Japan is divided into 47 prefectures, grouped into 8 regions: Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu, Kansai, Chugoku, Shikoku and Kyushu-Okinawa. The regions have no government of their own. They are geographic groupings used in schools, weather reports, rail and business, while the 47 prefectures are the real administrative units. Below them sit 1,718 municipalities (792 cities, 743 towns and 183 villages) plus the 23 special wards of Tokyo. On the interactive map of Japan above, click any region or prefecture to see its capital, population, area, largest cities and World Heritage sites, or type a place name in the search box to find which prefecture it is in.
How to use this interactive map of Japan
- Explore a region: click or tap it on the map to open its prefectures, population, area, landmarks and food. Switch the Regions / Prefectures toggle to see all 47 prefectures.
- Compare data: use View by to color the map by region, prefecture type, population, density, area, GDP per capita, World Heritage sites, foreign visitor nights, population change, share of residents aged 65 and over, or Shinkansen access.
- Find a place: type any of Japan's 1,718 municipalities in the search box to see which prefecture and region it is in.
- Test yourself: the Quiz asks you to find prefectures and regions against the clock. Start it with the quiz link.
- Take it with you: Export downloads the data as CSV with a citation. Printables has labelled and blank maps of Japan in A4 (SVG or PNG).
The 8 regions of Japan
Click a column heading to sort by population, area or number of prefectures.
| Region | Prefectures | Population | Area (km²) | Largest city |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hokkaido | 1 | 4,980,272 | 83,422.2 | Sapporo |
| Tohoku | 6 | 8,073,536 | 66,943.8 | Sendai |
| Kanto | 7 | 43,494,218 | 32,439.4 | Tokyo (23 wards) |
| Chubu | 9 | 20,400,903 | 66,810.9 | Nagoya |
| Kansai | 7 | 21,794,448 | 33,125.6 | Osaka |
| Chugoku | 5 | 6,904,676 | 31,920.3 | Hiroshima |
| Shikoku | 4 | 3,484,361 | 18,801.2 | Matsuyama |
| Kyushu & Okinawa | 8 | 13,840,114 | 44,510.3 | Fukuoka |
Population is the final count of the 2025 Census (1 October 2025), which puts Japan at 122,972,528 residents. Areas are from the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (1 July 2026) and total 377,973.7 km². Kanto holds 35.4% of the population on 8.6% of the land. Hokkaido is the opposite: 22.1% of the area and 4.0% of the people.
The regions one by one
Hokkaido is the northernmost main island and a region of one prefecture. People go for Shiretoko and Daisetsuzan national parks, winter sports and farm country. It is the largest prefecture by far at 83,422.2 km² and has the lowest density, 59.7 people per km².
Tohoku (6 prefectures: Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata, Fukushima) covers the northern third of Honshu. It is a region of mountains, rice, hot springs and cold winters. Visitors come for Matsushima, Hiraizumi and Lake Towada. Its Pacific coast was devastated by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
Kanto (7 prefectures: Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo, Kanagawa) is the largest plain in Japan and its political and economic centre, with 43,494,218 people. Tokyo and Yokohama dominate, with Nikko and Kamakura as the usual day trips.
Chubu (9 prefectures here) is the middle of Honshu. It holds Mount Fuji, the Japanese Alps, Kanazawa's Kenroku-en and the Nagoya industrial belt around Aichi, the fourth most populous prefecture.
Kansai (7 prefectures here) is the historic heart of the country: Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe and Nara. Fushimi Inari, Himeji Castle and Todai-ji sit here, Nara alone has four World Heritage properties.
Chugoku (5 prefectures: Tottori, Shimane, Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi) is the western end of Honshu. The Chugoku Mountains split it into a Sea of Japan side and a Seto Inland Sea side. Hiroshima, Itsukushima Shrine at Miyajima, the Tottori Sand Dunes and Izumo Taisha draw visitors. The name refers to this Japanese region, not to China.
Shikoku (4 prefectures: Tokushima, Kagawa, Ehime, Kochi) is the smallest main island. It is known for the 88-temple pilgrimage, Dogo Onsen, the Iya Valley and Sanuki udon. It is the least populous region at 3,484,361.
Kyushu-Okinawa (8 prefectures: Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, Kagoshima, Okinawa) is the southwest. It has active volcanoes such as Mount Aso, many hot springs and a long record of contact with Asia and Europe. Okinawa, once the Ryukyu Kingdom, is grouped with Kyushu here and has Shuri Castle and the Ryukyu islands.
To, do, fu and ken: the four types of prefecture
All 47 prefectures have the same legal standing, but their names carry one of four suffixes (都道府県, to-dō-fu-ken).
