Core cities of Japan

A core city (中核市, Chūkakushi) is a class or category of Japanese cities. It is a local administrative division created by the national government.[1] Core cities are delegated many functions normally carried out by prefectural governments, but not as many as designated cities. To become a candidate for core city status, a city must have a population greater than 300,000 and an area greater than 100 square kilometers, although special exceptions may be made by order of the cabinet for cities with populations under 300,000 but over 200,000.[2] After the abolition of special city status on April 1, 2015, any city with a population above 200,000 may apply for core city status.[3]

(Circle click-able)
      ― Designated cities
      ― Core cities
      ― Special cities
Administrative divisions
of Japan
Prefectural
Prefectures
Sub-prefectural
Municipal
Sub-municipal

Application for designation is made by a city with the approval of both the city and prefectural assemblies.

History

The term "core city" was created by the first clause of Article 252, Section 22 of the Local Autonomy Law of Japan.[4]

List of core cities

As of 1 April 2020, 60 cities have been designated core cities:[3]

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

Former core cities
Name Japanese Flag Date of designation Date of reclassification Region Prefecture
Hamamatsu 浜松市 1996-04-01 2007-04-01 (Designated city) Chūbu Shizuoka
Kumamoto 熊本市 1996-04-01 2012-04-01 (Designated city) Kyushu Kumamoto
Niigata 新潟市 1996-04-01 2007-04-01 (Designated city) Chūbu Niigata
Okayama 岡山市 1996-04-01 2009-04-01 (Designated city) Chūgoku Okayama
Sagamihara 相模原市 2003-04-01 2010-04-01 (Designated city) Kantō Kanagawa
Sakai 堺市 1996-04-01 2006-04-01 (Designated city) Kansai Osaka
Shizuoka 静岡市 1996-04-01 2005-04-01 (Designated city) Chūbu Shizuoka

Scheduled to become a core city
Name Japanese Flag Population (2012) Scheduled date Region Prefecture
Chigasaki 茅ヶ崎市 236,222 2020-04-01 Kantō Kanagawa
Fuji 富士市 253,455 TBD Chūbu Shizuoka
Kishiwada 岸和田市 198,615 2020-04-01 Kansai Osaka
Matsumoto 松本市 243,431 2020-04-01 Chūbu Nagano
Odawara 小田原市 197,413 2020-04-01 Kantō Kanagawa
Ichinomiya 一宮市 378,996 2021 (aiming) Chūbu Aichi
Tsukuba つくば市 216,221 TBD Kantō Ibaraki
Tokorozawa 所沢市 342,321 TBD Kantō Saitama
Yokkaichi 四日市市 307,599 2020 (aiming) Kansai Mie

Cities that meet the requirements but have not yet been nominated

The following cities have populations greater than 200,000 but have not yet been nominated. (Cities planning to apply for core city status are not shown.)

See also

References
  1. Web-Japan.org, "Local self-government," p. 3; retrieved 2012-11-28.
  2. 日本財団図書館（電子図書館）　Ｒｅｖｉｓｅｄ Ｌｏｃａｌ Ａｕｔｏｎｏｍｙ Ｌａｗ. nippon.zaidan.info.
  3. 日本總務省 - 中核市・施行時特例市. soumo.go.jp (in Japanese).
  4. 日本財団図書館（電子図書館）　Ｒｅｖｉｓｅｄ Ｌｏｃａｌ Ａｕｔｏｎｏｍｙ Ｌａｗ. nippon.zaidan.info.
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