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User:Asakura Akira/Chronological list of cities in Japan

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Todo:

  • Move all "new establishment mergers" to the front columns as with #7 Himeji City, so the precursors can be listed, yet a single entry for homonymous successors be maintained
  • Maybe (?) add another running count excluding subsequently dissolved cites towards the current total

Notes:

  • Cities # 1–40 were all established by Home Ministry ordinance in 1889, but exact date of implementation varied from prefecture to prefecture. Of these, Cities #1–36 were contained in the first Home Ministry ordinance of 1889, February 2.
  • The precursors for cities established in the initial introduction of cities in 1889 (in Okinawa-ken & Hokkai-dō 1921/22) are not exact, in many cases the borders of -shi did expand (in some sections also recede) somewhat from the precursor -ku.
  • The N→S column allows to sort by prefecture from North to South in the order commonly used in Japan.
  • Abbreviations
    • Suffix translations (only used after 1889; the ku/gun/chō/son up to 1889 are not accurately described as wards/districts/towns/villages, but rather urban/rural districts or counties/cities & urban/rural neighbourhoods/areas/subdistricts)
      • C.: City (-shi)
      • D.: District (-gun)
      • T.: Town (-machi/-chō)
      • V.: Village (-mura/-son)
    • Prefix translations (mostly in district names stemming from Meiji era district partition)
      • N.: North (Kita-)
      • S.: South (Minami-)
      • E.: East (Higashi-)
      • W.: West (Nishi-)
      • Cent.: Central (Naka-)
      • Upp.: Upper (Kami-)
      • Low.: Lower (Shimo-)
# Prefecture
(-to/-dō/-fu/-ken)
N→S City
(-shi)
Established from [Dissolved] [into] Major city status
1 Tokyo Tokyo May 1, 1889 15 -ku of Tokyo July 1, 1943 (Tosei) 35 -ku of Tokyo One of the original "three capitals"→-ku pre-date city
One of the "Six major cities" (roku-daitoshi) from 1922
2 Kyoto Kyoto April 1, 1889 2 -ku of Kyoto One of the original "three capitals"→-ku pre-date city
One of the "six major cities" (roku-daitoshi) from 1922
Designated major city since 1956
3 Osaka Osaka April 1, 1889 4 -ku of Osaka One of the original "three capitals"→-ku pre-date city
One of the "six major cities" (roku-daitoshi) from 1922
Designated major city since 1956
4 Osaka Sakai April 1, 1889 Sakai-ku of Osaka Core city from 1996
Designated major city since 2006
5 Kanagawa Yokohama April 1, 1889 Yokohama-ku of Kanagawa One of the "Six major cities" (roku-daitoshi) from 1922
Wards established in 1927
Designated major city since 1956
6 Hyōgo Kōbe April 1, 1889 Kōbe-ku of Hyōgo One of the "Six major cities" (roku-daitoshi) from 1922
Wards established in 1931
Designated major city since 1956
7 Hyōgo Himeji (old)
Himeji (new)


 
April 1, 1889
March 1, 1946


 
Parts of Shikitō-gun
2 C.s, 2 T.s from Shikama D.. 1 T. & 3 V.s from Ibo D.
(Himeji C. (old), Shikama C.,
Shirahama T., Hirohata T.,
Aboshi T., Ōtsu V., Katsuhara V., Amarube V.)
Core city since 1996
8 Nagasaki Nagasaki April 1, 1889 Nagasaki-ku of Nagasaki Core city since 1997
9 Niigata Niigata April 1, 1889 Niigata-ku of Niigata Core city from 1996
Designated major city since 2007
10 Ibaraki Mito April 1, 1889 Parts of Higashi-Ibaraki-gun Special case city since 2001
11 Mie Tsu April 1, 1889 Parts of Anotsu-gun
January 1, 2006

Technically: Tsu City (new)
12 Aichi Nagoya October 1, 1889 Nagoya-ku of Aichi Wards established in 1908
One of the "Six major cities" (roku-daitoshi) from 1922
Designated major city since 1956
13 Shizuoka Shizuoka April 1, 1889 Parts of Abe- and Udo-gun
April 1, 2003

