Japan's Evolving Nested Municipal Hierarchy: The Race for Local Power in the 2000s

Table 4

Progression of Municipalities in Japan, 1883–2010 (selected years).

Date	Total	Cities	Towns	Villages	Designated Cities	Core Cities	Special Case Cities	Ordinary Cities
Dec 31, 1883	71,497	—	—	—
Dec 31, 1889	15,859	39	—	—				39
Dec 31, 1908	12,448	61	1,167	11,220				61
Dec 1, 1940	11,498	178	1,706	9,614				178
Oct 1, 1945	10,520	205	1,797	8,518				205
Jan 1, 1951	9,868	252	1,891	8,226				252
Sept 1, 1956	3,975	498	1,870	1,574	5			493
April 1, 1966	3,372	560	2,011	801	6			554
April 1, 1996	3,232	666	1,990	576	12	12		642
Nov 1, 2000	3,229	671	1,991	567	12	27	10	622
April 1, 2001	3,226	672	1,987	567	12	28	30	602
April 1, 2003	3,190	677	1,961	552	13	35	39	590
April 1, 2004	3,100	695	1,872	533	13	35	40	607
April 1, 2005	2,395	739	1,317	339	14	35	40	650
April 1, 2006	1,820	779	844	197	15	36	40	688
April 1, 2008	1,788	783	812	193	17	39	43	684
April 1, 2009	1,777	783	802	192	18	41	41	683
April 1, 2010	1,727	786	757	184	19	40	41	686
Sept 6, 2010	1,727	786	757	184	19	40	41	686

Sources: [72, 106, 107].
Notes: ^(k)For some reason, the 23 Ku of Tokyo have never been included in the government’s municipal count.
—  or blank represents not defined at the time.