is a definition of metropolitan area

Metropolitan area

The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...

s, defined by the Center for Spatial Information Service, the University of Tokyo

University of Tokyo

, abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most prestigious university...

. It is different from the official definition of metropolitan areas defined by the Statistics Bureau, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications

Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications

The ' or Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is a cabinet-level ministry in the Government of Japan. The English name Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications was used prior to 2004...

. For the latter scheme, see the List of metropolitan areas in Japan by population article.

The basic principle of UEA is similar to that of the Statistics Bureau definition; a central city and its associated outlying municipalities

Municipalities of Japan

Japan has three levels of government: national, prefectural, and municipal. The nation is divided into 47 prefectures. Each prefecture consists of numerous municipalities. There are four types of municipalities in Japan: cities, towns, villages and special wards...

 with certain amounts of commuters. A UEA with at least 50,000 DID (Densely Inhabited District) population is called or MEA for short in English. A UEA with at least 10,000 and less than 50,000 DID population is called or McEA for short in English.

Definition

Central city:

• If a municipality has at least 10,000 DID population, and is not a suburb of any other municipalities, it is defined as a central city.
• Even if a municipality is a suburb of another, it can still be defined as a central city. In this case, a municipality must have workers working there more than those living there. It must also have the DID population of at least 10,000, or a third of the population of the central city.

Suburb:

• If a municipality A has more than 10% of its population commuting to a central city B, A is defined as a (primary) suburb of B.
  • If there are multiple such cities for a suburb A, the one with the most commuters from A is defined as A's central city.
• If a municipality A has more than 10% of its population commuting to another suburb B, and if no other municipalities have more commuters from A, A is defined as a secondary suburb or lower of B.
• If a municipality A has more than 10% of its population commuting to B and vice versa, the one with the higher percentage of commuters is defined as a suburb of another.
• If a central city comprises multiple municipalities, numbers of commuters to all those municipalities are counted for the calculations above.

Top 100 Urban Employment Areas in Japan

Source: Urban Employment Area (UEA) Code Table

• W/L here is jūgyō jōjū jinkōhi (従業常住人口比), the ratio of workers in the area, against the number of workers living in the area.
• DID population here is a population of central city. If an area has multiple central cities, only the most populous one among them is counted.
• A 2000 population decrease from 1995 is written in red figures.
• Metropolitan Employment Area (MEA) is listed on white background. Micropolitan Employment Area (McEA) is listed on yellow background.
• Prefectural
  Prefectures of Japan
  The prefectures of Japan are the country's 47 subnational jurisdictions: one "metropolis" , Tokyo; one "circuit" , Hokkaidō; two urban prefectures , Osaka and Kyoto; and 43 other prefectures . In Japanese, they are commonly referred to as...
  
   capital is numbered with blue background. Non-capital is numbered with green background.
• 1980 ranks exclude Kurashiki MEA, which was merged with Okayama MEA in 2000. Those under No. 100 are marked as "-".

