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.
A city is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as towns and villages, with the difference that they are not a component of districts. Like other contemporary administrative units, they are defined by the Local Autonomy Law of 1947.
Tōkamachi is a city located in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 July 2019, the city had an estimated population of 28,728 in 19,823 households, and a population density of 86.3 persons per km². The total area of the city was 590.39 square kilometres (227.95 sq mi), although some borders of the city are not well defined. Tōkamachi derives its name from the fact that a market was held every tenth day of the month. Similarly, the nearby former town of Muikamachi had its own local market held on days ending in six each month.
Hamakita was a city located in western Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.
Matsumoto was a town located in Hioki District, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.
Abu is a district located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan.
Fujioka was a town located in Nishikamo District, north-central Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
Asuke was a town located in Higashikamo District, central Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
Shimoyama was a village located in Higashikamo District, east-central Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
Asahi was a town located in Higashikamo District, north-central Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
Inabu was a town located in Higashikamo District, in the mountainous section of north-central Aichi Prefecture, Japan, bordering Gifu Prefecture and Nagano Prefecture.
Akeno was a village located in Kitakoma District, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. Its territory includes Yama-Ogasawara, the village which gave its name to Ogasawara Nagakiyo, his clan of samurai, and—eventually—to the Ogasawara Islands in the North Pacific south of Tokyo.
Takane was a town located in Kitakoma District, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan.
Kitakoma was a district located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan.
Uguisuzawa was a town located in Kurihara District, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.
Hokuto is a city located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 October 2020, the city had an estimated population of 45,684 in 22,091 households, and a population density of 78 inhabitants per square kilometre (200/sq mi). The total area of the city is 602.48 square kilometres (232.62 sq mi).
Municipal mergers and dissolutions carried out in Japan have occurred since the Meiji era to join the facilities and legal boundaries of municipal districts, towns, and cities. Often, these mergers are driven by a necessity to consolidate villages and 'natural settlements' into larger-scale cities as modernization progressed and consolidation was promoted to provide greater access to public facilities and schools.
The bureaucratic administration of Japan is divided into three basic levels: national, prefectural, and municipal. They are defined by the Local Autonomy Law of 1947.
Bungo-Ōno is a city located in Ōita Prefecture, Japan. As of 30 November 2023, the city had an estimated population of 32,846 in 15706 households, and a population density of 54 persons per km². The total area of the city is 603.13 km2 (232.87 sq mi).
