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Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan facts for kids

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A city designated by government ordinance (政令指定都市, seirei shitei toshi), also known as a designated city (指定都市, shitei toshi) or government ordinance city (政令市, seirei shi), is a Japanese city that has a population greater than 500,000 and has been designated as such by order of the Cabinet of Japan under Article 252, Section 19, of the Local Autonomy Law.

Designated cities are delegated many of the functions normally performed by prefectural governments in fields such as public education, social welfare, sanitation, business licensing, and urban planning. The city government is generally delegated the various minor administrative functions in each area, and the prefectural government retains authority over major decisions. For instance, pharmaceutical retailers and small clinics can be licensed by designated city governments, but pharmacies and hospitals are licensed by prefectural governments.

Designated cities are also required to subdivide themselves into wards (, ku) (broadly equivalent to the boroughs of London or the boroughs of New York City), each of which has a ward office conducting various administrative functions for the city government, such as koseki and juminhyo resident registration and tax collection. In some cities, ward offices are responsible for business licensing, construction permits, and other administrative matters. The structure and the authorities of the wards are determined by municipal ordinances.

The 23 special wards of Tokyo are not part of this system, as Tokyo is a prefecture, and its wards are effectively independent cities. Although the two largest wards of Tokyo, Setagaya and Nerima, are populous enough to become designated cities, they are not considered to be "cities" within the meaning of the Local Autonomy Law and so are not designated as such.

No city designated by government ordinance has ever lost that status.


List of designated cities

Cities designated by government ordinance have been established since 1956.

Name Japanese Skyline Flag Emblem Area (km2) Population Population density Date of designation Region Prefecture No. of wards Lists of wards Map
Chiba 千葉市 View from Chiba Prefectural Government Office Main Building, north side 001.jpg Flag of Chiba, Chiba.svg Emblem of Chiba, Chiba.svg 271.77 972,861 3,613 1992-04-01 Kantō Chiba 06 List Chiba in Chiba Prefecture Ja.svg
Fukuoka 福岡市 Fukuoka night view.jpg Flag of Fukuoka City.svg Emblem of Fukuoka, Fukuoka.svg 343.39 1,579,450 4,668 1972-04-01 Kyushu Fukuoka 07 List Fukuoka City in Fukuoka Prefecture Ja.svg
Hamamatsu 浜松市 Skyline of Hamamatsu01.jpg Flag of Hamamatsu, Shizuoka.svg Symbol of Hamamatsu Shizuoka chapter.svg 1,558.06 795,350 506 2007-04-01 Chūbu Shizuoka 07 List Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture Ja.svg
Hiroshima 広島市 Night views from Mount Kogane01.jpg Flag of Hiroshima, Hiroshima.svg Emblem of Hiroshima, Hiroshima.svg 906.68 1,194,524 1,321 1980-04-01 Chūgoku Hiroshima 08 List Hiroshima in Hiroshima Prefecture Ja.svg
Kawasaki 川崎市 Musashi-Kosugi20190504.jpg Flag of Kawasaki, Kanagawa.svg 神奈川県川崎市市章.svg 143.01 1,503,690 10,765 1972-04-01 Kantō Kanagawa 07 List Kawasaki in Kanagawa Prefecture Ja.svg
Kitakyushu 北九州市 KokuraSkylines02.jpg Flag of Kitakyushu, Fukuoka.svg Symbol of Kitakyushu, Fukuoka.svg 491.95 945,595 1,901 1963-04-01 Kyushu Fukuoka 07 List Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture Ja.svg
Kobe 神戸市 Kobe Meriken Park area at night 2016-06-14.jpg Flag of Kobe.svg Emblem of Kobe, Hyogo.svg 557.02 1,526,639 2,719 1956-09-01 Kansai Hyōgo 09 List Kobe in Hyogo Prefecture Ja.svg
Kumamoto 熊本市 Kumamoto Station west gate2021.jpg Flag of Kumamoto, Kumamoto.svg Emblem of Kumamoto, Kumamoto.svg 390.32 737,812 1,892 2012-04-01 Kyushu Kumamoto 05 List Kumamoto in Kumamoto Prefecture Ja.svg
Kyoto 京都市 Skyline of Kyoto at Night.jpg Flag of Kyoto City.svg Emblem of Kyoto, Kyoto.svg 827.83 1,468,980 1,758 1956-09-01 Kansai Kyoto 11 List Kyoto in Kyoto Prefecture Ja.svg
Nagoya 名古屋市 Nagoya Night View.jpg Flag of Nagoya, Aichi.svg Emblem of Nagoya, Aichi.svg 326.45 2,283,289 7,128 1956-09-01 Chūbu Aichi 16 List Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture Ja.svg
Niigata 新潟市 Niigata City 2022-01.jpg Flag of Niigata, Niigata.svg Emblem of Niigata, Niigata.svg 726.45 807,450 1,089 2007-04-01 Chūbu Niigata 08 List Niigata in Niigata Prefecture Ja.svg
Okayama 岡山市 Okayama Station west side - panoramio.jpg Flag of Okayama, Okayama.svg Emblem of Okayama, Okayama.svg 789.95 720,841 912 2009-04-01 Chūgoku Okayama 04 List Okayama in Okayama Prefecture Ja.svg
Osaka 大阪市 Osaka Umeda Sky Building Panoramablick 05.jpg Flag of Osaka, Osaka.svg Emblem of Osaka, Osaka.svg 225.21 2,727,255 12,226 1956-09-01 Kansai Osaka 24 List Osaka in Osaka Prefecture Ja.svg
Sagamihara 相模原市 SagamiharaCity202108.jpg Flag of Sagamihara, Kanagawa.svg 神奈川県相模原市市章.svg 328.91 720,986 2,198 2010-04-01 Kantō Kanagawa 03 List Sagamihara in Kanagawa Prefecture Ja.svg
Saitama さいたま市 SaitamaShintoshin night view.jpg Flag of Saitama, Saitama.svg Emblem of Saitama, Saitama.svg 217.43 1,226,656 6,072 2003-04-01 Kantō Saitama 10 List Saitama in Saitama Prefecture Ja.svg
Sakai 堺市 Old Sakai Port202002.jpg Flag of Sakai, Osaka.svg Emblem of Sakai, Osaka.svg 149.82 833,544 5,500 2006-04-01 Kansai Osaka 07 List Sakai in Osaka Prefecture Ja.svg
Sapporo 札幌市 SapporoCity Skylines2020.jpg Flag of Sapporo, Hokkaido.svg Symbol of Sapporo, Hokkaido.svg 1,121.26 1,955,115 1,750 1972-04-01 Hokkaido Hokkaido 10 List Location of Sapporo city Hokkaido Japan.svg
Sendai 仙台市 SendaiCity Skylines from Mukaiyama2018.jpg Flag of Sendai, Miyagi.svg Symbol of Sendai, Miyagi.svg 786.30 1,088,669 1,389 1989-04-01 Tōhoku Miyagi 05 List Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture Ja.svg
Shizuoka 静岡市 Higashi-Shizuoka Panorama 05.jpg Flag of Shizuoka, Shizuoka.svg Emblem of Shizuoka, Shizuoka.svg 1,411.90 697,578 486 2005-04-01 Chūbu Shizuoka 03 List Location of Shizuoka city Shizuoka prefecture Japan.svg
Yokohama 横浜市 Skyline ofe YokohamaCity2020.jpg Flag of Yokohama, Kanagawa.svg Emblem of Yokohama, Kanagawa.svg 437.56 3,732,616 8,588 1956-09-01 Kantō Kanagawa 18 List Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture Ja.svg