2000	1980	Name	Pop. (2000)	Pop. (1980)	DID (2000)	W/L (2000)
1	1	Tokyo MEA Greater Tokyo Area The Greater Tokyo Area is a large metropolitan area in Kantō region, Japan, consisting of most of the prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Tokyo . In Japanese, it is referred to by various terms, including the , , and others....  (ja)	31,729,844	26,624,003	8,134,688	1.64
2	2	Osaka MEA Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto is a Japanese metropolitan region encompassing the metropolitan areas of the cities of Osaka in Osaka prefecture, Kobe in Hyōgo Prefecture, and Kyoto in Kyoto prefecture. The entire region has a population of 18,644,000 over an area of 11,170 km²...  (ja)	12,116,540	11,170,018	2,598,452	1.82
3	3	Nagoya MEA Chukyo Metropolitan Area , sometimes called the Chūkyō region , is the name of a major metropolitan area in Japan that is centered on the city of Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture. The area makes up the most urban part of the Tōkai region...	5,318,500	4,538,832	2,119,714	1.28
4	4	Kyoto MEA Kyoto is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...	2,583,304	2,361,205	1,388,842	1.12
5	6	Fukuoka MEA Fukuoka, Fukuoka is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...	2,329,021	1,773,129	1,284,574	1.24
6	5	Kobe MEA Kobe , pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...	2,296,268	2,047,561	1,375,306	1.04
7	7	Sapporo MEA Sapporo, Hokkaido is the fourth-largest city in Japan by population, and the largest city on the island of Hokkaido. It is the capital of Hokkaidō Prefecture, located in Ishikari Subprefecture, and an ordinance-designated city of Japan....	2,217,162	1,751,996	1,759,684	1.02
8	9	Hiroshima MEA	1,584,037	1,327,198	987,542	1.04
9	10	Sendai MEA Sendai, Miyagi is the capital city of Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, and the largest city in the Tōhoku Region. In 2005, the city had a population of one million, and was one of Japan's 19 designated cities...	1,555,691	1,248,616	892,252	1.13
10	14	Okayama MEA Okayama, Okayama is the capital city of Okayama Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan.The city was founded on June 1, 1889. As of August 2010, the city has an estimated population of 705,224 and a population density of 893 persons per km². The total area is 789.88 km²....	1,484,066	750,188	431,882	1.11
11	8	Kitakyūshū MEA Kitakyushu, Fukuoka is a city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Kyūshū, Japan. It is midway between Tokyo and Shanghai.- Demographics :Kitakyūshū has a population of just under one million...	1,425,920	1,524,747	913,119	1.05
12	12	Kumamoto MEA Kumamoto, Kumamoto is the capital city of Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. Greater Kumamoto has a population of 1,460,000, as of the 2000 census...	1,020,488	836,892	548,054	1.08
13	11	Shizuoka MEA Shizuoka, Shizuoka is the capital city of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, and the prefecture's second-largest city in terms of both population and area. It became one of Japan's 19 "designated cities" in 2005.-Geography:...	999,360	966,074	409,458	1.11
14	15	Niigata MEA Niigata, Niigata is the capital and the most populous city of Niigata Prefecture, Japan. It lies on the northwest coast of Honshu, the largest island of Japan, and faces the Sea of Japan and Sado Island....	947,310	726,983	437,336	1.16
15	13	Hamamatsu MEA Hamamatsu, Shizuoka is a city located in western Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. On July 1, 2005, the city merged with 11 surrounding cities and towns. It became a city designated by government ordinance on April 1, 2007.- History :...	919,933	825,503	407,251	1.07
16	25	Utsunomiya MEA Utsunomiya, Tochigi is the capital and most populous city of Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. In October 2010 the city had an estimated population of 510,416 and a population density of 1,224.49 people per square kilometer. The total area is 416.84 km². had a population of 888,005 in the 2000 Census...	888,005	547,545	349,054	1.13
17	16	Gifu MEA Gifu, Gifu is a city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. During the Sengoku period, various warlords, including Oda Nobunaga, used...	820,848	711,981	295,176	1.08
