(Circle click-able)
■ ― Designated cities
■ ― Core cities
■ ― Special cities

A core city (中核市, Chūkakushi^?) is a class of Japanese city created by the first clause of Article 252, Section 22 of the Local Autonomy Law of Japan. Core cities are delegated many functions normally carried out by prefectural governments, but not as many as designated cities. To become a candidate for core city status, a city must satisfy the following condition:

• A population greater than 300,000.

Application for designation is made by a city with the approval of both the city and prefectural assemblies.

List of core cities

As of 2009, 41 cities have been designated core cities:

Name	Japanese	Population (2010)	Date of designation	Region	Prefecture
Akita	秋田	323,363	1997-04-01	Tōhoku	Akita
Amagasaki	尼崎	453,608	2009-04-01	Kansai	Hyōgo
Aomori	青森	299,429	2006-10-01	Tōhoku	Aomori
Asahikawa	旭川	347,275	2000-04-01	Hokkaidō	Hokkaidō
Fukuyama	福山	461,471	1998-04-01	Chūgoku	Hiroshima
Funabashi	船橋	609,081	2003-04-01	Kantō	Chiba
Gifu	岐阜	413,239	1996-04-01	Chūbu	Gifu
Hakodate	函館	279,110	2005-10-01	Hokkaidō	Hokkaidō
Higashiōsaka	東大阪	509,632	2005-04-01	Kansai	Osaka
Himeji	姫路	536,338	1996-04-01	Kansai	Hyōgo
Iwaki	いわき	342,198	1999-04-01	Tōhoku	Fukushima
Kagoshima	鹿児島	605,940	1996-04-01	Kyushu	Kagoshima
Kashiwa	柏	404,079	2008-04-01	Kantō	Chiba
Kanazawa	金沢	462,478	1996-04-01	Chūbu	Ishikawa
Kawagoe	川越	342,714	2003-04-01	Kantō	Saitama
Kōchi	高知	343,416	1998-04-01	Shikoku	Kōchi
Kōriyama	郡山	338,772	1997-04-01	Tōhoku	Fukushima
Kumamoto	熊本	734,294	1997-04-01	Kyushu	Kumamoto
Kurashiki	倉敷	475,421	2002-04-01	Chūgoku	Okayama
Kurume	久留米	302,323	2008-04-01	Kyushu	Fukuoka
Maebashi	前橋	340,390	2009-04-01	Kantō	Gunma
Matsuyama	松山	517,088	2000-04-01	Shikoku	Ehime
Miyazaki	宮崎	400,352	1998-04-01	Kyushu	Miyazaki
Morioka	盛岡	298,572	2008-04-01	Tōhoku	Iwate
Nagano	長野	381,533	1999-04-01	Chūbu	Nagano
Nagasaki	長崎	443,469	1996-04-01	Kyushu	Nagasaki
Nara	奈良	366,528	2002-04-01	Kansai	Nara
Nishinomiya	西宮	482,790	2008-04-01	Kansai	Hyōgo
Ōita	大分	473,955	1997-04-01	Kyushu	Ōita
Okazaki	岡崎	372,472	2003-04-01	Chūbu	Aichi
Ōtsu	大津	337,629	2009-04-01	Kansai	Shiga
Shimonoseki	下関	280,987	2005-10-01	Chūgoku	Yamaguchi
Takamatsu	高松	419,291	1999-04-01	Shikoku	Kagawa
Takasaki	高崎	371,352	2011-04-01	Kantō	Gunma
Takatsuki	高槻	357,423	2003-04-01	Kansai	Osaka
Toyama	富山	421,890	2005-04-01	Chūbu	Toyama
Toyohashi	豊橋	376,861	1999-04-01	Chūbu	Aichi
Toyota	豊田	421,552	1998-04-01	Chūbu	Aichi
Utsunomiya	宇都宮	511,296	1996-04-01	Kantō	Tochigi
Wakayama	和歌山	369,400	1997-04-01	Kansai	Wakayama
Yokosuka	横須賀	418,448	2001-04-01	Kantō	Kanagawa

Former core cities

• Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture

  Designated on 1 April 1996, redesignated as a core city after the former cities of Shimizu and Shizuoka merged to form the new city of Shizuoka on 1 April 2003, became a designated city on 1 April 2005.

• Sakai, Osaka Prefecture

  Designated on 1 April 1996, achieved the status of designated city on 1 April 2006.

• Niigata, Niigata Prefecture

  Designated on 1 April 1996, achieved the status of designated city on 1 April 2007.

• Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture

  Designated on 1 April 1996, achieved the status of designated city on 1 April 2007.

• Okayama, Okayama Prefecture

  Designated on 1 April 1996, achieved the status of designated city on 1 April 2009.

• Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture

  Designated on 1 April 2003, achieved the status of designated city on 1 April 2010.

Scheduled to become a core city

• April, 2012
  • Toyonaka, Osaka Prefecture
• During 2013
  • Naha, Okinawa Prefecture
• Undetermined date
  • Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture
  • Ichinomiya, Aichi Prefecture

Cities that meet the requirements but have not yet been nominated

The following cities have populations greater than 300,000 but have not yet been nominated. (Cities planning to apply for core city status are not shown. ※Special Cities)

Cities that do not meet the requirements but are planning to nominate

• Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture - Seeking merger with Ojiya and Mitsuke.
• Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture - Seeking merger with Kitamatsuura and Higashisonogi Districts.
• Fukui, Fukui Prefecture - Was scheduled to merge with 4 municipalities but the city of Sabae withdrew from the conference and thus failed to reach the requisite of 300,000 people.

Notes