These are lists of the 47 Japanese prefectures by population at different points in time. For details on the administrative divisions of Japan, see Prefectures of Japan.
Prefectures of Japan ranked by population as of October 1, 2025 Rank Prefecture Capital Est. Area (km) Census Population Oct 1, 2020 Census Population Oct 1, 2025 Population Change, 2020–2025 % Change, 2020–2025 2020 Population Density (/km) 2025 Population Density (/km)1Tokyo-toShinjuku-ku2,194.0314,047,59414,246,219198,6251.41%6,402.646,493.172Kanagawa-kenYokohama-shi2,416.119,237,3379,193,657 -43,680 -0.47%3,823.233,805.153Ōsaka-fuŌsaka-shi1,905.328,837,6858,764,578 -73,107 -0.83%4,638.434,600.064Aichi-kenNagoya-shi5,173.077,542,4157,449,403 -93,012 -1.23%1,458.021,440.045Saitama-kenSaitama-shi3,797.757,344,7657,287,169 -57,596 -0.78%1,933.981,918.816Chiba-kenChiba-shi5,157.576,284,4806,258,512 -25,968 -0.41%1,218.501,213.467Hyōgo-kenKōbe-shi8,401.025,465,0025,323,825 -141,177 -2.58%650.52633.718Fukuoka-kenFukuoka-shi4,986.515,135,2145,081,879 -53,335 -1.04%1,029.821,019.139HokkaidoSapporo-shi83,424.445,224,6144,985,419 -239,195 -4.58%62.6359.7610Shizuoka-kenShizuoka-shi7,777.353,633,2023,468,845 -164,357 -4.52%467.15446.0211Ibaraki-kenMito-shi6,097.392,867,0092,791,207 -75,802 -2.64%470.20457.7712Hiroshima-kenHiroshima-shi8,479.652,799,7022,683,399 -116,303 -4.15%330.17316.4513Kyōto-fuKyōto-shi4,612.202,578,0872,502,747 -75,340 -2.92%558.97542.6414Miyagi-kenSendai-shi7,282.292,301,9962,227,240 -74,756 -3.25%316.11305.8415Niigata-kenNiigata-shi12,583.962,201,2722,068,476 -132,796 -6.03%174.93164.3716Nagano-kenNagano-shi13,561.562,048,0111,954,950 -93,061 -4.54%151.02144.1517Gifu-kenGifu-shi10,621.291,978,7421,891,489 -87,253 -4.41%186.30178.0818Gunma-kenMaebashi-shi6,362.281,939,1101,867,582 -71,528 -3.69%304.78293.5419Tochigi-kenUtsunomiya-shi6,408.091,933,1461,864,833 -68,313 -3.53%301.67291.0120Okayama-kenOkayama-shi7,114.331,888,4321,808,664 -79,768 -4.22%265.44254.2321Fukushima-kenFukushima-shi13,784.141,833,1521,711,937 -121,215 -6.61%132.99124.2022Mie-kenTsu-shi5,774.491,770,2541,694,896 -75,358 -4.26%306.56293.5123Kumamoto-kenKumamoto-shi7,409.461,738,3011,678,090 -60,211 -3.46%234.61226.4824Kagoshima-kenKagoshima-shi9,187.061,588,2561,512,969 -75,287 -4.74%172.88164.6825Okinawa-kenNaha-shi2,282.591,467,4801,468,2207400.05%642.90643.2326Shiga-kenŌtsu-shi4,017.381,413,6101,392,439 -21,171 -1.50%351.87346.6027Nara-kenNara-shi3,690.941,324,4731,269,180 -55,293 -4.17%358.84343.8628Yamaguchi-kenYamaguchi-shi6,112.541,342,0591,264,006 -78,053 -5.82%219.56206.7929Ehime-kenMatsuyama-shi5,676.191,334,8411,260,088 -74,753 -5.60%235.16222.0030Nagasaki-kenNagasaki-shi4,130.981,312,3171,232,190 -80,127 -6.11%317.68298.2831Aomori-kenAomori-shi9,645.641,237,9841,140,395 -97,589 -7.88%128.35118.2332Iwate-kenMorioka-shi15,275.011,210,5341,125,502 -85,032 -7.02%79.2573.6833Ishikawa-kenKanazawa-shi4,190.941,132,5261,088,221 -44,305 -3.91%270.23259.6634Ōita-kenŌita-shi6,340.761,123,8521,076,875 -46,977 -4.18%177.24169.8335Miyazaki-kenMiyazaki-shi7,735.221,069,5761,018,904 -50,672 -4.74%138.27131.7236Yamagata-kenYamagata-shi9,323.151,068,027993,127 -74,900 -7.01%114.56106.5237Toyama-kenToyama-shi4,247.581,034,814985,675 -49,139 -4.75%243.62232.0638Kagawa-kenTakamatsu-shi1,876.78950,244907,725 -42,519 -4.47%506.32483.6639Akita-kenAkita-shi11,637.52959,502882,100 -77,402 -8.07%82.4575.8040Wakayama-kenWakayama-shi4,724.65922,584864,262 -58,322 -6.32%195.27182.9341Saga-kenSaga-shi2,440.69811,442781,214 -30,228 -3.73%332.46320.0842Yamanashi-kenKōfu-shi4,465.27809,974779,912 -30,062 -3.71%181.39174.6643Fukui-kenFukui-shi4,190.52766,863729,386 -37,477 -4.89%183.00174.0644Tokushima-kenTokushima-shi4,146.75719,559675,489 -44,070 -6.12%173.52162.9045Kōchi-kenKōchi-shi7,103.63691,527643,437 -48,090 -6.95%97.3590.5846Shimane-kenMatsue-shi6,707.89671,126629,460 -41,666 -6.21%100.0593.8447Tottori-kenTottori-shi3,507.14553,407523,732 -29,675 -5.36%157.79149.33JapanTōkyō-to377,981.12126,146,099123,049,524 -3,096,575 -2.45%333.74325.54
Prefectures of Japan ranked by population as of October 1, 2020 Rank Prefecture Capital Est. Area (km) Census Population Oct 1, 2015 Census Population Oct 1, 2020 Population Change 2015–2020 % Change 2015 Population Density (/km) 2020 Population Density (/km)1Tokyo-toShinjuku-ku2,194.0313,513,73414,047,594533,8603.95%6,159.326,402.642Kanagawa-kenYokohama-shi2,416.119,127,3239,237,337110,0141.21%3,777.693,823.233Ōsaka-fuŌsaka-shi1,905.328,838,9088,837,685 -1,223 -0.01%4,639.074,638.434Aichi-kenNagoya-shi5,173.077,484,0947,542,41558,3210.78%1,446.741,458.025Saitama-kenSaitama-shi3,797.757,261,2717,344,76583,4941.15%1,911.991,933.986Chiba-kenChiba-shi5,157.576,224,0276,284,48060,4530.97%1,206.781,218.507Hyōgo-kenKōbe-shi8,401.025,536,9895,465,002 -71,987 -1.3%659.09650.528HokkaidoSapporo-shi83,424.445,383,5795,224,614 -158,965 -2.95%64.5362.639Fukuoka-kenFukuoka-shi4,986.515,102,8715,135,21432,3430.63%1,023.341,029.8210Shizuoka-kenShizuoka-shi7,777.353,701,1813,633,202 -67,979 -1.84%475.89467.1511Ibaraki-kenMito-shi6,097.392,917,8572,867,009 -50,848 -1.74%478.54470.2012Hiroshima-kenHiroshima-shi8,479.652,844,9632,799,702 -45,261 -1.59%335.50330.1713Kyōto-fuKyōto-shi4,612.202,610,1402,578,087 -32,053 -1.23%565.92558.9714Miyagi-kenSendai-shi7,282.292,334,2152,301,996 -32,219 -1.38%320.53316.1115Niigata-kenNiigata-shi12,583.962,305,0982,201,272 -103,826 -4.5%183.18174.9316Nagano-kenNagano-shi13,561.562,099,7592,048,011 -51,748 -2.46%154.83151.0217Gifu-kenGifu-shi10,621.292,032,5331,978,742 -53,791 -2.65%191.36186.3018Gunma-kenMaebashi-shi6,362.281,973,4761,939,110 -34,366 -1.74%310.18304.7819Tochigi-kenUtsunomiya-shi6,408.091,974,6711,933,146 -41,525 -2.1%308.15301.6720Okayama-kenOkayama-shi7,114.331,922,1811,888,432 -33,749 -1.76%270.18265.4421Fukushima-kenFukushima-shi13,784.141,913,6061,833,152 -80,454 -4.2%138.83132.9922Mie-kenTsu-shi5,774.491,815,8271,770,254 -45,573 -2.51%314.46306.5623Kumamoto-kenKumamoto-shi7,409.461,786,9691,738,301 -48,668 -2.72%241.17234.6124Kagoshima-kenKagoshima-shi9,187.061,648,7521,588,256 -60,496 -3.67%179.46172.8825Okinawa-kenNaha-shi2,282.591,434,1381,467,48033,3422.32%628.29642.9026Shiga-kenŌtsu-shi4,017.381,413,1841,413,6104260.03%351.77351.8727Yamaguchi-kenYamaguchi-shi6,112.541,405,0071,342,059 -62,948 -4.48%229.86219.5628Ehime-kenMatsuyama-shi5,676.191,385,8401,334,841 -50,999 -3.68%244.15235.1629Nara-kenNara-shi3,690.941,365,0081,324,473 -40,535 -2.97%369.83358.8430Nagasaki-kenNagasaki-shi4,130.981,377,7801,312,317 -65,463 -4.75%333.52317.6831Aomori-kenAomori-shi9,645.641,308,6491,237,984 -70,665 -5.4%135.67128.3532Iwate-kenMorioka-shi15,275.011,279,8141,210,534 -69,280 -5.41%83.7879.2533Ishikawa-kenKanazawa-shi4,190.941,154,3431,132,526 -21,817 -1.89%275.44270.2334Ōita-kenŌita-shi6,340.761,166,7291,123,852 -42,877 -3.67%184.00177.2435Miyazaki-kenMiyazaki-shi7,735.221,104,3771,069,576 -34,801 -3.15%142.77138.2736Yamagata-kenYamagata-shi9,323.151,122,9571,068,027 -54,930 -4.89%120.45114.5637Toyama-kenToyama-shi4,247.581,066,8831,034,814 -32,069 -3.01%251.17243.6238Akita-kenAkita-shi11,637.521,022,839959,502 -63,337 -6.19%87.8982.4539Kagawa-kenTakamatsu-shi1,876.78976,756950,244 -26,512 -2.71%520.44506.3240Wakayama-kenWakayama-shi4,724.65963,850922,584 -41,266 -4.28%204.00195.2741Yamanashi-kenKōfu-shi2,440.69835,165809,974 -25,191 -3.02%341.40332.4642Saga-kenSaga-shi4,465.27833,245811,442 -21,803 -2.62%187.04181.3943Fukui-kenFukui-shi4,190.52787,099766,863 -20,236 -2.57%187.83183.0044Tokushima-kenTokushima-shi4,146.75756,063719,559 -36,504 -4.83%182.33173.5245Kōchi-kenKōchi-shi7,103.63728,461691,527 -36,934 -5.07%102.5597.3546Shimane-kenMatsue-shi6,707.89694,188671,126 -23,062 -3.32%103.49100.0547Tottori-kenTottori-shi3,507.14573,648553,407 -20,241 -3.53%163.57157.79JapanTōkyō-to377,981.12127,110,047126,146,099 -963,948 -0.76%336.29333.74
Prefectures of Japan ranked by population as of October 1, 2015