18	20	Naha MEA Naha, Okinawa is the capital city of the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa.Naha is a coastal city located on the East China Sea coast of the southern part of Okinawa Island, the largest of the Ryukyu Islands...	746,762	616,010	296,961	1.23
19	17	Himeji MEA Himeji, Hyogo is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. As of April 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 535,945, with 206,409 households. The total area is 534.43 km².- History :...	741,759	709,219	366,007	1.11
20	19	Kanazawa MEA Kanazawa, Ishikawa is the capital city of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan.-Geography, climate, and population:Kanazawa sits on the Sea of Japan, bordered by the Japan Alps, Hakusan National Park and Noto Peninsula National Park. The city sits between the Sai and Asano rivers. Its total area is 467.77 km².Kanazawa's...	732,467	626,523	369,986	1.14
21	18	Kagoshima MEA Kagoshima, Kagoshima is the capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture at the southwestern tip of the Kyūshū island of Japan, and the largest city in the prefecture by some margin...	728,658	662,737	484,491	1.05
22	30	Fukuyama MEA Fukuyama, Hiroshima is a city located on the Ashida River in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.As of January 31, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 465,238 and a population density of 898.02 persons per km². The total area is 461.23 km². After Hiroshima City, it is the largest city in Hiroshima Prefecture...	715,334	517,514	239,923	1.06
23	21	OitaŌita MEA Oita, Oita is the capital city of Ōita Prefecture located on the island of Kyushu, Japan.- Demographics and geography :Ōita is the most populous city in Ōita Prefecture...	703,781	608,653	314,938	1.05
24	24	Nagasaki MEA	700,147	553,101	351,970	1.08
25	22	Takamatsu MEA Takamatsu, Kagawa is a city located in central Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku in Japan, and is the seat of the prefectural government. It is designated a core city by the Japanese Government. It is a port city located on the Seto Inland Sea, and is the closest port to Honshu from Shikoku island...	670,104	592,555	217,410	1.23
26	28	Mito MEA Mito, Ibaraki is the capital of Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan and has a central location, moderately offset towards the coast in that prefecture. As of 2005, the city has an estimated population of 263,748 and a total area is 217.45 km², giving a population density of 1,212.91 persons per km²...	660,683	532,911	164,587	1.25
27	27	Toyohashi MEA Toyohashi, Aichi is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.The city was founded on August 1, 1906. As of January 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 383,691 and a density of 1,468.62 persons per km². The total area is . By size, Toyohashi was Aichi Prefecture's second-largest city until March 31,...	644,784	540,880	256,696	0.98
28	26	Matsuyama MEA Matsuyama, Ehime is the capital city of Ehime Prefecture on the Shikoku island of Japan. It is located on the northeastern portion of the Dōgo Plain. Its name means "pine mountain." The city was founded on December 15, 1889....	623,570	542,188	401,494	1.04
29	36	KofuKōfu MEA Kofu, Yamanashi is the capital city of Yamanashi Prefecture in Japan.As of May 1, 2011, the city had a estimate population of 197,540, with 85,794 households. The total area is 212.41 km².-History:Kōfu's name means "capital of Kai Province"...	614,835	476,543	168,833	1.25
30	31	Nagano MEA Nagano, Nagano , the capital city of Nagano Prefecture, is located in the northern part of the prefecture near the confluence of the Chikuma and the Sai rivers, on the main Japanese island of Honshū.As of April 1, 2011 the city has a population of 387,146...	609,811	514,136	243,321	1.10
31	29	Yokkaichi MEA Yokkaichi, Mie is a city located in Mie, Japan.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 314,393. The total area is 205.53 km².The closest major city is Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture....	606,071	522,233	193,690	1.09
32	35	Tokushima MEA Tokushima, Tokushima is the capital city of Tokushima Prefecture on Shikoku island in Japan.As of May 1, 2011, the city had an estimated population of 263,372, with 114,325 households, and a population density of 1,377.25 persons per km². Its total area is 191.23 km²....	595,653	478,772	189,230	1.19
