List of Japanese cities by population

The following is a list of cities in Japan by population. The following table indicates all cities in Japan that have a population greater than 200,000 as of the 2010 Japan Census.^[1][2] Prefectural capitals are indicated in bold. Japan has many major cities. Many of these cities are crowded into a relatively small area of land along the Pacific coast of Honshu, between Tokyo and Fukuoka. This heavily urbanized strip is known as the Taiheiyō Belt or the Tōkaidō corridor. The latter name refers to the historic highway that connected the cities of Tokyo and Kyoto, which has now been replaced by expressways and the high-speed Shinkansen railway line ("Bullet Train").

List

Abbreviations:

2015 Pop.: Legal Population, as of October 1, 2015.

2005 Pop.: Legal Population, as of October 1, 2005.

Prefectural capitals are in bold.

Rank	Prefecture	City	2010 Pop.[3]	2005 Pop.[4]	Growth in %	Area (sq mi)	Density per mi²	Status
-	Tokyo	Tokyo	8,949,447	8,489,653	5.42	240.1	37,274	Group of special wards.
1	Kanagawa	Yokohama	3,689,603	3,579,628	3.07	168.9	21,845	Government ordinance city
2	Osaka	Osaka	2,666,371	2,628,811	1.43	85.8	31,077	Government ordinance city
3	Aichi	Nagoya	2,263,907	2,215,062	2.21	126.0	17,968	Government ordinance city
4	Hokkaido	Sapporo	1,914,434	1,880,863	1.78	432.9	4,422	Government ordinance city
5	Hyōgo	Kōbe	1,544,873	1,525,393	1.78	213.4	7,239	Government ordinance city
6	Kyoto	Kyoto	1,474,473	1,474,811	-0.02	319.7	4,612	Government ordinance city
7	Fukuoka	Fukuoka	1,463,826	1,401,279	4.46	131.3	11,149	Government ordinance city
8	Kanagawa	Kawasaki	1,425,678	1,327,011	7.44	55.7	25,596	Government ordinance city
9	Saitama	Saitama	1,222,910	1,176,314	3.96	84.0	14,558	Government ordinance city
10	Hiroshima	Hiroshima	1,174,209	1,154,391	1.72	349.4	3,361	Government ordinance city
11	Miyagi	Sendai	1,045,903	1,025,126	2.03	305.2	3,427	Government ordinance city
12	Fukuoka	Kitakyushu	977,288	993,525	-1.63	188.0	5,198	Government ordinance city
13	Chiba	Chiba	962,130	924,319	4.09	105.1	9,154	Government ordinance city
14	Osaka	Sakai	842,134	830,966	1.34	57.9	14,545	Government ordinance city
15	Niigata	Niigata	812,192	813,847	-0.20	280.3	2,898	Government ordinance city
16	Shizuoka	Hamamatsu	800,912	804,032	-0.39	583.5	1,373	Government ordinance city
17	Kumamoto	Kumamoto	734,294	727,978	0.87	150.4	4,882	Government ordinance city
18	Kanagawa	Sagamihara	717,561	701,620	2.27	127.0	5,650	Government ordinance city
19	Shizuoka	Shizuoka	716,328	723,323	-0.97	545.1	1,314	Government ordinance city
20	Okayama	Okayama	709,622	696,172	1.93	305.0	2,327	Government ordinance city
21	Chiba	Funabashi	609,081	569,835	6.89	33.1	18,401	Core city