Designated city requirements

To become a candidate for designated city status, a city must have a population greater than 500,000. An application for designation is made by a city with the approval of both the city and the prefectural assemblies.

The following cities have populations greater than 500,000 but have not yet been nominated.

Name Japanese Flag Emblem Area (km2) Population (2012) Region Prefecture Map
Funabashi 船橋市 Flag of Funabashi, Chiba.svg Emblem of Funabashi, Chiba.svg 85.62 610,492 Kantō Chiba Funabashi in Chiba Prefecture Ja.svg
Hachiōji 八王子市 Flag of Hachioji, Tokyo.svg Emblem of Hachiōji, Tokyo.svg 186.38 579,799 Kantō Tokyo Hachioji in Tokyo Prefecture Ja.svg
Himeji 姫路市 Flag of Himeji, Hyogo.svg Symbol of Himeji, Hyogo.svg 534.43 536,218 Kansai Hyōgo Himeji in Hyogo Prefecture Ja.svg
Kagoshima 鹿児島市 Flag of Kagoshima, Kagoshima.svg Symbol of Kagoshima, Kagoshima.svg 547.58 607,257 Kyushu Kagoshima Location of Kagoshima city Kagoshima prefecture Japan.svg
Kawaguchi 川口市 Flag of Kawaguchi, Saitama.svg 埼玉県川口市市章.svg 61.95 561,788 Kantō Saitama Kawaguchi in Saitama Prefecture Ja.svg
Matsuyama 松山市 Flag of Matsuyama, Ehime.svg Emblem of Matsuyama, Ehime.svg 429.40 516,823 Shikoku Ehime Ehime-matsuyama-city.svg
Utsunomiya 宇都宮市 Flag of Utsunomiya, Tochigi.svg Emblem of Utsunomiya, Tochigi.svg 416.85 513,722 Kantō Tochigi Utsunomiya in Tochigi Prefecture Ja.svg

History

The first form of the designated city system was enacted under Japan local government system in 1878 with the introduction of "wards." Under that system, wards existed in every city. Most cities had only one ward, but the largest cities at the time (Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto) were divided into 15, four, and two wards, respectively.

The municipal system enacted in 1889 replaced ward assemblies with city assemblies but retained ward assemblies in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, which had no assembly of their own but were governed by the prefectural assembly. In 1898, the three cities were allowed to form city assemblies. The ward system was adopted by three more cities prior to World War II: Nagoya (1908), Yokohama (1927), and Kobe (1931). Under a 1911 statute, wards were granted a corporate personality and so treated as local entities.

Following the war, the 1947 Local Autonomy Law grandfathered in the five subdivided cities (Tokyo having become a prefecture in 1943) as special cities (特別市, tokubetsu shi). The system was replaced by the designated city system when the Local Autonomy Law was amended, in 1956.

During the ensuing Japanese economic growth period, the government required designated cities to be forecast to reach a population of one million within the near future, but the requirement was dropped in 2005 to accommodate several geographically large cities that were formed by mergers, under the government of Junichiro Koizumi.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Ciudades japonesas designadas por decreto gubernamental para niños

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