33	23	Wakayama MEA Wakayama, Wakayama is the capital city of Wakayama Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan.-Background:Wakayama occupies 4% of the land area and has 40% of Wakayama prefecture's population. The city was founded on April 1, 1889....	573,308	566,668	300,910	1.07
34	38	Fukui MEA Fukui, Fukui is the capital of Fukui Prefecture, Japan. The city is located in the north-central part of the prefecture on the coast of the Sea of Japan.-Demographics:...	560,601	454,495	164,433	1.20
35	78	Tsukuba MEA Tsukuba, Ibaraki is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. It is known as the location of the , a planned city developed in the 1960s.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 207,394 and a population density of 730 persons per km². Its total area is 284.07 km².Mount Tsukuba, particularly well-known...	555,178	216,337	64,015	1.23
36	32	Toyama MEA Toyama, Toyama is the capital city of Toyama Prefecture, Japan, located on the coast of the Sea of Japan in the Chūbu region on central Honshū, about 200 km north of the city of Nagoya and 300 km northwest of Tokyo....	541,761	504,353	214,542	1.18
37	33	KochiKōchi MEA Kochi, Kochi is the capital city of Kōchi Prefecture on Shikoku island of Japan.Kōchi is the main city of the prefecture with over 40% of its population. As of May 31, 2008, the city had an estimated population of 340,515 and a density of...	541,339	490,401	277,948	1.08
38	54	KoriyamaKōriyama MEA Koriyama, Fukushima is a city in the center of the Nakadōri region of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. As of May 2011, the city had an estimated population of 336,328. The total area is 757 km²....	537,493	341,004	225,148	1.08
39	37	Takasaki MEA Takasaki, Gunma is a city located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan.The city was founded on April 1, 1900.Takasaki is a regional transportation hub because its train station is the junction of several rail lines as well as a Shinkansen stop....	532,271	457,317	171,141	1.16
40	39	Yamagata MEA Yamagata, Yamagata is the capital city of Yamagata Prefecture in Japan.As of July 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 253,951 with 97,457 households and a population density of 665.94 persons per km². The total area is 381.34 km². The city was founded on April 1, 1889.-Culture:The , one of Tōhoku's...	475,546	415,965	177,763	1.12
41	44	Morioka MEA Morioka, Iwate is the capital city of Iwate Prefecture, Japan.As of 2005, the city has an estimated population of 300,740 and a population density of 588.11 persons per km². The total area is 489.15 km²....	475,541	382,706	230,793	1.11
42	53	Maebashi MEA Maebashi, Gunma is the capital city of Gunma Prefecture, Japan.The city was founded on April 1, 1892, by the samurai Makuba Kawai.On December 5, 2004 the town of Ōgo, and the villages of Kasukawa and Miyagi, all from Seta District, were merged into Maebashi....	458,996	341,331	204,541	1.17
43	34	Numazu MEA Numazu, Shizuoka is a city located in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 2009, the city has an estimated population of 205,636 and a population density of 1,100 persons per km². The total area was 187.11 km².- Geography:...	458,330	487,606	173,401	1.14
44	42	Akita MEA Akita, Akita is the capital city of Akita Prefecture in the Tohoku region of Japan.As of June 11, 2005, with the merger of the former Kawabe District , the city has an estimated population of 323,310 and density of...	452,316	384,718	265,711	1.09
45	45	Matsumoto MEA Matsumoto, Nagano is a city located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Matsumoto is designated as a Special City.-Outline:The new city of Matsumoto is the city comprising the mergers of the old city of Matsumoto and four villages. Matsumoto officially absorbed those villages without creating a new municipal...	444,926	371,850	142,846	1.19
46	47	Miyazaki MEA Miyazaki, Miyazaki is the capital city of Miyazaki Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū in Japan. Located on the coast and perforated by several rivers, Miyazaki City enjoys scenic views of both ocean and nearby, verdant mountains...	440,794	356,771	238,123	1.06
47	55	Toyota MEA Toyota, Aichi is a city located in the Mikawa region of Aichi Prefecture, Japan, east of Nagoya.Toyota's main plant, the Tsutsumi plant, is located here. The longstanding ties between the Toyota Motor Corporation and the town of Toyota-shi, formerly known as Koromo, gave the town its current...	439,525	340,596	231,334	1.11
