Core cities of Japan

A core city (中核市) is a class or category of Japanese cities. It is a local administrative division created by the national government. +more 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. 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.

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

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History

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

List of core cities

As of 1 April 2021, 62 cities have been designated core cities:

Name	Area (km2)	Population (2012)	Date of designation	Region	Prefecture
Akashi	49. 22	290,927	2018-04-01	Kansai	Hyōgo
Akita	906. +more07	322,224	1997-04-01	Tōhoku	Akita
Amagasaki	49. 77	451,353	2009-04-01	Kansai	Hyōgo
Aomori	824. 61	297,348	2006-10-01	Tōhoku	Aomori
Asahikawa	747. 6	351,765	2000-04-01	Hokkaidō	Hokkaidō
Fukui	536. 41	266,612	2019-04-01	Chūbu	Fukui
Fukushima	767. 72	289,355	2018-04-01	Tōhoku	Fukushima
Fukuyama	518. 14	462,144	1998-04-01	Chūgoku	Hiroshima
Funabashi	85. 62	610,492	2003-04-01	Kantō	Chiba
Gifu	203. 60	412,718	1996-04-01	Chūbu	Gifu
Hachinohe	305. 56	241,613	2017-01-01	Tōhoku	Aomori
Hachiōji	186. 38	579,799	2015-04-01	Kantō	Tokyo
Hakodate	677. 89	279,056	2005-10-01	Hokkaidō	Hokkaidō
Higashiōsaka	61. 78	508,267	2005-04-01	Kansai	Osaka
Himeji	534. 43	536,218	1996-04-01	Kansai	Hyōgo
Hirakata	65. 08	407,997	2014-04-01	Kansai	Osaka
Ichinomiya	113. 82	379,654	2021-04-01	Chūbu	Aichi
Iwaki	1,232. 02	332,994	1999-04-01	Tōhoku	Fukushima
Kagoshima	547. 58	607,257	1996-04-01	Kyushu	Kagoshima
Kashiwa	114. 74	404,863	2008-04-01	Kantō	Chiba
Kanazawa	468. 64	462,796	1996-04-01	Chūbu	Ishikawa
Kawagoe	109. 13	345,361	2003-04-01	Kantō	Saitama
Kawaguchi	61. 95	561,788	2018-04-01	Kantō	Saitama
Kōchi	309. 22	342,568	1998-04-01	Shikoku	Kōchi
Kōfu	212. 47	197,318	2019-04-01	Chūbu	Yamanashi
Kōriyama	757. 20	331,140	1997-04-01	Tōhoku	Fukushima
Koshigaya	60. 24	328,079	2015-04-01	Kantō	Saitama
Kurashiki	355. 63	477,086	2002-04-01	Chūgoku	Okayama
Kure	352. 80	236,595	2016-04-01	Chūgoku	Hiroshima
Kurume	229. 96	301,821	2008-04-01	Kyushu	Fukuoka
Maebashi	311. 59	338,481	2009-04-01	Kantō	Gunma
Matsue	572. 99	208,160	2018-04-01	Chūgoku	Shimane
Matsumoto	978. 47	239,466	2021-04-01	Chūbu	Nagano
Matsuyama	429. 40	516,823	2000-04-01	Shikoku	Ehime
Mito	217. 32	269,162	2020-04-01	Kantō	Ibaraki
Miyazaki	643. 67	402,289	1998-04-01	Kyushu	Miyazaki
Morioka	886. 47	299,734	2008-04-01	Tōhoku	Iwate
Naha	39. 98	321,695	2013-04-01	Kyushu	Okinawa
Nagano	834. 81	380,581	1999-04-01	Chūbu	Nagano
Nagasaki	240. 71	440,911	1997-04-01	Kyushu	Nagasaki
Nara	276. 84	365,421	2002-04-01	Kansai	Nara
Neyagawa	24. 73	238,819	2019-04-01	Kansai	Osaka
Nishinomiya	99. 96	483,878	2008-04-01	Kansai	Hyōgo
Ōita	502. 38	476,008	1997-04-01	Kyushu	Ōita
Okazaki	387. 20	374,085	2003-04-01	Chūbu	Aichi
Ōtsu	464. 51	339,469	2009-04-01	Kansai	Shiga
Sasebo	426. 06	259,676	2016-04-01	Kyushu	Nagasaki
Shimonoseki	716. 14	277,937	2005-10-01	Chūgoku	Yamaguchi
Suita	36. 11	357,917	2020-04-01	Kansai	Osaka
Takamatsu	375. 41	420,356	1999-04-01	Shikoku	Kagawa
Takasaki	459. 16	371,820	2011-04-01	Kantō	Gunma
Takatsuki	105. 31	355,840	2003-04-01	Kansai	Osaka
Tottori	765. 31	196,538	2018-04-01	Chūgoku	Tottori
Toyama	1,241. 77	421,393	2005-04-01	Chūbu	Toyama
Toyohashi	261. 86	375,804	1999-04-01	Chūbu	Aichi
Toyonaka	36. 38	390,457	2012-04-01	Kansai	Osaka
Toyota	918. 32	420,680	1998-04-01	Chūbu	Aichi
Utsunomiya	416. 85	513,722	1996-04-01	Kantō	Tochigi
Wakayama	210. 25	368,684	1997-04-01	Kansai	Wakayama
Yamagata	381. 58	254,519	2019-04-01	Tōhoku	Yamagata
Yao	41. 71	270,735	2018-04-01	Kansai	Osaka
Yokosuka	100. 7	415,259	2001-04-01	Kantō	Kanagawa

