Special cities of Japan

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Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. A special city (特例市, Tokureishi^?) of Japan is a city with a population of at least 200,000, and is delegated a subset of the functions^[specify] delegated to a core city.

This category was established by the Local Autonomy Law, article 252 clause 26. They are designated by the Cabinet after a request by the city council and the prefectural assembly.

The special cities are not the same as the special wards of Tokyo.

List of special cities

Currently, 40 cities have been designated as Special Cities:

Name	Japanese	Population (2012)	Date of designation	Region	Prefecture
Akashi	明石市	290,927	2002-04-01	Kansai	Hyōgo
Atsugi	厚木市	224,181	2002-04-01	Kantō	Kanagawa
Chigasaki	茅ヶ崎市	236,222	2003-04-01	Kantō	Kanagawa
Fuji	富士市	253,455	2001-04-01	Chūbu	Shizuoka
Fukui	福井市	266,612	2000-04-01	Chūbu	Fukui
Hachinohe	八戸市	236,390	2001-04-01	Tōhoku	Aomori
Hirakata	枚方市	407,270	2001-04-01	Kansai	Osaka
Hiratsuka	平塚市	260,061	2001-04-01	Kantō	Kanagawa
Ibaraki	茨木市	276,474	2001-04-01	Kansai	Osaka
Ichinomiya	一宮市	378,996	2001-04-01	Chūbu	Aichi
Isesaki	伊勢崎市	207,253	2007-04-01	Kantō	Gunma
Jōetsu	上越市	202,366	2007-04-01	Chūbu	Niigata
Kakogawa	加古川市	268,175	2002-04-01	Kansai	Hyōgo
Kasugai	春日井市	306,573	2002-04-01	Chūbu	Aichi
Kasukabe	春日部市	236,976	2008-04-01	Kantō	Saitama
Kawaguchi	川口市	561,788	2001-04-01	Kantō	Saitama
Kishiwada	岸和田市	198,615	2002-04-01	Kansai	Osaka
Kōfu	甲府市	197,318	2000-04-01	Chūbu	Yamanashi
Koshigaya	越谷市	328,079	2003-04-01	Kantō	Saitama
Kumagaya	熊谷市	201,814	2009-04-01	Kantō	Saitama
Kure	呉市	236,595	2000-04-01	Chūgoku	Hiroshima
Matsue	松江市	208,160	2012-04-01	Chūgoku	Shimane
Matsumoto	松本市	243,431	2000-04-01	Chūbu	Nagano
Mito	水戸市	269,162	2001-04-01	Kantō	Ibaraki
Nagaoka	長岡市	281,101	2007-04-01	Chūbu	Niigata
Neyagawa	寝屋川市	238,819	2001-04-01	Kansai	Osaka
Numazu	沼津市	199,883	2000-04-01	Chūbu	Shizuoka
Odawara	小田原市	197,413	2000-04-01	Kantō	Kanagawa
Ōta	太田市	217,107	2007-04-01	Kantō	Gunma
Sasebo	佐世保市	259,676	2001-04-01	Kyushu	Nagasaki
Sōka	草加市	244,851	2004-04-01	Kantō	Saitama
Suita	吹田市	357,917	2001-04-01	Kansai	Osaka
Takarazuka	宝塚市	227,617	2003-04-01	Kansai	Hyōgo
Tokorozawa	所沢市	342,321	2002-04-01	Kantō	Saitama
Tottori	鳥取市	196,538	2005-04-01	Chūgoku	Tottori
Tsukuba	つくば市	216,221	2007-04-01	Kantō	Ibaraki
Yamagata	山形市	254,519	2001-04-01	Tōhoku	Yamagata
Yamato	大和市	230,357	2000-04-01	Kantō	Kanagawa
Yao	八尾市	270,735	2001-04-01	Kansai	Osaka
Yokkaichi	四日市市	307,599	2000-04-01	Kansai	Mie

Former special cities now core or designated cities

Name	Japanese	Date of designation	Date of reclassification	Region	Prefecture
Hakodate	函館市	2000-11-01	2005-10-01 (Core city)	Hokkaido	Hokkaido
Shimizu	清水市	2001-04-01	2003-04-01 (merge into Shizuoka)	Chūbu	Shizuoka
Shimonoseki	下関市	2002-04-01	2005-02-12 (Core city)	Chūgoku	Yamaguchi
Morioka	盛岡市	2000-11-01	2008-04-01 (Core city)	Tōhoku	Iwate
Kurume	久留米市	2001-04-01	2008-04-01 (Core city)	Kyushu	Fukuoka
Maebashi	前橋市	2001-04-01	2009-04-01 (Core city)	Kantō	Gunma
Ōtsu	大津市	2001-04-01	2009-04-01 (Core city)	Kansai	Shiga
Amagasaki	尼崎市	2001-04-01	2009-04-01 (Core city)	Kansai	Hyōgo
Takasaki	高崎市	2001-04-01	2011-04-01 (Core city)	Kantō	Gunma
Toyonaka	豊中市	2001-04-01	2012-04-01 (Core city)	Kansai	Osaka

Cities that meet requirements but are not yet designated

The following cities have the population of more than 200,000 people but have not yet been designated (Scheduled to become a special city are not in this list)