48	43	Kurume MEA Kurume, Fukuoka is a city located in Fukuoka prefecture, Japan.The city has an estimated population of 303,277 and a population density of 1,319.51 persons per km²...	419,616	384,264	178,381	1.10
49	52	Fukushima MEA Fukushima, Fukushima is the capital city of Fukushima Prefecture in the Tōhoku Region of Japan. As of May 2011 the city has an estimated population of 290,064 and an area of 746.43 km².It lies about 250 km north of Tokyo and 80 km south of Sendai.-History:...	412,353	343,063	182,966	1.07
50	59	Saga MEA Saga, Saga is the capital of Saga Prefecture, located on the island of Kyūshū, Japan.Saga was the capital of Saga Domain in the Edo period, and largest city of former Hizen Province....	410,326	304,703	127,010	1.25
51	51	Fuji MEA Fuji, Shizuoka is a city in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture. Fuji is the 3rd largest city in terms of population in Shizuoka Prefecture, trailing Hamamatsu and Shizuoka. As of February 2010, the city has an estimated population of 254,113 and a population density of 1040 persons per km²...	399,490	345,720	186,981	1.05
52	41	Asahikawa MEA Asahikawa, Hokkaido is a city in Kamikawa Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital of the subprefecture and the second-largest city in Hokkaido, after Sapporo. It has been a Core city since April 1, 2000...	398,600	384,718	329,670	1.00
53	62	Okazaki MEA Okazaki, Aichi is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. As of August 2011, the city had an estimated population of 373,339 and a population density of 964 persons per km². The total area was 387.24 km².-Geography:...	379,118	297,404	246,992	0.88
54	46	Hitachi MEA Hitachi, Ibaraki is a city located on the Pacific Ocean in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. Its name could be directly translated as "sunrise", but probably more appropriately adapted to "prosperous wealth" .-Demographics:...	377,592	368,405	168,929	1.15
55	49	Takaoka MEA Takaoka, Toyama is a city situated in the northwest of Toyama Prefecture, Japan, and is the central city of its Western District. Takaoka covers the 8th largest surface area in Toyama prefecture and has the second largest population after Toyama City...	374,530	347,645	92,330	1.04
56	40	Hakodate MEA Hakodate, Hokkaido is a city and port located in Oshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Oshima Subprefecture.Hakodate was Japan's first city whose port was opened to foreign trade in 1854 as a result of Convention of Kanagawa, and used to be the most important port in northern Japan...	366,677	395,403	260,357	1.04
57	50	Iwaki MEA Iwaki, Fukushima is a city located in the southern part of the Hamadōri coastal region of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.A designated "core city", Iwaki is also one of the growing number of hiragana cities. Its area is 1,231.35 km², making it the 10th largest city in Japan...	365,864	347,408	172,933	0.99
58	67	Nagaoka MEA Nagaoka, Niigata is a city located in the central part of Niigata Prefecture, Japan. It is the second largest city in the prefecture, behind the capital city of Niigata...	365,654	274,394	123,641	1.15
59	87	Kumagaya MEA Kumagaya, Saitama is a city in Saitama Prefecture, Japan.As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 203,089 . The total area is 159.88 km². The city is one of the biggest in northern Saitama Prefecture. It is the administrative, business and commercial centre in northern Saitama Prefecture. Eight...	356,995	186,859	104,731	1.03
60	56	Aomori MEA Aomori, Aomori is the capital city of Aomori Prefecture, in the northern Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 2009, the city had an estimated population of 302,068 and a density of 366 persons per km². Its total area was 824.52 km².- History :...	340,558	336,677	241,322	1.04
61	61	Odawara MEA Odawara, Kanagawa is a city located in western Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 198,466 with a population density of 1,740 persons per km² . The total area was .-Geography:...	337,568	302,668	172,105	0.96
62	57	Hachinohe MEA Hachinohe, Aomori - Neighbouring municipalities :Aomori Prefecture*Sannohe District**Hashikami**Gonohe**Nanbu*Kamikita District**OiraseIwate Prefecture*Karumai-History:...	332,242	331,608	169,749	1.09