22	Kagoshima	Kagoshima	605,940	604,367	0.26	211.2	2,689	Core city
23	Tokyo	Hachiōji	579,799	560,012	3.53	71.9	8,064	Core city
24	Hyōgo	Himeji	536,338	536,232	0.02	206.3	2,600	Core city
25	Ehime	Matsuyama	517,088	514,937	0.42	165.6	3,123	Core city
26	Tochigi	Utsunomiya	511,296	502,396	1.77	160.9	3,178	Core city
27	Osaka	Higashiōsaka	509,632	513,821	-0.82	23.9	21,324	Core city
28	Saitama	Kawaguchi	500,311	480,079	4.21	21.5	23,270	Special city
29	Chiba	Matsudo	484,639	472,579	2.55	23.7	20,449
30	Hyōgo	Nishinomiya	482,790	465,337	3.75	38.6	12,508	Core city
31	Okayama	Kurashiki	475,421	469,377	1.29	137.0	3,470	Core city
32	Chiba	Ichikawa	474,926	466,608	1.78	22.2	21,393
33	Ōita	Ōita	473,955	462,317	2.52	193.5	2,449	Core city
34	Ishikawa	Kanazawa	462,478	454,607	1.73	180.6	2,561	Core city
35	Hiroshima	Fukuyama	461,471	459,087	0.52	200.0	2,307	Core city
36	Hyōgo	Amagasaki	453,608	462,647	-1.95	19.2	23,625	Core city
37	Nagasaki	Nagasaki	443,469	455,206	-2.58	156.9	2,826	Core city
38	Tokyo	Machida	426,827	404,544	5.25	27.7	15,409
39	Toyama	Toyama	421,890	421,239	0.15	479.5	880	Core city
40	Aichi	Toyota	421,552	412,141	2.28	354.6	1,189	Core city
41	Kagawa	Takamatsu	419,291	418,125	0.28	144.8	2,896	Core city
42	Kanagawa	Yokosuka	418,448	426,178	-1.81	38.9	10,757	Core city
43	Gifu	Gifu	413,239	413,357	-0.03	78.3	5,278	Core city
44	Kanagawa	Fujisawa	409,734	396,014	3.46	26.8	15,289
45	Osaka	Hirakata	407,997	404,044	0.98	25.1	16,255	Special city
46	Chiba	Kashiwa	404,079	380,963	6.07	44.09	9,164	Core City
47	Miyazaki	Miyazaki	400,352	395,593	1.20	110.8	3,613	Core city
48	Osaka	Toyonaka	389,359	386,623	0.71	14.0	27,811	Special city
49	Nagano	Nagano	381,533	386,572	-1.30	184.9	2,063	Core city
50	Aichi	Toyohashi	376,861	372,479	1.18	100.9	3,735	Core city
51	Aichi	Ichinomiya	375,621	371,687	1.06	44.0	8,537	Special city
52	Aichi	Okazaki	372,472	363,807	2.38	87.6	4,252	Core city
53	Gunma	Takasaki	371,352	364,919	1.76	177.4	2,093	Special city
54	Wakayama	Wakayama	369,400	375,591	-1.65	81.2	4,549	Core city
55	Nara	Nara	366,528	370,102	-0.97	106.9	3,429	Core city
56	Osaka	Takatsuki	357,423	351,826	1.59	40.7	8,782	Core city
57	Osaka	Suita	355,567	353,885	0.48	13.9	25,580	Special city
58	Hokkaidō	Asahikawa	347,275	355,004	-2.18	288.6	1,203	Core city
59	Kōchi	Kōchi	343,416	348,990	-1.60	119.4	2,876	Core city
60	Saitama	Kawagoe	342,714	333,795	2.67	42.1	8,140	Core city
61	Fukushima	Iwaki	342,198	354,492	-3.47	475.4	720	Core city
62	Saitama	Tokorozawa	341,900	336,100	1.73	27.8	12,299	Special city
63	Gunma	Maebashi	340,390	340,904	-0.15	120.3	2,830	Core city
64	Fukushima	Kōriyama	338,772	338,834	-0.02	292.3	1,159	Core city
65	Shiga	Ōtsu	337,629	323,719	4.30	144.4	2,338	Core city