Technically: Shizuoka City (new)
Core city from 1996/2003
Designated major city since 2005
14 Miyagi Sendai April 1, 1889 Sendai-ku of Miyagi Designated major city since 1989
15 Iwate Morioka April 1, 1889 Parts of Minami-Iwate-gun Special case city from 2000
Core city since 2008
16 Aomori Hirosaki April 1, 1889 Parts of Naka-Tsugaru-gun
February 27, 2006

Technically: Hirosaki City (new)
17 Yamagata Yamagata April 1, 1889 Parts of Minami-Murayama-gun Special case city since 2001
18 Yamagata Yonezawa April 1, 1889 Parts of Minami-Okitama-gun
19 Akita Akita April 1, 1889 Parts of Minami-Akita-gun Core city since 1997
20 Fukui Fukui April 1, 1889 Parts of Asuwa-gun Special case city since 2000
21 Ishikawa Kanazawa April 1, 1889 Kanazawa-ku of Ishikawa Core city since 1996
22 Toyama Toyama April 1, 1889 Parts of Kami-Niikawa-gun
April 1, 2005

Technically: Toyama City (new)
Core city since 1996/2005
23 Toyama Takaoka April 1, 1889 Parts of Imizu-gun
November 1, 2005

Technically: Takaoka City (new)
24 Shimane Matsue April 1, 1889 Parts of Shimane- and Ou-gun
March 31, 2005

Technically: Matsue City (new)
Special case city since 2012
25 Okayama Okayama June 1, 1889 Okayama-ku of Okayama Core city from 1996
Designated major city since 2009
26 Hiroshima Hiroshima April 1, 1889 Hiroshima-ku of Hiroshima Designated major city since 1980
27 Yamaguchi Akamagaseki
Shimonoseki
April 1, 1889
June 1, 1902
Akamagaseki-ku of Yamaguchi
Name changed from Akamagaseki City

February 13, 2005

Technically: Shimonoseki City (new)
Special case city from 2002
Core city since 2005
28 Wakayama Wakayama April 1, 1889 Wakayama-ku Core city since 1997
29 Tokushima Tokushima October 1, 1889 Parts of Myōdō-gun
30 Kagawa Takamatsu February 15, 1890 Parts of Kagawa-gun Core city since 1999
31 Ehime Matsuyama December 15, 1889 Parts of Onsen-gun Core city since 2000
32 Kōchi Kōchi April 1, 1889 Parts of Tosa-gun Core city since 1998
33 Fukuoka Fukuoka April 1, 1889 Fukuoka-ku of Fukuoka Designated major city since 1972
34 Fukuoka Kurume April 1, 1889 Parts of Mii-gun Special case city from 2001
Core city since 2008
35 Kumamoto Kumamoto April 1, 1889 Kumamoto-ku of Kumamoto Core city from 1996
Designated major city since 2012
36 Kagoshima Kagoshima April 1, 1889 Parts of Kagoshima-gun
April 29, 1967

Technically: Kagoshima City (new)
Core city since 1996
37 Saga Saga April 1, 1889 Parts of Saga-gun
October 1, 2005

Technically: Saga City (new)
Special case city since 2014
38 Gifu Gifu July 1, 1889 Parts of Atsumi-gun Core city since 1996
39 Yamanashi Kōfu July 1, 1889 Parts of Nishi-Yamanashi-gun Special case city since 2000
40 Tottori Tottori October 1, 1889 Parts of Ōmi-gun Special case city since 2005
41 Gunma Maebashi April 1, 1892 Maebashi Town, East Gunma District Special case city from 2001
Core city since 2009
42 Tochigi Utsunomiya April 1, 1896 Utsunomiya Town, Kawachi District Core city since 1996
43 Nagano Nagano April 1, 1897 Nagano Town, Upper Minochi District
October 16, 1966