63	66	Hirosaki MEA Hirosaki, Aomori is a city located in southwest Aomori Prefecture, Japan. It is a castle town and was the Tsugaru clan ruled the 100,000 koku tozama han Hirosaki Domain from Hirosaki Castle during the Edo period. The city is currently a regional commercial center and the largest producer of apples in Japan...	326,102	278,234	125,803	1.09
64	60	Sasebo MEA Sasebo, Nagasaki is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2011, the city has an estimated population of 259,800 and the density of 609 persons per km². The total area is 426.47 km². The locality is famed for its scenic beauty. The city includes a part of Saikai National Park...	322,948	304,678	159,673	1.04
65	64	OgakiŌgaki MEA Ogaki, Gifu is a city located in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It was incorporated as a city on April 1, 1918. As of July 2011, the city has an estimated population of 160,999 and a total area of .Ōgaki was the final destination for the haiku poet Matsuo Bashō...	319,486	280,945	92,158	1.09
66	65	Tsu MEA Tsu, Mie is the capital of Mie Prefecture, Japan. The city of Tsu is located on Ise Bay, east of the city. Tsu is bounded to the north by Suzuka and Kameyama; to the west by Iga, Nabari, and Nara Prefecture; and to the south by Matsuzaka city.-History:...	308,375	280,045	100,149	1.23
67	58	Kure MEA Kure, Hiroshima is a city in Hiroshima prefecture, Japan.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 240,820 and a population density of 681 persons per km². The total area is 353.74 km².- History :...	288,637	320,342	173,993	1.02
68	93	OtaŌta MEA Ota, Gunma is a city 50 miles northwest of Tokyo, in eastern Gunma prefecture, Japan. This city is located between the Tone and Watarase rivers. As a result, the new city reached a total population of 219,789, making it the third most populous city in Gunma....	288,046	161,945	82,866	1.12
69	48	Shimonoseki MEA Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi is a city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. It is at the southwestern tip of Honshū, facing the Tsushima Strait and also Kitakyushu across the Kanmon Straits....	287,935	348,875	197,992	1.01
70	74	Okinawa MEA Okinawa, Okinawa is the second-largest city in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, following Naha, the capital city. It is located in the central part of the island of Okinawa, about 20 km north of Naha....	283,227	236,398	100,162	0.98
71	63	Tokuyama MEA Tokuyama, Yamaguchi was a city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan.On April 21, 2003 Tokuyama was merged with the city of Shinnan'yō, the town of Kumage, from Kumage District, and the town of Kano, from Tsuno District, to form the new city of Shūnan....	281,194	295,506	67,407	1.14
72	70	Kisarazu MEA Kisarazu, Chiba is a city located in Chiba, Japan. As of September 2010, Kisarazu has an estimated population of 126,906 and a density of 915 persons per km². The total area was 138.73 km²....	267,626	244,066	82,216	0.91
73	75	Ube MEA Ube, Yamaguchi is a city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan on the Seto Inland Sea.As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 179,000 and the density of 622 persons per km². The total area is 287.69 km².The city was founded on November 1, 1921....	258,180	229,729	93,439	1.00
74	77	Obihiro MEA Obihiro, Hokkaido is a city located in Tokachi, Hokkaidō, Japan. Obihiro is the only city in the Tokachi area. The next most populous municipality in Tokachi is the town of Otofuke, with less than a third of Obihiro's population. The city has approximately 500 foreign residents . The city contains the headquarters...	253,851	221,659	161,127	1.07
75	69	Yonago MEA Yonago, Tottori is a city located in the northwest of Tottori Prefecture, Japan, facing the Sea of Japan, and adjacent to Shimane. It is the prefecture's second largest city after Tottori and therefore a commercial center of the western part of this prefecture....	252,387	246,581	69,684	1.12
76	73	Tottori MEA Tottori, Tottori is the capital city of Tottori Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan.As of 2006, the city has an estimated population of 200,974 and a density of 262.48 persons per km². The total area is 765.66 km²....	249,067	239,972	94,204	1.21
