City designated by government ordinance facts for kids
A {{Nihongo|'city designated by government ordinance, also known as a designated city'government ordinance city, 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
Contents
Overview
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 prefecture 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.
List of designated cities
Cities designated by government ordinance have been established since 1956.
| Name | Japanese | Population (2010) | Date of designation | Region | Prefecture | No. of wards | Divisions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiba | 千葉市 | 962,130 | 1992-04-01 | Kantō | Chiba | 6 | List |
| Fukuoka | 福岡市 | 1,483,052 | 1972-04-01 | Kyushu | Fukuoka | 7 | List |
| Hamamatsu | 浜松市 | 800,912 | 2007-04-01 | Chūbu | Shizuoka | 7 | List |
| Hiroshima | 広島市 | 1,174,209 | 1980-04-01 | Chūgoku | Hiroshima | 8 | List |
| Kawasaki | 川崎市 | 1,425,678 | 1972-04-01 | Kantō | Kanagawa | 7 | List |
| Kitakyushu | 北九州市 | 977,288 | 1963-04-01 | Kyushu | Fukuoka | 7 | List |
| Kobe | 神戸市 | 1,544,873 | 1956-09-01 | Kansai | Hyōgo | 9 | List |
| Kumamoto | 熊本市 | 731,286 | 2012-04-01 | Kyushu | Kumamoto | 5 | List |
| Kyoto | 京都市 | 1,474,473 | 1956-09-01 | Kansai | Kyoto | 11 | List |
| Nagoya | 名古屋市 | 2,263,907 | 1956-09-01 | Chūbu | Aichi | 16 | List |
| Niigata | 新潟市 | 812,192 | 2007-04-01 | Chūbu | Niigata | 8 | List |
| Okayama | 岡山市 | 709,622 | 2009-04-01 | Chūgoku | Okayama | 4 | List |
| Osaka | 大阪市 | 2,666,371 | 1956-09-01 | Kansai | Osaka | 24 | List |
| Sagamihara | 相模原市 | 717,561 | 2010-04-01 | Kantō | Kanagawa | 3 | List |
| Saitama | さいたま市 | 1,222,910 | 2003-04-01 | Kantō | Saitama | 10 | List |
| Sakai | 堺市 | 842,134 | 2006-04-01 | Kansai | Osaka | 7 | List |
| Sapporo | 札幌市 | 1,914,434 | 1972-04-01 | Hokkaido | Hokkaido | 10 | List |
| Sendai | 仙台市 | 1,045,903 | 1989-04-01 | Tōhoku | Miyagi | 5 | List |
| Shizuoka | 静岡市 | 716,328 | 2005-04-01 | Chūbu | Shizuoka | 3 | List |
| Yokohama | 横浜市 | 3,689,603 | 1956-09-01 | Kantō | Kanagawa | 18 | List |
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.
During the ensuing Japanese economic growth period, the government required designated cities to be forecast to reach a population of 1 million within the near future, but the requirement was dropped in 2005.
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. The municipal system enacted in 1889 replaced ward assemblies with city assemblies.
Related pages
Images for kids
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See also
In Spanish: Ciudades japonesas designadas por decreto gubernamental para niños
