This is a list of municipalities in Japan which have standing links to local communities in other countries. In most cases, the association, especially when formalised by local government, is known as "town twinning" (usually in Europe) or "sister cities" (usually in the rest of the world).
For twinning between Japanese and Chinese municipalities the term "friendship cities" is used, due to problematic translation (the term "sister cities" requires specification of which of the cities is the younger sister and which is the older one).
A Ageo Lockyer Valley, Australia
Akabira
Kaga, Japan Samcheok, South Korea Yueyang, China
Akashi
Vallejo, United States Wuxi, China
Akita
Hitachiōta, Japan Kenai, United States Lanzhou, China Passau, Germany St. Cloud, United States Vladivostok, Russia
Akkeshi Clarence, Australia
Amagasaki
Anshan, China Augsburg, Germany
Anjō
Hobsons Bay, Australia Huntington Beach, United States Kolding, Denmark
Aomori
Kecskemét, Hungary Pyeongtaek, South Korea
Aridagawa
Guixi, China Palmerston, Australia
Arita
Jingdezhen, China Meissen, Germany
Asago
Newberg, United States Perth, Canada
Asahikawa
Bloomington, United States Harbin, China Minamisatsuma, Japan Normal, United States Suwon, South Korea
Asakuchi
Gao'an, China Tea Tree Gully, Australia
Ashikaga
Kamakura, Japan Jining, China Springfield, United States
Ashiya Montebello, United States
Atami
Beppu, Japan Cascais, Portugal Sanremo, Italy Zhuhai, China
Atsugi
Gunpo, South Korea New Britain, United States Yangzhou, China
Ayabe
Changshu, China Jerusalem, Israel
B Beppu
Bath, England, United Kingdom Mokpo, South Korea Rotorua Lakes, New Zealand Yantai, China
C Chiba
Asunción, Paraguay Houston, United States
North Vancouver, Canada Quezon City, Philippines Tianjin, China Wujiang (Suzhou), China
Chichibu
Antioch, United States Gangneung, South Korea Linfen, China San'yō-Onoda, Japan Toshima (Tokyo), Japan Warringah (Northern Beaches), Australia
Chigasaki Honolulu, United States
Chitose
Anchorage, United States Ibusuki, Japan Kongsberg, Norway
D Daisen
Temecula, United States Yangyang, South Korea
Dazaifu Buyeo, South Korea
E Ebetsu Gresham, United States
Esashi Sollefteå, Sweden
F Fuji
Jiaxing, China Oceanside, United States
Fujieda
Penrith, Australia Yangju, South Korea
Fujikawaguchiko Zermatt, Switzerland
Fujimi Šabac, Serbia
Fujinomiya
Ōmihachiman, Japan Santa Monica, United States Shaoxing, China Yeongju, South Korea
Fujisawa
Boryeong, South Korea Kunming, China Matsumoto, Japan Miami Beach, United States Windsor, Canada
Fujiyoshida
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France Colorado Springs, United States
Fukaya
Fremont, United States Shunyi (Beijing), China
Fukagawa Abbotsford, Canada
Fukui
Fullerton, United States Hangzhou, China Kumamoto, Japan New Brunswick, United States
Fukuoka
Atlanta, United States Auckland, New Zealand Bordeaux, France Busan, South Korea Guangzhou, China Ipoh, Malaysia Oakland, United States Yangon, Myanmar
Fukuroi
Hillsboro, United States Shiojiri, Japan
Fukuyama
Hamilton, Canada Maui County, United States Okazaki, Japan Pohang, South Korea Tacloban, Philippines
Funabashi
Hayward, United States Odense, Denmark Xi'an, China
Furano
Nishiwaki, Japan Schladming, Austria
G Gifu
Campinas, Brazil Cincinnati, United States
Hangzhou, China Meidling (Vienna), Austria Thunder Bay, Canada
Gotemba
Beaverton, United States Chambersburg, United States
H Ha Habikino Hietzing (Vienna), Austria
Hachinohe Federal Way, United States
Hachiōji
Kaohsiung, Taiwan Nikkō, Japan Odawara, Japan Siheung, South Korea Tai'an, China Tomakomai, Japan Wriezen, Germany Yorii, Japan
Hadano
Paju, South Korea Pasadena, United States
Hagi
Deokjin (Yeongam), South Korea Kamakura, Japan Shimoda, Japan Ühlingen-Birkendorf, Germany Ulsan, South Korea Wajima, Japan
