Domain of Japan after the invasion of Ryukyu in 1609 but retained de jure independence until it was transformed into the Ryukyu Domain by the Empire of Japan in 1872. The Ryukyu Kingdom was formally annexed and dissolved by Japan in 1879 to form Okinawa Prefecture, and the Ryukyuan monarchy was integrated into the new Japanese nobility.
Okinawa Island, officially Okinawa Main Island, is the largest of the Okinawa Islands and the Ryukyu (Nansei) Islands of Japan in the Kyushu region. It is the smallest and least populated of the five main islands of Japan. The island is approximately 106 kilometres (66 mi) long, an average 11 kilometres (7 mi) wide, and has an area of 1,206.98 square kilometers (466.02 sq mi). It is roughly 640 kilometres south of the main island of Kyushu and the rest of Japan. It is 500 km northeast of Taiwan. The total population of Okinawa Island is 1,384,762. The Greater Naha area has roughly 800,000 residents, while the city itself has about 320,000 people. Naha is the seat of Okinawa Prefecture on the southwestern part of Okinawa Island. Okinawa has a humid subtropical climate.
Japanese place names include names for geographic features, present and former administrative divisions, transportation facilities such as railroad stations, and historic sites in Japan. The article Japanese addressing system contains related information on postal addresses.
The population of Japan at the time of the Meiji Restoration was estimated to be 34,985,000 on January 1, 1873, while the official original family registries and de facto populations on the same day were 33,300,644 and 33,416,939, respectively. These were comparable to the population of the United Kingdom (31,000,000), France (38,000,000), and Austria-Hungary (38,000,000).
Gokishichidō was the name for ancient administrative units organized in Japan during the Asuka period, as part of a legal and governmental system borrowed from the Chinese. Though these units did not survive as administrative structures beyond the Muromachi period (1336–1573), they did remain important geographical entities until the 19th century. The Gokishichidō consisted of five provinces in the Kinai (畿内) or capital region, plus seven dō (道) or circuits, each of which contained provinces of its own.
Iha Fuyū was the father of Okinawaology and a Japanese scholar who studied various aspects of Japanese and Okinawan culture, customs, linguistics, and lore. His signature was Ifa Fuyu in English, because of the Okinawan pronunciation. Iha studied linguistics in the University of Tokyo and was devoted to the study of Okinawan linguistics, folklore, and history. His most famous book on the subject, Ko Ryūkyū, was published in 1911 and remains one of the best works on Okinawan studies. He devoted much time to the discovery of the origins of Okinawan people to establish their history. He had considerable influence not only on the study of Okinawan folklore but also of Japanese folklore.
This page lists Japan-related articles with romanized titles beginning with the letter K. For names of people, please list by surname. Please also ignore particles when listing articles.
The Ryukyu Islands, also known as the Nansei Islands or the Ryukyu Arc, are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan: the Ōsumi, Tokara, Amami, Okinawa, and Sakishima Islands, with Yonaguni the westernmost. The larger are mostly volcanic islands and the smaller mostly coral. The largest is Okinawa Island.
Ōta Chōfu was a prominent Ryukyuan journalist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, famous for his involvement in the Kōdō-kai Movement, advocating the maintenance of hereditary rule of Okinawa under the heirs to the royal family of Ryūkyū.
Shō Yūkō Ginowan ueekata Chōho, also known more simply as Giwan Chōho, was a Ryukyuan government official and emissary; at the time of the Meiji Restoration in Japan, he was a member of the Sanshikan, the Council of Three top government ministers in the Ryūkyū Kingdom.
Urasoe Ueekata Chōshō, also known by his Chinese style name Shō Kyoken, was a politician and bureaucrat of Ryukyu Kingdom.
The Ryukyu Disposition, also called the Ryukyu Annexation or the annexation of Okinawa, was the political process during the early years of the Meiji period that saw the incorporation of the former Ryukyu Kingdom into the Empire of Japan as Okinawa Prefecture and its decoupling from the Chinese tributary system. These processes began with the creation of Ryukyu Domain in 1872 and culminated in the kingdom's annexation and final dissolution in 1879; immediate diplomatic fallout and consequent negotiations with Qing China, brokered by Ulysses S. Grant, effectively came to an end late the following year. The term is also sometimes used more narrowly in relation to the events and changes of 1879 alone. The Ryūkyū Disposition has been "alternatively characterized as aggression, annexation, national unification, or internal reform".
