How it works
This random Japanese prefecture generator draws one of the 47 prefectures of Japan, each with its capital city, its region and its name in Japanese. Use it for a geography quiz, a trip plan or a story setting.
Read the full guide
Six chips, north to south
After your first press, the chips narrow the draw: Hokkaidō and Tōhoku (7), Kantō (7), Chūbu (9), Kansai (7), Chūgoku and Shikoku (9), and Kyūshū and Okinawa (8). The last chip, Capital has another name, holds the 17 prefectures whose capital is not named after them, the ones quizzes like to ask.
Four kinds of prefecture
Japan counts 43 prefectures proper, called ken. Osaka and Kyoto are urban prefectures, fu. Hokkaidō is the one regional prefecture, dō, and Tokyo is the one metropolis, to. Together the four words give the Japanese name for all 47: todōfuken.
Tips
- To learn capitals, pick Capital has another name and say the city before you read the card.
- Set the count to 5 and put the five in order from north to south.
Questions and answers
How many prefectures does Japan have?
Forty-seven: 43 prefectures proper, the two urban prefectures of Osaka and Kyoto, the regional prefecture of Hokkaidō and the Tokyo metropolis.
Which prefectures have a capital with a different name?
17 of the 47. Aichi's capital is Nagoya, Hyōgo's is Kōbe, Kanagawa's is Yokohama and Miyagi's is Sendai, for example. The chip Capital has another name draws only those.
What region is Okinawa in?
The table this list was read from places Okinawa in the Ryūkyū Islands, south of Kyūshū. The chip here groups it with the seven prefectures of Kyūshū.