66	Saitama	Koshigaya	326,423	315,792	3.37	23.3	14,010	Special city
67	Akita	Akita	323,363	333,109	-2.93	349.7	925	Core city
68	Okinawa	Naha	315,765	312,393	1.08	15.1	20,912
69	Mie	Yokkaichi	307,807	303,845	1.30	79.4	3,877	Special city
70	Aichi	Kasugai	305,662	295,802	3.33	35.8	8,538	Special city
71	Fukuoka	Kurume	302,323	306,434	-1.34	88.7	3,408	Special city
72	Aomori	Aomori	299,429	311,386	-3.84	318.3	941	Core city
73	Iwate	Morioka	298,572	300,746	-0.72	342.3	872	Core city
74	Fukushima	Fukushima	292,280	297,357	-1.71	288.2	1,014
75	Hyōgo	Akashi	290,993	291,027	-0.01	19.0	15,315	Special city
76	Mie	Tsu	285,728	288,538	-0.97	274.4	1,041
77	Niigata	Nagaoka	282,719	288,457	-1.99	344.0	822	Special city
78	Yamaguchi	Shimonoseki	280,987	290,693	-3.34	276.5	1,016	Core city
79	Chiba	Ichihara	279,601	280,255	-0.23	142.2	1,966
80	Hokkaidō	Hakodate	279,110	294,264	-5.15	261.7	1,067	Core city
81	Osaka	Ibaraki	274,832	267,961	2.56	29.5	9,316	Special city
82	Ibaraki	Mito	268,818	262,603	2.37	84.0	3,200	Special city
83	Osaka	Yao	268,652	273,487	-1.77	16.1	16,686	Special city
84	Hyōgo	Kakogawa	266,869	267,100	-0.08	53.5	4,989	Special city
85	Fukui	Fukui	266,831	269,144	-0.86	207.0	1,289	Special city
86	Tokushima	Tokushima	264,764	267,833	-1.15	73.8	3,588
87	Nagasaki	Sasebo	261,146	269,574	-3.13	140.5	1,859	Special city
88	Kanagawa	Hiratsuka	260,776	258,958	0.70	26.2	9,953	Special city
89	Tokyo	Fuchū	255,453	245,623	4.00	11.3	22,606
90	Yamagata	Yamagata	254,084	256,012	-0.75	147.2	1,726	Special city
91	Shizuoka	Fuji	254,049	253,297	0.30	94.6	2,686	Special city
92	Saitama	Sōka	244,062	236,316	3.28	10.6	23,025	Special city
93	Nagano	Matsumoto	243,070	242,541	0.22	355.0	685	Special city
94	Hiroshima	Kure	239,553	251,003	-4.56	136.6	1,754	Special city
95	Osaka	Neyagawa	238,244	241,816	-1.48	9.5	25,078	Special city
96	Saga	Saga	237,501	241,361	-1.60	166.6	1,426
97	Aomori	Hachinohe	237,473	244,700	-2.95	117.8	2,016	Special city
98	Saitama	Kasukabe	237,178	238,506	-0.56	25.5	9,301	Special city
99	Kanagawa	Chigasaki	235,140	228,420	2.94	13.8	17,039	Special city
100	Kanagawa	Yamato	228,180	221,220	3.15	10.4	21,940	Special city
101	Hyōgo	Takarazuka	225,587	219,862	2.60	39.3	5,740	Special city
102	Kanagawa	Atsugi	224,426	222,403	0.91	36.2	6,200	Special city
103	Saitama	Ageo	223,882	220,232	1.66	17.6	12,721
104	Tokyo	Chōfu	223,609	216,119	3.47	8.3	26,941
105	Gunma	Ōta	216,444	213,160	1.54	67.8	3,192	Special city
106	Ibaraki	Tsukuba	214,660	200,528	7.05	109.7	1,957	Special city
107	Gunma	Isesaki	207,199	202,447	2.35	53.8	3,851	Special city
108	Niigata	Jōetsu	203,869	208,082	-2.02	375.8	542	Special city
109	Saitama	Kumagaya	203,192	204,675	-0.72	61.7	3,293	Special city
110	Shizuoka	Numazu	202,283	208,005	-2.75	72.2	2,802	Special city