↑ Population density of Hokkaidō is calculated excluding the areas of islands of Habomai-guntō (99.94 km²), Shikotan-tō (253.33 km²), Kunashiri-tō (1498.83 km²) and Etorofu-tō (3184.04 km²) (including the attached islands). Population density of Shimane-ken is calculated excluding the area of Take-shima (0.21 km²). Population density of Japan is calculated excluding these areas.
1 2 Includes Ogasawara Islands since June 26, 1968.
1 2 Includes Amami Islands since December 25, 1953; Southern Tokara Islands (Toshima-mura, Ōshima-gun) since February 10, 1952. Data for 1948 exclude Northern Tokara Islands (Mishima, although they were already part of Kagoshiwa.
1 2 3 Okinawa under the government of the United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands was reverted to Japan as Okinawa-ken on May 15, 1972.
↑ A population of 73 living at the disputed boundary between Nagano-ken and Gifu-ken is included in the total population of Japan. The 1960 Census of Ryūkyū was taken as of December 1.
↑ The 1955 Extraordinary Census of Ryūkyū was taken as of December 1.
↑ The 1950 Census of Ryūkyū was taken as of December 1 based on de facto population concept. Population of Ryūkyū includes 219,048 persons of Amami Islands.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Kaitaku-shi (Development Commission) was split into three prefectures of Sapporo-, Hakodate- and Nemuro-ken on February 8, 1882, but was reunited to Hokkaidō-chō (Hokkaidō Agency) on January 26, 1886. Hokkaidō became equal with other prefectures on May 3, 1947 with the abolishment of Hokkaidō-chō, but has been simply called Hokkaidō since the era of Hokkaidō-chō.
1 2 Tōkyō-fu (urban prefecture) became Tōkyō-to (metropolitan) on July 1, 1943.
↑ Okinawa-ken was occupied and became subject to the United States Military Government at the end of the World War II.
↑ Karafuto-fu was incorporated to Japan Proper on March 26, 1943, but was occupied and annexed to Soviet Russia at the end of the World War II.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Ashigara-ken was split and annexed to Kanagawa- and Shizuoka-ken on April 18, 1876. Hamamatsu-ken was annexed to Shizuoka-ken on August 21, 1876. Annexation of Ogasawara-tō to Japan was acknowledged internationally by the year of 1876. Seven Islands of Izu were relegated from Shizuoka-ken to Tōkyō-fu (about the same with the present-day special 23 wards of Tōkyō) on January 11, 1878. Ogasawara-tō became an administrative region of Tōkyō-fu on October 8, 1880. Three districts of Tama were relegated from Kanagawa-ken to Tōkyō-fu on April 1, 1893.
1 2 3 4 5 Nara-ken (same with the present-day Nara-ken) was annexed to Sakai-ken on April 18, 1876. Sakai-ken was annexed to Ōsaka-fu on February 7, 1881. Nara-ken was split from Ōsaka-fu on November 4, 1887.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Ishizuchi- and Kamiyama-ken were united to Ehime-ken on February 20, 1873. On the same day, Kagawa-ken (same with the present-day Kagawa-ken) was annexed to Myōdō-ken, but was split from Myōdō-ken on September 5, 1875. Toyo'oka-ken was split and annexed to Hyōgo-ken and Kyōto-fu on August 21, 1876. On the same day, Shikama-ken was annexed to Hyōgo-ken. On the same day, Myōdō-ken was split and annexed to Kōchi-ken and Hyōgo-ken (the region of Myōdō-ken annexed to Kōchi-ken is the same with the present-day Tokushima-ken, while that annexed to Hyōgo-ken is the former Awaji Province). On the same day, Kagawa-ken was annexed to Ehime-ken. Tokushima-ken was split from Kōchi-ken on March 2, 1880. Kagawa-ken was split from Ehime-ken on December 3, 1888.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Kokura-ken was annexed to Fukuoka-ken on April 18, 1876. On the same day, Saga-ken (same with the present-day Saga-ken) was annexed to Mizuma-ken. Mizuma-ken was split and annexed to Nagasaki- and Fukuoka-ken, while small part of Fukuoka-ken was annexed to Ōita-ken on August 21, 1876. Saga-ken was split from Nagasaki-ken on May 9, 1883.
1 2 3 4 5 Miyakonojō-ken was split and annexed to Kagoshima- and Miyazakia-ken on January 15, 1873. Miyazaki-ken was annexed to Kagoshima-ken on August 21, 1876, but was split from Kagoshima-ken on May 9, 1883.
↑ Honseki population here includes imperial families.
↑ Population of Okinawa-ken is that surveyed in 1880. Introduction of Japanese registration system to Okinawa-ken confirmed that more than half of the inhabitants were suppressed.