Hakodate
Goyang, South Korea Halifax, Canada Lake Macquarie, Australia Vladivostok, Russia Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia
Hakone
Jasper, Canada Taupō, New Zealand
Hamamatsu
Ahmedabad, India Camas, United States Chehalis, United States Hangzhou, China Porterville, United States Rochester, United States
Hanamaki
Berndorf, Austria Hot Springs, United States Rutland, United States
Handa
Midland, United States Port Macquarie-Hastings, Australia Xuzhou, China
Hannō Brea, United States
Hanyū
Baguio, Philippines Durbuy, Belgium
Hatsukaichi
Hawaii County, United States Masterton, New Zealand
Hayama
Holdfast Bay, Australia Kusatsu, Gunma, Japan
He–Ho Hekinan
Edmonds, United States Pula, Croatia Yuni, Japan
Hidaka Osan, South Korea
Higashihiroshima
Deyang, China Kitahiroshima, Japan Marília, Brazil
Higashikawa
Canmore, Canada Rūjiena, Latvia
Higashimurayama
Independence, United States Kashiwazaki, Japan
Higashiōmi
Jangam-myeon (Buyeo), South Korea Marquette, United States Rättvik, Sweden Taber, Canada
Higashiōsaka
Glendale, United States Mitte (Berlin), Germany
Hikone
Ann Arbor, United States Xiangtan, China
Himeji
Adelaide, Australia Changwon, South Korea Charleroi, Belgium Curitiba, Brazil Matsumoto, Japan Phoenix, United States Taiyuan, China Tottori, Japan
Hino
Redlands, United States Shiwa, Japan
Hirakata
Changning (Shanghai), China Logan, Australia Yeongam, South Korea
Hiratsuka Lawrence, United States
Hiroshima
Chongqing, China Daegu, South Korea Hanover, Germany Honolulu, United States Montreal, Canada Volgograd, Russia
Hitachi
Birmingham, United States Kiryū, Japan Tauranga, New Zealand
Hōfu
Akitakata, Japan Chuncheon, South Korea Monroe, United States
I Ib–In Ibaraki
Anqing, China Minneapolis, United States Shōdoshima, Japan
Ichihara Mobile, United States
Ichinoseki Central Highlands, Australia
Ichikawa
Gardena, United States Issy-les-Moulineaux, France Leshan, China Medan, Indonesia Rosenheim, Germany
Iizuka Sunnyvale, United States
Ikata Red Wing, United States
Ikeda
Launceston, Australia Suzhou, China
Imabari
Lakeland, United States Onomichi, Japan Ōta, Japan Panama City, Panama
Inashiki Salmon Arm, Canada
Inazawa Olympia, Greece
Inuyama
Davis, United States Haman, South Korea Nichinan, Japan Sankt Goarshausen, Germany Tateyama, Japan Xiangyang, China
Ir–It Iruma
Fenghua (Ningbo), China Sado, Japan Wolfratshausen, Germany
Isahaya
Athens, United States Zhangzhou, China
Isehara La Mirada, United States
Isesaki
Ma'anshan, China Springfield, United States
Ishikari
Campbell River, Canada Pengzhou, China Vanino, Russia
Ishinomaki
Hitachinaka, Japan Wenzhou, China
Itami
Foshan, China Hasselt, Belgium Ōmura, Japan
Itō
Ismayilli, Azerbaijan Medway, England, United Kingdom Rieti, Italy Suwa, Japan
Itoshima
Escondido, United States
Qingpu (Shanghai), China
Iw–Iz Iwaki
Kauai County, United States Nobeoka, Japan Townsville, Australia Yurihonjō, Japan
Iwakuni
Everett, United States Jundiaí, Brazil Tottori, Japan
Iwanuma
Nankoku, Japan Napa, United States
Iwata
Dagupan, Philippines Mountain View, United States
Izu
Hope, Canada Nelson, Canada
Izumi, Kagoshima
Puli, Taiwan Suncheon, South Korea
Izumi, Osaka Bloomington, United States
Izumo
Kalajoki, Finland Santa Clara, United States
J Jōetsu
Ena, Japan Hokuto, Japan Hunchun, China Itakura, Japan Iwanai, Japan Lilienfeld, Austria Muroran, Japan Pohang, South Korea Shizuoka, Japan Ueda, Japan Yonezawa, Japan
Jōyō
Gyeongsan, South Korea Vancouver, United States
K Ka Kadoma
Eindhoven, Netherlands Kami, Japan São José dos Campos, Brazil
Kagoshima
Changsha, China Miami, United States Naples, Italy Perth, Australia Tsuruoka, Japan
Kahoku Meßkirch, Germany
Kakamigahara Chuncheon, South Korea
Kakegawa
Corning, United States Eugene, United States Hoengseong, South Korea Ōshū, Japan Pesaro, Italy