- To (都, metropolis): one prefecture, Tōkyō-to. Tokyo has 23 special wards, 26 cities, 5 towns and 8 villages, including island chains in the Pacific.
- Dō (道, circuit): one prefecture, Hokkaidō. The name comes from the old route system, and Hokkaido is the only prefecture with it.
- Fu (府, urban prefecture): two prefectures, Ôsaka-fu and Kyōto-fu. The label reflects the status of Kyoto and Osaka as old imperial and commercial centres and carries no extra powers today.
- Ken (県, prefecture): the other 43.
In English all 47 are simply "prefectures". Writing "Tokyo Prefecture" or "Osaka Prefecture" is correct, and the suffix is dropped in everyday speech.
Regions, prefectures and municipalities
- A region (chihō) is a geographic and cultural grouping. It has no governor, legislature or budget.
- A prefecture has an elected governor and assembly and runs police, schools, regional roads and health services. Japan has 47.
- A municipality is a city, town or village with its own mayor. Japan has 1,718, plus Tokyo's 23 special wards, which have city-like powers.
The prefecture capital is the seat of government. In 18 prefectures it has a different name from the prefecture, for example Sapporo (Hokkaido), Yokohama (Kanagawa), Nagoya (Aichi), Kobe (Hyogo) and Naha (Okinawa). You can browse every place by name in our alphabetical list of Japanese cities and towns.
Does Japan have states?
No. Japan is a unitary state, not a federation, so it has no states. The prefectures are the nearest equivalent. They elect their own governors and assemblies, but they take their powers from national law and cannot write their own criminal law or keep their own courts. People searching for "states of Japan" usually want the 47 prefectures. Some mean the regions, and a few mean the historic provinces (kuni) that existed before 1871.
Kansai or Kinki, and how Chubu, Mie and Okinawa are placed
Kansai and Kinki name the same part of western Honshu. Kinki is the official term in government and statistics. Kansai is the everyday word and the one visitors see on signs and in guidebooks. This map uses Kansai and lists Kinki as an alternative name.
Chubu splits into three sub-regions that Japanese sources use constantly:
- Hokuriku (北陸): Toyama, Ishikawa and Fukui, on the Sea of Japan coast.
- Kōshin'etsu (甲信越): Niigata, Yamanashi and Nagano, the mountain and Fuji heartland.
- Tōkai (東海): Gifu, Shizuoka, Aichi and Mie, along the Pacific.
Mie is the prefecture schemes disagree on. Many sources count it in Tokai, and so in Chubu. Others place it in Kansai, because it borders Nara and Wakayama and shares the Kii Peninsula with them. This map follows the second approach, so Chubu has 9 prefectures and Kansai has 7. Counted the other way, Chubu has 10 and Kansai has 6.
Okinawa is the other judgment call. It is a chain of islands far southwest of Kyushu, and some schemes treat it as a ninth region. Most weather, business and education lists attach it to Kyushu, which gives the 8-region version used here.
The 20 designated cities
A designated city (seirei shitei toshi) is a large city that the national government, by cabinet order, gives prefecture-like powers over welfare, health and urban planning. The law sets a floor of 500,000 residents, but in practice cities have been designated only from about 700,000. Japan has 20, spread across 15 prefectures:
- Hokkaido and Tohoku: Sapporo and Sendai.
- Kanto: Saitama, Chiba, Yokohama, Kawasaki and Sagamihara.
- Chubu: Niigata, Shizuoka, Hamamatsu and Nagoya.
- Kansai: Kyoto, Osaka, Sakai and Kobe.
- Chugoku: Okayama and Hiroshima.
- Kyushu: Kitakyushu, Fukuoka and Kumamoto.
Tokyo's 23 wards are not designated cities. They form a separate system. For the full ranking by size see our lists of the largest cities in Japan by population and the largest cities in Japan by area. The other end of the scale is in the smallest cities in Japan by population.
What the 2025 census changed
Japan's population fell from 126,146,099 in 2020 to 122,972,528 in 2025, a loss of 3,173,571 people (2.5%). Only one prefecture grew. Tokyo gained 189,029 residents (+1.35%) to reach 14,236,627, or 11.6% of the country. The next best was Okinawa at -0.06%, followed by Chiba (-0.43%) and Kanagawa (-0.47%).
The steepest declines are in the north: Akita (-8.13%), Aomori (-7.96%), Iwate and Yamagata (both -7.09%) and Kochi (-7.04%). Akita also has the oldest population, with 40.1% of residents aged 65 or over. Tokyo has the lowest share, 22.8%. Color the map with View by population change to see all 47 prefectures at once.