List as of 1889

This is the list of Japanese municipalities by population, as of December 31, 1889. The list includes all the cities, as well as other municipalities with more population than Kurume, the least populous city at the time.

Source: Japanese Wikipedia article of 市制 (City system), retrieved on July 4, 2008.

• Japanese national population is as of December 31, 1888.^[5]
• Municipal statuses, names, and populations are as of December 31, 1889.
• Prefectural capital statuses are as of 2008.

	Prefecture	Municipality	Pop.	Status	Pref. capital
	Japan		39,626,600
1	Tokyo	Tokyo	1,389,684	City	Yes
2	Osaka	Osaka	476,271	City	Yes
3	Kyoto	Kyoto	279,792	City	Yes
4	Aichi	Nagoya	162,767	City	Yes
5	Hyōgo	Kobe	135,639	City	Yes
6	Kanagawa	Yokohama	121,985	City	Yes
7	Ishikawa	Kanazawa	94,257	City	Yes
8	Miyagi	Sendai	90,231	City	Yes
9	Hiroshima	Hiroshima	88,820	City	Yes
10	Tokushima	Tokushima	61,107	City	Yes
11	Toyama	Toyama	58,159	City	Yes
12	Kagoshima	Kagoshima	57,465	City	Yes
13	Wakayama	Wakayama	56,713	City	Yes
14	Nagasaki	Nagasaki	55,063	City	Yes
15	Fukuoka	Fukuoka	53,014	City	Yes
16	Hokkaido	Hakodate	52,909	Ward	No
17	Kumamoto	Kumamoto	52,833	City	Yes
18	Okayama	Okayama	48,333	City	Yes
19	Osaka	Sakai	48,165	City	Yes
20	Niigata	Niigata	46,353	City	Yes
21	Fukui	Fukui	40,849	City	Yes
	Okinawa	Naha	40,212	Unofficial area	Yes
22	Shizuoka	Shizuoka	37,664	City	Yes
23	Shimane	Matsue	35,934	City	Yes
24	Ehime	Matsuyama	32,738	City	Yes
25	Kōchi	Kōchi	32,241	City	Yes
	Kagawa	Takamatsu	32,081	Unofficial area	Yes
26	Iwate	Morioka	31,153	City	Yes
27	Yamanashi	Kōfu	31,135	City	Yes
28	Tochigi	Utsunomiya	30,698	Town	Yes
29	Aomori	Hirosaki	30,487	City	No
30	Shiga	Ōtsu	29,941	Town	Yes
31	Yamaguchi	Akamaseki	29,919	City	No
32	Yamagata	Yonezawa	29,591	City	No
33	Akita	Akita	29,568	City	Yes
34	Nagano	Matsumoto	29,319	Town	No
35	Yamagata	Yamagata	29,019	City	Yes
36	Nagano	Nagano	28,980	Town	Yes
37	Toyama	Takaoka	28,928	City	No
38	Tottori	Tottori	28,396	City	Yes
39	Mie	Tsu	28,156	City	Yes
40	Gunma	Maebashi	28,115	Town	Yes
41	Mie	Ujiyamada	27,365	Town	No
42	Gifu	Gifu	27,089	City	Yes
43	Hyōgo	Himeji	27,055	City	No
44	Saga	Saga	26,401	City	Yes
	Okinawa	Shuri	26,205	Unofficial area	Yes
45	Osaka	Nanba	25,617	Village	Yes
46	Ibaraki	Mito	25,591	City	Yes
47	Fukuoka	Kurume	24,859	City	No

• These municipalities changed their names:
  • Akamaseki, now a part of Shimonoseki.
  • Ujiyamada, now a part of Ise.
  • Shuri, now a part of Naha.
  • Nanba, now a part of Chūō Ward, Osaka.
• Naha, Takamatsu, and Shuri were unofficial place names given to the groups of smaller towns or villages.

See also

• List of metropolitan areas in Japan by population
• Urban Employment Area
• World's largest cities
• List of metropolitan areas by population

References

1. "Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications". Retrieved 8 August 2011.
2. "Statistics Bureau". Retrieved 8 August 2011.
3. "Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications". Retrieved 8 August 2011.
4. "Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications". Retrieved 8 August 2011.
5. http://www.stat.go.jp/data/chouki/zuhyou/02-04.xls