Kakogawa
Auckland, New Zealand Guilin, China Maringá, Brazil
Kamagaya Whakatāne, New Zealand
Kamakura
Ashikaga, Japan Dunhuang, China Hagi, Japan Nice, France Ueda, Japan
Kameoka
Jandira, Brazil Knittelfeld, Germany Stillwater, United States
Kamo
Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Russia Zibo, China
Kamogawa
Manitowoc, United States Minobu, Japan
Kanazawa
Buffalo, United States Ghent, Belgium Irkutsk, Russia Jeonju, South Korea Nancy, France Porto Alegre, Brazil Suzhou, China
Kannami Kerman, United States
Karatsu
Yangzhou, China Yeosu, South Korea
Kariya Mississauga, Canada
Kashiwa
Ayase, Japan Camden, Australia Chengde, China Guam, United States Torrance, United States
Kashiwara
Grosseto, Italy Xinxiang, China
Kasugai Kelowna, Canada
Kasukabe
Fraser Coast, Australia Pasadena, United States
Katano Collingwood, Canada
Katō
Chelan, United States Hollister, United States Olympia, United States
Kawachinagano Carmel, United States
Kawagoe
Autun, France Nakasatsunai, Japan Obama, Japan Offenbach am Main, Germany Salem, United States Tanagura, Japan
Kawasaki
Baltimore, United States Rijeka, Croatia Shenyang, China Wollongong, Australia
Ki Kinokawa
Binzhou, China Seogwipo, South Korea
Kirishima
Liuyang, China Sonora, United States Yaozhou (Tongchuan), China
Kiryū
Biella, Italy Columbus, United States Hitachi, Japan Naruto, Japan
Kisarazu Oceanside, United States
Kishiwada
Shantou, China South San Francisco, United States Yeongdeungpo (Seoul), South Korea
Kitakami
Concord, United States Sanmenxia, China Shibata, Japan
Kitakyushu
Dalian, China Haiphong, Vietnam Incheon, South Korea Norfolk, United States Phnom Penh, Cambodia Tacoma, United States
Kitami
Barrhead, Canada Elizabeth, United States Jinju, South Korea Kōchi, Japan Marumori, Japan Sakawa, Japan
Kiyosu Jerez de la Frontera, Spain
Kizugawa Santa Monica, United States
Ko Kobe
Barcelona, Spain Brisbane, Australia Incheon, South Korea Marseille, France Riga, Latvia Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Seattle, United States Tianjin, China
Kōchi
Fresno, United States Kitami, Japan Surabaya, Indonesia Wuhu, China
Kōfu
Chengdu, China Des Moines, United States Lodi, United States Pau, France Yamatokōriyama, Japan
Kōka
DeWitt, United States Icheon, South Korea Marshall, United States Traverse City, United States
Kokubunji
Sado, Japan Marion, Australia
Komaki
Anyang, South Korea Wyandotte, United States
Komatsu
Gateshead, England, United Kingdom Jining, China Suzano, Brazil Vilvoorde, Belgium
Kosai Greater Geraldton, Australia
Koshigaya Campbelltown, Australia
Ku–Ky Kuji
Franklin, United States Klaipėda, Lithuania
Kuki Roseburg, United States
Kumagaya Invercargill, New Zealand
Kumamoto
Fukui, Japan Guilin, China Heidelberg, Germany Rome, United States San Antonio, United States
Kurashiki
Christchurch, New Zealand Kansas City, United States Sankt Pölten, Austria Zhenjiang, China
Kure
Bremerton, United States Changwon, South Korea Keelung, Taiwan Marbella, Spain Wenzhou, China
Kurume
Hefei, China Modesto, United States
Kusatsu, Gunma
Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany Hayama, Japan Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic Neustift im Stubaital, Austria Snowy Monaro, Australia
Kusatsu, Shiga
Kan'onji, Japan Pontiac, United States Xuhui (Shanghai), China
Kushimoto
Hemet, United States Mersin, Turkey Torres, Australia Yakakent, Turkey
Kushiro
Burnaby, Canada Kholmsk, Russia Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia Tottori, Japan Yuzawa, Japan
Kyōtamba Hawkesbury, Australia
Kyōtango Bozhou, China
Kyoto
Boston, United States Cologne, Germany Florence, Italy Guadalajara, Mexico Kyiv, Ukraine
Prague, Czech Republic Xi'an, China Zagreb, Croatia
M Ma Maebashi Birmingham, United States
Maizuru
Dalian, China Nakhodka, Russia