The Northern Territories
Four islands off eastern Hokkaido (Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan and the Habomai islets) are administered by Russia and claimed by Japan as part of Hokkaido. The map shows them hatched. The area survey includes them in Hokkaido's total.
All 47 prefectures of Japan
The table lists every prefecture with its type, region, capital, population and area. Open it, then click a heading to sort.
All 47 prefectures
| Prefecture | Kanji | Capital | Region | Population | Area (km²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hokkaido | 北海道 | Sapporo | Hokkaido | 4,980,272 | 83,422.2 |
| Aomori | 青森県 | Aomori | Tohoku | 1,139,461 | 9,645.2 |
| Iwate | 岩手県 | Morioka | Tohoku | 1,124,652 | 15,273.8 |
| Miyagi | 宮城県 | Sendai | Tohoku | 2,225,414 | 7,281.1 |
| Akita | 秋田県 | Akita | Tohoku | 881,470 | 11,637.9 |
| Yamagata | 山形県 | Yamagata | Tohoku | 992,297 | 9,323.0 |
| Fukushima | 福島県 | Fukushima | Tohoku | 1,710,242 | 13,782.8 |
| Ibaraki | 茨城県 | Mito | Kanto | 2,789,856 | 6,098.3 |
| Tochigi | 栃木県 | Utsunomiya | Kanto | 1,863,329 | 6,408.1 |
| Gunma | 群馬県 | Maebashi | Kanto | 1,865,934 | 6,362.3 |
| Saitama | 埼玉県 | Saitama | Kanto | 7,287,325 | 3,797.8 |
| Chiba | 千葉県 | Chiba | Kanto | 6,257,225 | 5,156.5 |
| Tokyo | 東京都 | Shinjuku | Kanto | 14,236,627 | 2,199.9 |
| Kanagawa | 神奈川県 | Yokohama | Kanto | 9,193,922 | 2,416.6 |
| Niigata | 新潟県 | Niigata | Chubu | 2,067,144 | 12,583.8 |
| Toyama | 富山県 | Toyama | Chubu | 982,147 | 4,247.6 |
| Ishikawa | 石川県 | Kanazawa | Chubu | 1,086,596 | 4,190.9 |
| Fukui | 福井県 | Fukui | Chubu | 728,588 | 4,190.6 |
| Yamanashi | 山梨県 | Kofu | Chubu | 779,276 | 4,465.3 |
| Nagano | 長野県 | Nagano | Chubu | 1,953,866 | 13,561.6 |
| Gifu | 岐阜県 | Gifu | Chubu | 1,889,576 | 10,621.3 |
| Shizuoka | 静岡県 | Shizuoka | Chubu | 3,465,667 | 7,776.6 |
| Aichi | 愛知県 | Nagoya | Chubu | 7,448,043 | 5,173.3 |
| Mie | 三重県 | Tsu | Kansai | 1,693,225 | 5,774.5 |
| Shiga | 滋賀県 | Otsu | Kansai | 1,392,008 | 4,017.4 |
| Kyoto | 京都府 | Kyoto | Kansai | 2,500,173 | 4,612.1 |
| Osaka | 大阪府 | Osaka | Kansai | 8,759,312 | 1,905.3 |
| Hyogo | 兵庫県 | Kobe | Kansai | 5,317,792 | 8,400.8 |
| Nara | 奈良県 | Nara | Kansai | 1,268,181 | 3,690.9 |
| Wakayama | 和歌山県 | Wakayama | Kansai | 863,757 | 4,724.7 |
| Tottori | 鳥取県 | Tottori | Chugoku | 523,073 | 3,507.0 |
| Shimane | 島根県 | Matsue | Chugoku | 628,887 | 6,707.8 |
| Okayama | 岡山県 | Okayama | Chugoku | 1,807,160 | 7,114.4 |
| Hiroshima | 広島県 | Hiroshima | Chugoku | 2,682,786 | 8,478.2 |
| Yamaguchi | 山口県 | Yamaguchi | Chugoku | 1,262,770 | 6,112.9 |
| Tokushima | 徳島県 | Tokushima | Shikoku | 674,790 | 4,146.8 |
| Kagawa | 香川県 | Takamatsu | Shikoku | 906,828 | 1,876.5 |
| Ehime | 愛媛県 | Matsuyama | Shikoku | 1,259,907 | 5,675.7 |
| Kochi | 高知県 | Kochi | Shikoku | 642,836 | 7,102.3 |
| Fukuoka | 福岡県 | Fukuoka | Kyushu & Okinawa | 5,077,785 | 4,987.2 |
| Saga | 佐賀県 | Saga | Kyushu & Okinawa | 780,675 | 2,440.6 |
| Nagasaki | 長崎県 | Nagasaki | Kyushu & Okinawa | 1,232,040 | 4,131.2 |
| Kumamoto | 熊本県 | Kumamoto | Kyushu & Okinawa | 1,677,302 | 7,409.1 |
| Oita | 大分県 | Oita | Kyushu & Okinawa | 1,076,353 | 6,339.9 |
| Miyazaki | 宮崎県 | Miyazaki | Kyushu & Okinawa | 1,017,628 | 7,734.1 |
| Kagoshima | 鹿児島県 | Kagoshima | Kyushu & Okinawa | 1,511,783 | 9,185.9 |
| Okinawa | 沖縄県 | Naha | Kyushu & Okinawa | 1,466,548 | 2,282.2 |
Prefecture areas are GSI figures of 1 July 2026. For 21 prefectures they are reference values because some boundaries are still undetermined, so the last digits can change. Tokyo is the most populous prefecture (14,236,627), ahead of Kanagawa (9,193,922), Osaka (8,759,312) and Aichi (7,448,043). Tottori has the fewest people (523,073).
