Core cities of Japan facts for kids

(Circle click-able)
■ ― Designated cities
■ ― Core cities
■ ― Special cities

A core city (called Chūkakushi in Japanese) is a special kind of city in Japan. It's a bit like a city that gets extra responsibilities from the national government.

Imagine a city that's big enough to handle many tasks usually done by the larger prefectural governments, but not quite as many as the very biggest cities, which are called designated cities.

To become a core city, a city usually needs to have more than 300,000 people and an area bigger than 100 square kilometers. Sometimes, if a city has between 200,000 and 300,000 people, it can still apply if the government makes a special exception. Since April 1, 2015, any city with over 200,000 people can apply to become a core city.

For a city to be chosen as a core city, both the city's local assembly and the prefectural assembly must agree to it.

History of Core Cities

The idea of a "core city" was first created in Japan's Local Autonomy Law. This law helps organize how local governments work in Japan.

List of Core Cities in Japan

As of April 1, 2021, there are 62 cities that have been named core cities in Japan. These cities play an important role in their regions.

Name	Japanese	Flag	Emblem	Area (km2)	Population (2012)	Date of designation	Region	Prefecture	Map
Akashi	明石市			49.22	290,927	2018-04-01	Kansai	Hyōgo
Akita	秋田市			906.07	322,224	1997-04-01	Tōhoku	Akita
Amagasaki	尼崎市			49.77	451,353	2009-04-01	Kansai	Hyōgo
Aomori	青森市			824.61	297,348	2006-10-01	Tōhoku	Aomori
Asahikawa	旭川市			747.6	351,765	2000-04-01	Hokkaidō
Fukui	福井市			536.41	266,612	2019-04-01	Chūbu	Fukui
Fukushima	福島市			767.72	289,355	2018-04-01	Tōhoku	Fukushima
Fukuyama	福山市			518.14	462,144	1998-04-01	Chūgoku	Hiroshima
Funabashi	船橋市			85.62	610,492	2003-04-01	Kantō	Chiba
Gifu	岐阜市			203.60	412,718	1996-04-01	Chūbu	Gifu
Hachinohe	八戸市			305.56	241,613	2017-01-01	Tōhoku	Aomori
Hachiōji	八王子市			186.38	579,799	2015-04-01	Kantō	Tokyo
Hakodate	函館市			677.89	279,056	2005-10-01	Hokkaidō
Higashiōsaka	東大阪市			61.78	508,267	2005-04-01	Kansai	Osaka
Himeji	姫路市			534.43	536,218	1996-04-01	Kansai	Hyōgo
Hirakata	枚方市			65.08	407,997	2014-04-01	Kansai	Osaka
Ichinomiya	一宮市			113.82	379,654	2021-04-01	Chūbu	Aichi
Iwaki	いわき市			1,232.02	332,994	1999-04-01	Tōhoku	Fukushima
Kagoshima	鹿児島市			547.58	607,257	1996-04-01	Kyushu	Kagoshima
Kashiwa	柏市			114.74	404,863	2008-04-01	Kantō	Chiba
Kanazawa	金沢市			468.64	462,796	1996-04-01	Chūbu	Ishikawa
Kawagoe	川越市			109.13	345,361	2003-04-01	Kantō	Saitama
Kawaguchi	川口市			61.95	561,788	2018-04-01	Kantō	Saitama
Kōchi	高知市			309.22	342,568	1998-04-01	Shikoku	Kōchi
Kōfu	甲府市			212.47	197,318	2019-04-01	Chūbu	Yamanashi
Kōriyama	郡山市			757.20	331,140	1997-04-01	Tōhoku	Fukushima
Koshigaya	越谷市			60.24	328,079	2015-04-01	Kantō	Saitama
Kurashiki	倉敷市			355.63	477,086	2002-04-01	Chūgoku	Okayama
Kure	呉市			352.80	236,595	2016-04-01	Chūgoku	Hiroshima
Kurume	久留米市			229.96	301,821	2008-04-01	Kyushu	Fukuoka
Maebashi	前橋市			311.59	338,481	2009-04-01	Kantō	Gunma
Matsue	松江市			572.99	208,160	2018-04-01	Chūgoku	Shimane
Matsumoto	松本市			978.47	239,466	2021-04-01	Chūbu	Nagano
Matsuyama	松山市			429.40	516,823	2000-04-01	Shikoku	Ehime
Mito	水戸市			217.32	269,162	2020-04-01	Kantō	Ibaraki
Miyazaki	宮崎市			643.67	402,289	1998-04-01	Kyushu	Miyazaki
Morioka	盛岡市			886.47	299,734	2008-04-01	Tōhoku	Iwate
Naha	那覇市			39.98	321,695	2013-04-01	Kyushu	Okinawa
Nagano	長野市			834.81	380,581	1999-04-01	Chūbu	Nagano
Nagasaki	長崎市			240.71	440,911	1997-04-01	Kyushu	Nagasaki
Nara	奈良市			276.84	365,421	2002-04-01	Kansai	Nara
Neyagawa	寝屋川市			24.73	238,819	2019-04-01	Kansai	Osaka
Nishinomiya	西宮市			99.96	483,878	2008-04-01	Kansai	Hyōgo
Ōita	大分市			502.38	476,008	1997-04-01	Kyushu	Ōita
Okazaki	岡崎市			387.20	374,085	2003-04-01	Chūbu	Aichi
Ōtsu	大津市			464.51	339,469	2009-04-01	Kansai	Shiga
Sasebo	佐世保市			426.06	259,676	2016-04-01	Kyushu	Nagasaki
Shimonoseki	下関市			716.14	277,937	2005-10-01	Chūgoku	Yamaguchi
Suita	吹田市			36.11	357,917	2020-04-01	Kansai	Osaka
Takamatsu	高松市			375.41	420,356	1999-04-01	Shikoku	Kagawa
Takasaki	高崎市			459.16	371,820	2011-04-01	Kantō	Gunma
Takatsuki	高槻市			105.31	355,840	2003-04-01	Kansai	Osaka
Tottori	鳥取市			765.31	196,538	2018-04-01	Chūgoku	Tottori
Toyama	富山市			1,241.77	421,393	2005-04-01	Chūbu	Toyama
Toyohashi	豊橋市			261.86	375,804	1999-04-01	Chūbu	Aichi
Toyonaka	豊中市			36.38	390,457	2012-04-01	Kansai	Osaka
Toyota	豊田市			918.32	420,680	1998-04-01	Chūbu	Aichi
Utsunomiya	宇都宮市			416.85	513,722	1996-04-01	Kantō	Tochigi
Wakayama	和歌山市			210.25	368,684	1997-04-01	Kansai	Wakayama
Yamagata	山形市			381.58	254,519	2019-04-01	Tōhoku	Yamagata
Yao	八尾市			41.71	270,735	2018-04-01	Kansai	Osaka
Yokosuka	横須賀市			100.7	415,259	2001-04-01	Kantō	Kanagawa

