The Prefectures of Japan

Japan has 47 prefectures, administrative divisions ranking immediately below the national government. They were created following the Meiji restoration of 1868, often with borders matching the provinces that existed up through the Edo period (1603–1868).

The standard order used in Japanese to list the prefectures runs from north to south, more or less, rather than using kana order. This is the order used for the articles below. We hope you enjoy exploring Japan’s 47 prefectures through this series!

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