Where visitors go
Foreign visitors spent 179,922,120 nights in Japanese accommodation in 2025. Tokyo took 60,115,730 of them (33.4%), Osaka 24,517,740 and Kyoto 18,291,230. Those three prefectures account for 57.2% of all foreign guest-nights. Hokkaido (13,302,640), Okinawa (9,211,700) and Fukuoka (8,421,130) follow. Switch View by to visitor nights to see the full spread.
Three guides help with planning: reasons to visit Japan, historical places in Japan and airports in Japan. Before you go, read the safest cities in Japan and learn a few lines from basic Japanese phrases for travel. If you like this kind of map, we built the same one for Italy: regions of Italy.
Frequently asked questions
How many prefectures does Japan have?
Japan has 47 prefectures: 1 metropolis (Tokyo), 1 circuit (Hokkaido), 2 urban prefectures (Osaka and Kyoto) and 43 ordinary prefectures (ken).
How many regions does Japan have?
Japan has 8 regions: Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu, Kansai, Chugoku, Shikoku and Kyushu-Okinawa. The regions are geographic groupings and have no government. Some sources split Okinawa from Kyushu and count 9.
What is the largest and smallest prefecture of Japan?
By area, Hokkaido is the largest at 83,422.2 km², followed by Iwate (15,273.8 km²). Kagawa is the smallest at 1,876.5 km², then Osaka (1,905.3 km²). By population, Tokyo has the most (14,236,627) and Tottori the fewest (523,073).
What is the capital of Japan, and of Tokyo?
Tokyo is the capital of Japan. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government sits in Shinjuku ward, which is the prefecture's capital in the same way that Sapporo is Hokkaido's.
Does Japan have states?
No. Japan is a unitary state with 47 prefectures. Prefectures have elected governors and assemblies but no sovereign powers of their own, so they are not states in the US or Australian sense.
What is the difference between a region and a prefecture?
A prefecture is an administrative unit with an elected governor and assembly. A region is a group of prefectures with no government, used for geography, weather and statistics. Japan has 8 regions and 47 prefectures.
What are the four main islands of Japan?
Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku. Honshu is the largest and holds 34 of the 47 prefectures. Hokkaido has 1, Shikoku 4 and Kyushu 7. Okinawa, in the Ryukyu chain, is the 47th.
Which prefectures have the most foreign visitors?
Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, in that order. In 2025 they recorded 60.1 million, 24.5 million and 18.3 million foreign guest-nights, 57.2% of the national total. Hokkaido is fourth.
How many cities, towns and villages does Japan have?
Japan has 1,718 municipalities: 792 cities (20 of them designated cities), 743 towns and 183 villages. Tokyo also has 23 special wards.
Sources and methodology
- Population and municipalities: Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2025 Population Census, basic complete tabulation, final counts published 29 September 2026. Population change compares 2025 with 2020 re-based to 2025 boundaries.
- Area: Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, National Prefecture and Municipality Area Survey, 1 July 2026. Hokkaido includes the Northern Territories. 21 prefectures carry reference values because of undetermined boundaries.
- Codes and designated cities: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, codes for prefectures and municipalities.
- Foreign visitor nights: Japan Tourism Agency, Accommodation Travel Statistics Survey, calendar 2025 final figures.
- World Heritage: UNESCO World Heritage List, 27 properties in Japan after the July 2026 session, which added the Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara. A property that spans several prefectures counts once in the national total and once in each prefecture it touches.
- Population aged 65 and over: 2025 Population Census, table 2-3.
- Regional classifications: the 8-region split follows common usage. Mie is placed in Kansai and Okinawa with Kyushu.
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