Prefectures and municipalities
All 1,741 municipalities and the 6 villages of the Northern Territories, with population and places to visit from official sources. · Prefectures
National rankingsFamous mountains and castlesNational parks
Hokkaido & Tohoku
The northern lands that make up about 40% of Japan's land area. A rich source of rice, fruit and seafood, shaped by snow, mountains and the sea.
Kanto
The Tokyo metropolitan area, home to about one third of Japan's population. It is one of the largest urban areas in the world, supported by nearby farming and industrial zones.
Chubu
With the Japan Alps as its backbone, the region lines up Hokuriku on the Sea of Japan side, Koshin inland and Tokai on the Pacific side. A region of manufacturing and mountains.
Kansai (Kinki)
The source of Japanese culture, where the capital stood for more than a thousand years. The history of ancient capitals and the energy of Osaka, the merchant city, exist side by side.
Chugoku
The Chugoku Mountains divide the region into San'in, the land of myths on the Sea of Japan side, and San'yo, the sunny land on the other side. The calm sea of the Seto Inland Sea, with its chain of islands, is another attraction.
Shikoku
Four prefectures linked by the pilgrimage route of the 88 temples. This one island has both the calm of the Seto Inland Sea and the roughness of the Pacific Ocean.
Kyushu & Okinawa
Japan's western gateway, which prospered as a window for exchange with the Asian continent. Kyushu is a land of volcanoes and hot springs, and Okinawa is a chain of subtropical islands.