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Important

Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan

Former core cities

Name	Area (km2)	Population	Date of designation	Date of reclassification	Region	Prefecture
Hamamatsu	1,558. 06	795,350	1996-04-01	2007-04-01 (Designated city)	Chūbu	Shizuoka
Kumamoto	390. +more32	737,812	1996-04-01	2012-04-01 (Designated city)	Kyushu	Kumamoto
Niigata	726. 45	807,450	1996-04-01	2007-04-01 (Designated city)	Chūbu	Niigata
Okayama	789. 95	720,841	1996-04-01	2009-04-01 (Designated city)	Chūgoku	Okayama
Sagamihara	328. 91	720,986	2003-04-01	2010-04-01 (Designated city)	Kantō	Kanagawa
Sakai	149. 82	833,544	1996-04-01	2006-04-01 (Designated city)	Kansai	Osaka
Shizuoka	1,411. 90	697,578	1996-04-01	2005-04-01 (Designated city)	Chūbu	Shizuoka

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Scheduled to become a core city

Name	Area (km2)	Population (2012)	Scheduled date	Region	Prefecture
Chigasaki	35. 71	236,222	2020-04-01	Kantō	Kanagawa
Fuji	244. +more95	253,455	TBD	Chūbu	Shizuoka
Kishiwada	72. 68	198,615	2020-04-01	Kansai	Osaka
Odawara	113. 79	197,413	2020-04-01	Kantō	Kanagawa
Tsukuba	283. 72	216,221	TBD	Kantō	Ibaraki
Tokorozawa	72. 11	342,321	TBD	Kantō	Saitama
Yokkaichi	206. 44	307,599	2020 (aiming)	Kansai	Mie

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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. +more)

Name	Area (km2)	Population	Region	Prefecture
Ageo	45. 51	229,517	Kantō	Saitama
Chōfu	21. 58	240,668	Kantō	Tokyo
Fuchū	29. 43	260,891	Kantō	Tokyo
Fujisawa	69. 57	420,254	Kantō	Kanagawa
Ichihara	368. 17	274,117	Kantō	Chiba
Ichikawa	56. 39	491,804	Kantō	Chiba
Machida	71. 80	429,040	Kantō	Tokyo
Matsudo	61. 38	498,575	Kantō	Chiba
Tokushima	191	258,554	Shikoku	Tokushima
Tsu	711. 11	279,304	Kansai	Mie

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