Japan’s 47 prefectures, one photo guide each
Every prefecture of Japan by region: what it looks like, how to get there, what to eat, what things cost, and the Japanese you will actually say there. Tap a prefecture on the map or scroll the eight regions.
Hokkaido
1 prefectureTohoku
6 prefectures
02青森Aomori
Japan's apple country at the northern tip of Honshu, famous for the explosive Nebuta summer festival.
03岩手Iwate
A vast, rugged prefecture of temples, coastline, and cold-soba traditions.
04宮城Miyagi
Home to lively Sendai and one of Japan's 'three great views' at Matsushima Bay.
05秋田Akita
Deep snow, rice and sake country, and the fierce Namahage folk tradition.
06山形Yamagata
Mountain temples, cherries, and snow monsters on Mount Zaō.
07福島Fukushima
Samurai history, hot springs, and fruit orchards in a large, scenic prefecture.
Kanto
7 prefectures
08茨城Ibaraki
Seasonal flower parks, a giant Buddha, and natto just north of Tokyo.
09栃木Tochigi
Home to the ornate shrines and waterfalls of Nikkō.
10群馬Gunma
Famous hot-spring resorts and a UNESCO silk-mill heritage.
11埼玉Saitama
A little Edo at Kawagoe, plus bonsai and bustling suburbs.
12千葉Chiba
Tokyo's seaside neighbor — the airport gateway, beaches, and a famous temple.
13東京Tokyo
Neon, temples, and the world's best trains.
14神奈川Kanagawa
The Great Buddha of Kamakura, the port city of Yokohama, and Hakone's hot springs.
Chubu
9 prefectures
15新潟Niigata
Rice, sake, and snow on the Sea of Japan coast.
16富山Toyama
Towering snow walls in the Alps and glassy bays of firefly squid.
17石川Ishikawa
Kanazawa's gardens and gold leaf, plus the rugged Noto Peninsula.
18福井Fukui
Dinosaurs, dramatic cliffs, and a great Zen temple.
19山梨Yamanashi
Mount Fuji's lakes, vineyards, and Japan's wine country.
20長野Nagano
Alpine peaks, the great Zenkō-ji temple, and snow monkeys in hot springs.
21岐阜Gifu
Thatched mountain villages and the riverside old town of Takayama.
22静岡Shizuoka
Mount Fuji, green tea fields, and the coastal Izu Peninsula.
23愛知Aichi
Nagoya's castle and industry, plus samurai-era history.
Kansai (Kinki)
7 prefectures
24三重Mie
Japan's holiest shrine at Ise and the pearl-diving Ama tradition.
25滋賀Shiga
Wrapped around Japan's largest lake, with a stunning castle.
26京都Kyoto
Temples, tea, bamboo — the cultural heart.
27大阪Osaka
The friendly food capital. Eat until you drop.
28兵庫Hyogo
Japan's most beautiful castle at Himeji and the port city of Kobe.
29奈良Nara
Japan's first capital — a giant Buddha and free-roaming deer.
30和歌山Wakayama
Sacred pilgrimage mountains and dramatic coastal hot springs.
Chugoku
5 prefectures
31鳥取Tottori
Japan's famous sand dunes on the Sea of Japan.
32島根Shimane
Home to Izumo Taisha, one of Japan's oldest and grandest shrines.
33岡山Okayama
A great garden, a 'crow castle', and the canal town of Kurashiki.
34広島Hiroshima
A moving peace memorial and the floating torii of Miyajima.
35山口Yamaguchi
A spectacular five-arched bridge and a vivid vermilion shrine.
Shikoku
4 prefectures
Kyushu & Okinawa
8 prefectures
40福岡Fukuoka
Kyūshū's gateway city, famous for tonkotsu ramen and street-food stalls.
41佐賀Saga
Japan's porcelain heartland and a vivid autumn balloon festival.
42長崎Nagasaki
A port city of cross-cultural history, hillside views, and a peace park.
43熊本Kumamoto
A mighty castle and one of the world's largest volcanic calderas at Aso.
44大分Oita
Japan's hot-spring capital — steaming Beppu and chic Yufuin.
45宮崎Miyazaki
Sunny Pacific coast, surf, and shrines wrapped in myth.
46鹿児島Kagoshima
An active volcano across the bay and a gateway to ancient-forest islands.
47沖縄Okinawa
Subtropical islands and distinct Ryukyu culture.
Common questions
How many prefectures does Japan have?
Forty-seven: one “dō” (Hokkaidō), one “to” (Tōkyō), two “fu” (Ōsaka and Kyōto) and 43 “ken”. They are grouped into eight regions, listed below.
Which prefecture is the largest, and which the smallest?
Hokkaidō is by far the largest at about 83,400 km²; Kagawa on Shikoku is the smallest at about 1,880 km² (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, area statistics).
Which prefecture has the most people, and which the fewest?
Tōkyō, with about 14 million residents; Tottori, with about 550,000 (2020 Population Census, Statistics Bureau of Japan).
What is the difference between a prefecture and a region?
Prefectures are the official administrative units with their own governors and assemblies. Regions (Tōhoku, Kantō, Kansai …) are conventional groupings used for weather, travel and statistics; they have no government of their own.