This is a list of in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...

by population as defined by the Statistics Bureau of Japan (SBJ) and the Center for Spatial Information Service of the

University of Tokyo , abbreviated as or UTokyo, is a public research university located in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. Established in 1877, the university was the first Imperial University and is currently a Top Type university of the Top Global University Project b ...

. The region containing most of the people in Japan between Tokyo and Fukuoka is often called the Taiheiyō Belt.

Population Census

The

Statistics Bureau of Japan The is the statistical agency of Japan, subordinate to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. Its headquarters is in the ministry's Second Government Office (第2庁舎), in , Shinjuku, Tokyo. Map/ref> See also * Japan Statistical ...

(SBJ) defines a metropolitan area as one or more central cities and its associated outlying municipalities. To qualify as an outlying municipality, the municipality must have at least 1.5% of its resident population aged 15 and above commuting to school or work into one of the central cities. To qualify as a central city, a city must either be a

designated city A , also known as a or , is a Japanese city that has a population greater than 500,000 and has been designated as such by order of the Cabinet of Japan under Article 252, Section 19, of the Local Autonomy Law. Designated cities are delegate ...

of any population or a non-designated city with a city proper population of at least 500,000. Metropolitan areas of designated cities are defined as "major metropolitan areas" (大都市圏) while those of non-designated cities are simply "metropolitan areas" (都市圏). If multiple central cities are close enough such that their outlying cities overlap, they are combined and a single metropolitan area is defined rather than independently.

2015 Population Census

The metropolitan areas written in bold are the 11 major metropolitan areas of Japan. *2015 *MMA: Major Metropolitan Area *MA: Metropolitan Area *Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan

2010 Population Census

The metropolitan areas written in bold are the 11 major metropolitan areas of Japan. *2010 *MMA: Major Metropolitan Area *MA: Metropolitan Area *Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan Changes from 2005 census The following changes to metropolitan area definitions were made in the 2010 Census report. * New central cities in Kantō and Keihanshin major metropolitan areas **

Sagamihara is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 723,470, with 334,812 households, and a population density of 1,220 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Sagamihara is the third-most-populous city ...

in the Kantō MMA and

Sakai is a city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It has been one of the largest and most important seaports of Japan since the medieval era. Sakai is known for its keyhole-shaped burial mounds, or kofun, which date from the fifth century and inclu ...

in the Keihanshin MMA have become designated cities in 2010 and 2006 respectively. These cities are already well within their MMAs and should not greatly alter their formation. * Niigata and Okayama major metropolitan areas ** Niigata became a designated city in 2007 and Okayama became a designated city in 2009. These cities therefore formed major metropolitan areas in the 2010 census. * Shizuoka, Hamamatsu major metropolitan area **

Hamamatsu is a city located in western Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. the city had an estimated population of 791,707 in 340,591 households, making it the prefecture's largest city, and a population density of . The total area of the site was . Overview H ...

also became a designated city in 2007. As its outlying areas overlap with Shizuoka, the two cities formed a single major metropolitan area in the 2010 census. * Utsunomiya metropolitan area **

Utsunomiya is the prefectural capital city of Tochigi Prefecture in the northern Kantō region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 519,223, and a population density of . The total area of the city is . Utsunomiya is famous for its '' gyoza' ...

qualified as a central city for the 2010 census, resulting from mergers with neighboring municipalities and subsequent population growth.

2005 Population Census

The metropolitan areas written in bold are the 8 major metropolitan areas of Japan. *October 1, 2005 *MMA: Major Metropolitan Area *MA: Metropolitan Area *Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan Major metropolitan employment areas of Taiheiyō Belt

Major metropolitan employment areas of Taiheiyō Belt

Urban Employment Area

Urban Employment Area is another definition of metropolitan areas, defined by the Center for Spatial Information Service, the

2015

The Center for Spatial Information Service, the University of Tokyo has defined 100 metropolitan employment areas (MEAs) and 122 micropolitan employment areas (McEAs) for Japan.

2010

The Japanese

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry The or METI, is a ministry of the Government of Japan. It was created by the 2001 Central Government Reform when the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) merged with agencies from other ministries related to economic activiti ...

defined 233 areas for the UEAs of Japan. *MEA: Metropolitan Employment Area *Source: Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, Center for Spatial Information Science, the University of Tokyo

References

External links

Population Census of Japan

{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Metropolitan Areas In Japan By Population

Metropolitan areas A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually ...