Category: Hokkaido

What Prefecture In Japan Is It? Mini Test

47 Prefectures

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①

Japan has 47 prefectures (都道府県, todōfuken, [todoːɸɯ̥ꜜkeɴ]), which rank immediately below the national government and from the country's first level of jurisdiction and administrative division. They include 43 prefectures proper (県, ken), two urban prefectures (府, fu: Osaka and Kyoto), one "circuit" or "territory" (道, dō: Hokkai-dō) and one metropolis (都, to: Tokyo).

②

In 1868, the Meiji Fuhanken sanchisei administration created the first prefectures (urban fu and rural ken). They were to replace the urban and rural administrators (bugyō, daikan, etc.) in the parts of the country. Shogunate and a few territories of rebels/shogunate loyalists who had not submitted to the new government such as Aizu/Wakamatsu previously controlled them directly. Then in 1871, all remaining feudal domains (han) became prefectures, so that prefectures subdivided the whole country. In several waves of territorial consolidation, we ended up with today's 47. And in many instances, these are contiguous with the ancient ritsuryō provinces of Japan.

③

Voters directly elect each prefecture’s chief executive, called the governor