Japan is an amazing and unusual country with ancient traditions. However, the administrative-territorial division of the country is carried out generally according to the ancient Roman system of prefectures. But the Japanese also filled this system with their own content, so the study of the territorial structure of Japan when familiar with the features of the state is of particular interest.
Administrative division of Japan
The structure of the state harmoniously combines tradition and innovation. The system of traditional representations of Shintoism and Buddhism has led to the fact that in the Land of the Rising Sun great importance is given to hierarchy. Any decision goes through certain levels, each of which complements and enriches it. Japan is characterized by simultaneously subordination to the elder - by status and age - and respect for the sovereign opinion and personal space of a person. This became the basis for the allocation of territorial units in the country. At the end of the 19th century, administrative reforms took place in the country, which retained the old form, but made improvements to it. Thus appeared the prefectures of Japan, or Todofuken. At first there were about 300, then there was a reduction to 72, and in 1888 their current number was determined - 47. In turn, the prefectures can be divided into counties and districts. They are also included in larger regions, there are only 8 of them in Japan. Today, the rapid growth of some cities again necessitates the reform of the country's territorial division, but they are still in the draft.
Prefecture Types
Historically, four types of territory management have developed in the country:
- that. The Tokyo metropolitan area stands out as a separate administrative unit;
- ken. These are the prefectures themselves, which provide for a large degree of autonomy from the central government, there are 43 of them in the country;
- before. This is a special territory with its rights and features - Hokkaido;
- fu. These are two cities with the status of a separate district: Kyoto and Osaka.
In turn, smaller parts stand out within these large territories. Each administrative unit is headed by its own governor; he has sufficiently large rights to manage his part of the country. The prefectures of Japan are in close interaction with the center, but not completely subordinate to it. Moreover, all posts of local government, including its head, are elective. The purpose of territorial policy is to prevent conflict situations.
Full list
Eight large regions unite all the prefectures of Japan. The list of administrative units is as follows:
- Hokkaido, this is a special prefecture, divided into 14 districts;
- Kyushu region includes the prefectures: Miyazaki, Okinawa, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Kagoshima, Saga, Oita, Fukuoka;
- Tohoku unites Fukushima, Aomori, Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata, Iwate;
- Shikoku includes the prefectures of Tokushima, Kagawa, Koshi, Ehime;
- The Kanto region consists of the prefectures of Chiba, Tochigi, Saitama, Ibaraki, Gumma, Tokyo;
- Chugoku unites Yamaguchi, Shimane, Tottori, Okayama, Hiroshima;
- The Kinki region consists of the prefectures of Wakayama, Hyougo, Mie, Nara, Kyoto, Osaka, Shiga;
- The chubu includes the territorial units of Yamanashi, Gifu, Nagano, Ishikawa, Niigata, Toyama, Fukui, Shizuoka, Aichi.
Territorial disputes
If you look at the Japanese version of the world map, you can see that it has a number of discrepancies with maps created in other countries. This is due to the fact that Japan considers some of its territories that officially belong to other states. Territorial disputes exist between the country of the Rising Sun, China, Korea and Russia. So, part of the Kuril Islands, according to the Japanese, are part of the prefecture of Japan Hokkaido. The dispute arose as a result of the fact that, following the results of World War II in 1946, these islands became part of the Soviet Union. Before that, the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin were at times the property of Russia, the times of Japan. Historically, these lands were first inhabited by the Japanese.
Prefectural Flags
The prefectures of Japan emphasize their independence and uniqueness including the presence of their own flag. Japanese culture attaches particular importance to emblems and flags: they not only serve as a means of identifying the territory, but also convey a certain key message that describes the special characteristics of the region. In the country, almost every village has its own flag, let alone prefectures. The banners are decorated with pictograms with a deep meaning, it is not always clear to a foreigner, but is well read by the inhabitants of the country. Looking at the flags, you can see geometric and stylized images, which are encrypted messages. For example, the city and prefecture in Japan, Aomori, decorated their flag with a stylized, hard to read by Europeans symbol - the “Honshu Crown”. This is a simplified depiction of the outlines of the three parts that make up the land of the region. The flag's background is white, which means the vastness of the prefecture, and the green color of the figure symbolizes the hope for the development and prosperity of these lands. And Tottori Prefecture (Japan) adorned its flag with a white hiragana “that”, reminiscent of a white bird in flight. This image for the inhabitants of the region means freedom, development and peace of the prefecture.
Coins of the Prefectures
Since 2008, the Mint began to issue coins of the "Prefecture of Japan", which are also designed to emphasize the uniqueness of each region. While not all prefectures acquired their own coins, this program lasted for several years. But the issued banknotes impress with their beauty and thoughtfulness: the most important symbols of the territory are chosen for the image. For example, a contour drawing of Lake Biva, the largest in Japan, is applied to a coin in Shiga Prefecture. Also on the reverse, you can see the image of a small grebe, which lives on the lake. The coins of the prefectures of Okinawa, Miyazaki and Kanagawa depict warriors in typical outfits for this region. The main architectural sights of the territory are chosen as a background for human figures.
Special territory
Among all regions of the country, Hokkaido Prefecture is the most different. Japan finally annexed this territory to its lands only in 1869 as a result of colonization. Until this time, there were very ancient settlements. The Jomon culture began to form in the 6th millennium BC. Then it was transformed into the Satsumon culture, and in the 13th century AD it became the source for the emergence of a unique Ainu culture. This nation experienced a constant encroachment of the Japanese on their lands, relations between the two cultures were an alternation of wars and peaceful trade. But at the end of the 19th century, the final colonization of the island by the Japanese took place. But since then, a special atmosphere has been preserved here, which is supported by the special rights of this territorial unit. It is headed by the governor, and not a prefect, as in other lands, Hokkaido has more autonomy and rights compared to other prefectures. The main city in the region is Sapporo. Hokkaido is Japan's northernmost and largest prefecture. The country believes that part of the Kuril Islands should belong to this prefecture. The blue flag of Hokkaido Prefecture is decorated with a white seven-pointed star with red lines in the middle. In some ways, this sign resembles a snowflake and symbolizes hope and development. Blue for the Japanese means the sea and sky of northern Hokkaido, white means light and snow, and red means the life-affirming energy of people.
The very south
The opposite of Hokkaido is Japan's most southern prefecture of Okinawa. This territory, like part of Hokkaido, is the subject of a dispute between Japan and Taiwan. The main city in the region is Naha. Settlements of people here were still in the days of the Paleolithic. The islands of this prefecture became part of Japan only in 1972, thanks to an agreement between the Land of the Rising Sun and the United States.
Smallest prefecture
Kagawa is the smallest prefecture in area, it is only about 1800 square meters. km The main attraction of the region is the mountains, which is also indicated by the image on the flag. Despite its small size, the prefecture is rich in attractions. In addition, the main volume of salt that meets the needs of the whole country is mined here.