↑ Population of Kaitaku-shi and Ryūkyū-han are those surveyed in 1873. The date of March 8, 1872 corresponds to the 29 day of the 1st month, Meiji 5 according to the traditional Japanese calendar expired on December 31, 1872.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Mizusawa-ken was renamed to Iwai-ken on November 22, 1875. Iwai-ken was split and annexed to Iwate- and Miyazaki-ken on April 18, 1876. Iwasaki-ken was split and annexed to Fukushima- and Miyagi-ken on August 21, 1876. On the same day, Wakamatsu-ken was annexed to Fukushima-ken.
1 2 3 4 Sakata-ken was renamed to Tsuruoka-ken on August 31, 1875. Tsuruoka-ken and Okitama-ken were annexed to Yamagata-ken on August 21, 1876.
1 2 3 4 5 Inba- and Kisarazu-ken were united to Chiba-ken on June 15, 1873. Niihari-ken was split and annexed to Ibaraki- and Chiba-ken on May 7, 1875.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Utsunomiya-ken was annexed to Tochigi-ken on June 15, 1873. On the same day, Gunma-ken and Iruma-ken were united to Kumagaya-ken. Tochigi-, Kumagaya- and Saitama-ken were reorganized into Tochigi- (composed of majority of former Tochigi-ken), Gunma- (composed of part of former Kumagaya-ken and part of former Tochigi-ken) and Saitama-ken (composed of former Saitama-ken and part of former Kumagaya-ken) on August 21, 1876.
1 2 3 Kashiwazaki-ken was annexed to Niigata-ken on June 10, 1873. Aikawa-ken was annexed to Niigata-ken on April 18, 1876.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Nanao-ken was split and annexed to Niikawa- and Ishikawa-ken on October 27, 1872 (25th day of the 9th month, Meiji 5). Inukami-ken was annexed to Shiga-ken on October 30, 1872 (28th day of the 9th month, Meiji 5). Asuwa-ken was annexed to Tsuruga-ken on January 4, 1873. Niikawa-ken (same with the present-day Toyama-ken) was annexed to Ishikawa-ken on April 18, 1876. Tsuruga-ken (same with the present-day Fukui-ken) was split and annexed to Ishikawa- and Shiga-ken on August 21, 1876, but was split from Ishikawa- and Shiga-ken to reunite into Fukui-ken on February 7, 1881. Toyama-ken was split from Ishikawa-ken on May 9, 1883.
1 2 3 Chikuma-ken was split and annexed to Nagano- and Gifu-ken on August 21, 1876.
1 2 Nukata-ken was annexed to Aichi-ken on December 27, 1872 (27th day of the 11th month, Meiji 5).
1 2 Watari-ken was annexed to Mie-ken on April 18, 1876.
1 2 3 Hamada-ken was annexed to Shimane-ken on April 18, 1876. Tottori-ken was annexed to Shimane-ken on August 21, 1876, but was split from Shimane-ken on September 12, 1881.
1 2 3 4 Oda-ken was annexed to Okayama-ken on December 10, 1875. Hokujō-, Okayama- and Hiroshima-ken were reorganized into Okayama-ken (composed of former Hokujō-ken and majority of Okayama-ken) and Hiroshima-ken (composed of former Hiroshima-ken and part of Okayama-ken) on April 18, 1876.
1 2 3 Yatsushiro-ken was annexed to Shirakawa-ken on January 15, 1873. Shirakawa-ken was renamed to Kumamoto-ken on February 22, 1876
1 2 Ryūkyū Kingdom was officially annexed to Japan on March 11, 1879, though Meiji government treated Ryūkyū as a part of Japan before that.
↑ Abolished on August 9, 1871 (23rd day of the 6th month, Meiji 4) and was annexed to Ōtsu-ken.
↑ Abolished on July 19, 1871 (2nd day of the 6th month, Meiji 4) and was divided and annexed to Ina-ken and Nakano-ken.
↑ Abolished on August 11, 1871 (25th day of the 6th month, Meiji 4) and was annexed to Hamada-ken.
↑ Abolished on August 5, 1871 (19th day of the 6th month, Meiji 4) and was annexed to Yamaguchi-han.
↑ Populations by references (1) and (3) includes those in the Ryūkyū-koku, while the population by reference (2) does not. According to "Hansei-ichiran", population of Ryūkyū is 124,454 (51,751 samurai plus 72,703 commons), while that of mainland is 772,354 (192,949 samurai plus 579,405 commons), affording 896,808 (244,700 samurai plus 652,108 commons) in total.
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