Subprefectures
From April 2010 Hokkaido has 9 General Subprefectural Bureaus (総合振興局) and 5 Subprefectural Bureaus (振興局). Prior to that, Hokkaido is one of eight prefectures in Japan that have subprefectures (支庁 shichō). However, it is the only one of the eight to have such offices covering the whole of its territory outside the main cities (rather than having them just for outlying islands or remote areas). This is mostly due to its great size: many parts of the prefecture are simply too far away to be effectively administered by Sapporo. Subprefectural offices in Hokkaidō carry out many of the duties that prefectural offices fulfill elsewhere in Japan.
1 a 2 3 b 4 c 5 d 6 7 8 9 e | ||||||||
Subprefecture | Japanese | Capital | Largest city | Pop. (2009) |
Area (km²) |
Municipals | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sorachi | 空知総合振興局 | Iwamizawa | Iwamizawa | 338,485 | 5,791.19 | 10 cities, 14 villages | |
a | ↳ Ishikari | 石狩振興局 | Sapporo | Sapporo | 2,324,878 | 3,539.86 | 6 cities, 1 town, 1 village | |
2 | Shiribeshi | 後志総合振興局 | Kutchan | Otaru | 234,984 | 4,305.83 | 1 city, 13 towns, 6 villages | |
3 | Iburi | 胆振総合振興局 | Muroran | Tomakomai | 419,115 | 3,698.00 | 4 cities, 7 towns | |
b | ↳ Hidaka | 日高振興局 | Urakawa | Shinhidaka | 76,084 | 4,811.97 | 7 towns | |
4 | Oshima | 渡島総合振興局 | Hakodate | Hakodate | 433,475 | 3,936.46 | 2 cities, 9 towns | |
c | ↳ Hiyama | 檜山振興局 | Esashi | Setana | 43,210 | 2,629.94 | 7 towns | |
5 | Kamikawa | 上川総合振興局 | Asahikawa | Asahikawa | 527,575 | 10,619.20 | 4 cities, 17 towns, 2 villages | |
d | ↳ Rumoi | 留萌振興局 | Rumoi | Rumoi | 53,916 | 3,445.75 | 1 city, 6 towns, 1 village | |
6 | Sōya | 宗谷総合振興局 | Wakkanai | Wakkanai | 71,423 | 4,625.09 | 1 city, 8 towns, 1 village | |
7 | Okhotsk | オホーツク総合振興局 | Abashiri | Kitami | 309,487 | 10,690.62 | 3 cities, 14 towns, 1 village | |
8 | Tokachi | 十勝総合振興局 | Obihiro | Obihiro | 353,291 | 10,831.24 | 1 city, 16 towns, 2 villages | |
9 | Kushiro | 釧路総合振興局 | Kushiro | Kushiro | 252,571 | 5,997.38 | 1 city, 6 towns, 1 village | |
e | ↳ Nemuro | 根室振興局 | Nemuro | Nemuro | 84,035 | 3,406.23 | 1 city, 4 towns | |
Japan claims the southern part of Kuril Islands (Northern Territories), currently administered by Russia, belong to Nemuro Subprefecture divided into 6 villages. However, the table above excludes these islands' data. |
Before the current political divisions and after 1869, Hokkaidō was divided into provinces. See Former Provinces of Hokkaidō.
Read more about this topic: Hokkaido