Technically: Nagano City (new)
Core city since 1999
44 Mie Yokkaichi August 1, 1897 Yokkaichi Town, Mie District Special case city since 2000
45 Nara Nara February 1, 1898 Nara Town, Soekami District Core city since 2002
46 Hiroshima Onomichi April 1, 1898 Onomichi Town, Mitsugi District
47 Aomori Aomori April 1, 1898 Aomori Town, East Tsugaru District
April 1, 2005

Technically: Aomori City (new)
Core city since 2006
48 Shiga Ōtsu October 1, 1898 Ōtsu Town, Shiga District Special case city from 2009
Core city since 2009
49 Fukushima Wakamatsu April 1, 1899 Wakamatsu Town, North Aizu District
January 1, 1955

Technically: Aizu-Wakamatsu City (new)
50 Kagawa Marugame April 1, 1899 Marugame Town, Naka District
March 22, 2005

Technically: Marugame City (new)
51 Fukuoka Moji April 1, 1899 Moji Town, Kiku District February 10, 1963 Kitakyūshū City
52 Fukuoka Kokura April 1, 1900 Kokura Town, Kiku District February 10, 1963 Kitakyūshū City
53 Gunma Takasaki April 1, 1900 Takasaki Town, Gunma District Special case city from 2001
Core city since 2011
54 Nagasaki Sasebo April 1, 1902 Sasebo Village, East Sonogi District Special case city from 2001
Core city since 2016
55 Hiroshima Kure October 1, 1902 3 Towns & 2 Villages in Aki District
(Kure T., Miyahara V., Washō T., Sōyamada V., Futagawa T.)
Special case city from 2000
Core city since 2016
56 Niigata Nagaoka April 1, 1906 Nagaoka Town, Koshi District Special case city since 2007
58 Aichi Toyohashi August 1, 1906 Toyohashi Town, Atsumi District Core city since 1999
57 Mie Uji-Yamada
Ise
September 1, 1906
January 1, 1955
Uji-Yamada Town, Watarai District
Name changed from Uji-Yamada-City
59 Kanagawa Yokosuka February 15, 1907 Yokosuka Town, Miura District Core city since 2001
60 Fukushima Fukushima April 1, 1907 Fukushima Town, Shinobu District, Fukushima
61 Nagano Matsumoto May 1, 1907 Matsumoto Town, East Chikuma District Special case city since 2000
62 Ōita Ōita April 1, 1911 Ōita Town, Ōita District
March 10, 1963

Technically: Ōita City (new)
Core city since 1997
63 Shizuoka Hamamatsu July 1, 1911 Hamamatsu Town, Hamana District
April 1, 2007

Technically: Hamamatsu City (new)
Core city from 1996
Designated major city since 2007
64 Niigata Takada September 1, 1911 Takada Town, Central Kubiki District April 29, 1974 Jōetsu City
65 Fukuoka Wakamatsu April 1, 1914 Wakamatsu Town, Onga District February 10, 1963 Kitakyūshū City
66 Hyōgo Amagasaki April 1, 1916 Amagasaki Town, Kawabe District
(+ parts of Tachibana V.)

April 1, 1936

Technically: Amagaseki City (new)
Special case city from 2001
Core city since 2009
67 Aichi Okazaki July 1, 1916 Okazaki Town, Nukata District Core city since 2003
68 Hiroshima Fukuyama July 1, 1916 Fukuyama Town, Fukayasu District
May 1, 1966

Technically: Fukuyama City (new)
Core city since 1998
69 Fukuoka Ōmuta March 1, 1917 Ōmuta Town, Miike District
70 Fukuoka Yahata March 1, 1917 Yahata Town, Onga District February 10, 1963 Kitakyūshū City
71 Tokyo Hachiōji September 1, 1917 Hachiōji Town, South Tama District Core city since 2015
72 Gifu Ōgaki April 1, 1918 Ōgaki Town, Anpachi District
73 Nagano Ueda May 1, 1919 Ueda Town, Chiisagata District
March 6, 2006