Former Core Cities

Some cities used to be core cities but have since become even bigger. They are now "designated cities," which have even more responsibilities.

Name	Japanese	Flag	Emblem	Area (km2)	Population	Date of designation	Date of reclassification	Region	Prefecture	Map
Hamamatsu	浜松市			1,558.06	795,350	1996-04-01	2007-04-01 (Designated city)	Chūbu	Shizuoka
Kumamoto	熊本市			390.32	737,812	1996-04-01	2012-04-01 (Designated city)	Kyushu	Kumamoto
Niigata	新潟市			726.45	807,450	1996-04-01	2007-04-01 (Designated city)	Chūbu	Niigata
Okayama	岡山市			789.95	720,841	1996-04-01	2009-04-01 (Designated city)	Chūgoku	Okayama
Sagamihara	相模原市			328.91	720,986	2003-04-01	2010-04-01 (Designated city)	Kantō	Kanagawa
Sakai	堺市			149.82	833,544	1996-04-01	2006-04-01 (Designated city)	Kansai	Osaka
Shizuoka	静岡市			1,411.90	697,578	1996-04-01	2005-04-01 (Designated city)	Chūbu	Shizuoka

Cities Planning to Become Core Cities

These cities are working towards becoming core cities in the future.

Name	Japanese	Flag	Emblem	Area (km2)	Population (2012)	Scheduled date	Region	Prefecture	Map
Chigasaki	茅ヶ崎市			35.71	236,222	2020-04-01	Kantō	Kanagawa
Fuji	富士市			244.95	253,455	TBD	Chūbu	Shizuoka
Kishiwada	岸和田市			72.68	198,615	2020-04-01	Kansai	Osaka
Odawara	小田原市			113.79	197,413	2020-04-01	Kantō	Kanagawa
Tsukuba	つくば市			283.72	216,221	TBD	Kantō	Ibaraki
Tokorozawa	所沢市			72.11	342,321	TBD	Kantō	Saitama
Yokkaichi	四日市市			206.44	307,599	2020 (aiming)	Kansai	Mie

Cities That Could Become Core Cities

These cities are big enough to be core cities but haven't applied yet.

Name	Japanese	Flag	Emblem	Area (km2)	Population	Region	Prefecture	Map
Ageo	上尾市			45.51	229,517	Kantō	Saitama
Chōfu	調布市			21.58	240,668	Kantō	Tokyo
Fuchū	府中市			29.43	260,891	Kantō	Tokyo
Fujisawa	藤沢市			69.57	420,254	Kantō	Kanagawa
Ichihara	市原市			368.17	274,117	Kantō	Chiba
Ichikawa	市川市			56.39	491,804	Kantō	Chiba
Machida	町田市			71.80	429,040	Kantō	Tokyo
Matsudo	松戸市			61.38	498,575	Kantō	Chiba
Nishitokyo	西東京市			15.75	206,047	Kantō	Tokyo
Tokushima	徳島市			191	258,554	Shikoku	Tokushima
Tsu	津市			711.11	279,304	Kansai	Mie

See also

In Spanish: Ciudad-núcleo de Japón para niños