Technically: Ueda City (new)
74 Hyōgo Akashi November 1, 1919 Akashi Town, Akashi District Special case city since 2002
75 Ehime Imabari February 11, 1920 Imabari T. & Hiyoshi V., Ochi District
January 16, 2005

Technically: Imabari City (new)
76 Tochigi Ashikaga January 1, 1921 Ashikaga Town, Ashikaga District
77 Chiba Chiba January 1, 1921 Chiba Town, Chiba District Designated major city since 1992
78 Gunma Kiryū March 1, 1921 Kiryū Town, Yamada District
79 Okinawa
(1946/01/29–1974/05/15
US military)
Naha May 20, 1921 Naha-ku of Okinawa Core city since 2013
80 Okinawa
(1946/01/29–1974/05/15
US military)
Shuri May 20, 1921 Shuri-ku of Okinawa September 1, 1954 Naha City
81 Ehime Uwajima August 1, 1921 Uwajima T. & Yawata V., North Uwa District
August 1, 2005

Technically: Uwajima City (new)
82 Aichi Ichinomiya September 1, 1921 Ichinomiya Town, Nakashima District Special case city since 2001
83 Yamaguchi Ube September 1, 1921 Ube Village, Nakashima District
84 Hokkai[-dō] Sapporo August 1, 1922 Sapporo-ku of Hokkai-dō Designated major city since 1972
85 Hokkai[-dō] Hakodate August 1, 1922 Hakodate-ku of Hokkai-dō Special case city from 2000
Core city since 2005
86 Hokkai[-dō] Otaru August 1, 1922 Otaru-ku of Hokkai-dō
87 Hokkai[-dō] Muroran August 1, 1922 Muroran-ku of Hokkai-dō
88 Hokkai[-dō] Asahikawa August 1, 1922 Asahikawa-ku of Hokkai-dō Core city since 2000
89 Hokkai[-dō] Kushiro August 1, 1922 Kushiro-ku of Hokkai-dō
90 Osaka Kishiwada November 1, 1922 Kishiwada Town, Sennan [=Izumi S.] District
April 1, 1942

Technically: Kishiwada City (new)
Special case city since 2002
91 Saitama Kawagoe December 1, 1922 Kawagoe T. & Senba V., Iruma District Core city since 2003
92 Shizuoka Numazu July 1, 1923 Numazu T. & Yanagihara V., Suntō [=Suruga E.] District Special case city since 2000
93 Shizuoka Shimizu February 11, 1924 2 Towns & 2 Villages in Abe District
(Shimizu T., Irie T., Fujimi V., Miho V.)
April 1, 2003 Shizuoka City Special case city from 2001
94 Miyazaki Miyazaki April 1, 1924 2 Towns & 1 Village in Miyazaki District
(Miyazaki T., Ōyodo T., Ōmiya V.)
Core city since 1998
95 Miyazaki Miyakonojō April 1, 1924 Miyakonojō Town, North Morokata District
January 1, 2006

Technically: Miyakonojō City (new)
96 Ōita Beppu April 1, 1924 Beppu Town, Hayami District
97 Kanagawa Kawasaki July 1, 1924 2 Towns & 1 Village in Tachibana District
(Kawasaki T., Miyuki V., Daishi T.)
Designated major city since 1972
98 Fukushima Kōriyama September 1, 1924 Kōriyama T. & Koharada V., Asaka District Core city since 1997
99 Fukuoka Tobata September 1, 1924 Tobata Town, Onga District February 10, 1963 Kitakyūshū City
100 Yamagata Tsuruoka October 1, 1924 Tsuruoka Town, West Tagawa District
October 1, 2005

Technically: Tsuruoka City (new)
101 Hyōgo Nishinomiya April 1, 1925 Nishinomiya Town, Muko District Core city since 2008
102 Tottori Yonago April 1, 1927 Yonago Town, Saihaku District
March 31, 2005

Technically: Yonago City (new)
103 Okayama Kurashiki April 1, 1928 Kurashiki Town, Tsukubo District
February 1, 1967

Technically: Kurashiki City (new)
Core city since 2002
104 Okayama Tsuyama February 22, 1929 2 T.s & 3 V.s from Tomata & 1 V. from Kume
(Tsuyama T., Tsuyama E. T., W. Tomada V., Ninomiya V., Innoshō V.,
Fukuoka V.)
105 Yamaguchi Yamaguchi April 1, 1928 Yamaguchi Town & Yoshiki Village, Yoshiki District
October 1, 2005

Technically: Yamaguchi City (new)
106 Ōita Nakatsu April 1, 1928 Nakatsu Town, Shimoge District
107 Aomori Hachinohe May 1, 1929 3 Towns & 1 Village from Sannohe District
(Hachinohe T., Konakano T., Minato T., Same V.)
Special case city from 2001
Core city since 2017
108 Kyoto Fushimi May 1, 1929 Fushimi Town, Kii District April 1, 1931 Kyoto City
109 Aichi Seto October 1, 1929 Seto Town, East Kasugai District
110 Fukuoka Nōgata January 1, 1931 Nōgata Town, Kurate District
111 Saga Karatsu January 1, 1932 Karatsu Town, East Matsuura District
January 1, 2005

Technically: Karatsu City (new)
112 Fukuoka Iizuka January 20, 1932 Iizuka Town, Kaho District
March 26, 2006

Technically: Iizuka City (new)
113 Kanagawa Hiratsuka April 1, 1932 Hiratsuka Town, Naka District Special case city since 2001
114 Yamaguchi Hagi July 1, 1932 Hagi Town, Abu District
March 6, 2005

Technically: Hagi City (new)
117 Mie Matsuaka February 1, 1933 Matsusaka Town, Iinan District
January 1, 2005

Technically: Matsusaka City (new)
115 Chiba Chōshi February 11, 1933 3 T.s & 1 V. from Kaijō District
(Chōshi T., Moto-Chōshi T., W. Chōshi T., Toyooka V.)
118 Miyazaki Nobeoka February 11, 1933 Nobeoka Town, East Usuki District
116 Hokkai[-dō] Obihiro April 1, 1933 Obihiro Town, Kasai District
119 Yamagata Sakata April 1, 1933 Sakata Town, Akumi District
January 1, 2006

Technically: Sakata City (new)
120 Saitama Kumagaya April 1, 1933 Kumagaya Town, Ōsato District
October 1, 2005

Technically: Kumagaya City (new)
Special case city since 2009
121 Saitama Kawaguchi April 1, 1933 1 T. & 3 V.s from N. Adachi District
(Kawaguchi T., Yokozone V., Aoki V., S. Hirayanagi V.
Special case city since 2001
122 Miyagi Ishinomaki April 1, 1933 Ishinomaki Town, Oshika District
April 1, 2005

Technically: Ishinomaki City (new)
123 Wakayama Shingū October 1, 1933 Shingū T. & Miwasaki T., E. Muro District
October 1, 2005

Technically: Shingū City (new)
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
891 Fukuoka Nakagawa October 1, 2018 Nakagawa T., Chikushi District

Maintenance.temp

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Abbr.s in this sect.:

  • P.=Prefecture (-to/-dō/-fu/-ken; all periods, i.e. incl. the -dō during the Empire because its subdivisions already became the same as in other P.s before WWII!)
  • D.=District (-gun)
  • U.D.=Urban District (1878–89 -ku, also Hokkai & Okinawa P.s' -ku/cities after that)
  • C.=City (-shi)
  • T.=Town (1889– -chō/-machi; obviously only where this is the suffix of a municipality, not where it is part of the name of a neighbourhood/part of a municipality, although both were historically the same thing)
  • V.=Village (1889– -son/-mura)
  • S.W.=Special ward ([tokubetsu]-ku)
  • W.=Ward (1889– -ku)

Ambiguities

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Trivia

[edit]
  • Miyazaki became the last P. to contain its first C. in 1924.
  • Saitama was the last P. to have a T. as capital. (Urawa T., North Adachi D. only became Urawa C. in 1934)
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