77	85	Oyama MEA Oyama, Tochigi is a city in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.As April 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 163,954, with 62,714 households, and a population density of 955.39 persons per km²...	245,698	190,194	75,948	1.05
78	76	Jōetsu MEA Joetsu, Niigata is a city located in Niigata Prefecture, Japan.As of June 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 205,521, with 72,982 households and a population density of 211.15 persons per km². The total area is 973.32 km²....	244,810	227,947	81,780	1.08
79	68	OmutaŌmuta MEA Omuta, Fukuoka is a city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan.As of January 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 127,126 and the density of 1,558.87 persons per km²...	240,181	254,723	114,794	1.03
80	999-	Kariya MEA Kariya, Aichi is a city located in central Aichi Prefecture, Japan. As of October 2011, the city had an estimated population of 145,955 and a population density of 2890 persons per km²...	232,726	137,173	102,278	1.31
81	86	Miyakonojō MEA Miyakonojo, Miyazaki is a city located in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan.The city was founded on April 1, 1924. On January 1, 2006 the towns of Takajō, Takazaki, Yamada and Yamanokuchi merged into the city. As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 169,384 and a population density of 259 per km²...	227,196	189,065	64,159	1.12
82	81	Ueda McEA	227,062	205,775	43,267	1.06
83	80	Matsue MEA Matsue, Shimane is the capital city of Shimane Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan.As of August, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 207,000, following its most recent merging with Higashi-Izumo...	225,937	205,031	106,413	1.17
84	71	Kushiro MEA Kushiro, Hokkaido is a city located in Kushiro Subprefecture, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is the capital city of Kushiro Subprefecture, as well as the most populous city in eastern Hokkaidō....	225,576	242,331	176,971	1.01
85	999-	Kitakami McEA Kitakami, Iwate is a city located in Iwate Prefecture on the main island of Japan.- History :The first city of Kitakami was founded on April 1, 1954.The current and the second city of Kitakami was founded on April 1, 1991 when the first city merged with the villages of Ezuriko and Waga .- Sightseeing :The city is...	220,258	76,633	26,825	1.08
86	999-	Nakatsu McEA Nakatsu, Oita is a city located on the northern border of Ōita Prefecture in Kyūshū, Japan. The city is situated on the border with Fukuoka Prefecture.The city was founded on April 20, 1929. As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 84,179, with a population density of 171 people per km²...	216,597	97,817	25,520	1.07
87	87	Iizuka McEA Iizuka, Fukuoka is a city located at the confluence of the Honami and Onga rivers in central Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan.Iizuka was an important post-station on the Nagasaki Kaidō during the Edo Era. As Japan industrialised, Iizuka became the center of the most productive coal fields in Japan located throughout the...	209,400	188,420	47,842	1.16
88	84	Ishinomaki MEA Ishinomaki, Miyagi is a city located in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.As of January 1, 2010, the city had an estimated population of 164,294 and a population density of 295.83 persons per km²...	207,558	194,680	101,723	1.07
89	72	Muroran MEA Muroran, Hokkaido is a city and port located in Iburi, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is the capital city of Iburi Subprefecture.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 96,724 and a density of 1,210 people per km². The total area is 80.65 km².- History :...	201,293	241,371	85,251	1.15
90	95	Tomakomai MEA Tomakomai, Hokkaido is a city and port located in Iburi, Hokkaido, Japan. Though its name implies a small, idyllic town, it is the largest city in the Iburi Subprefecture. As of 2008, it had an estimated population of 173,504 and a population density of 310 persons per km²...	199,144	158,191	141,089	1.00
91	94	Isesaki MEA Isesaki, Gunma is a city located in Gunma, Japan. The current population is 211,021, with 80,638 households. A small city located near the geographic center of Japan's main island of Honshū, Isesaki is the fourth largest city in Gunma Prefecture and it is one of the growing cities within Gunma Prefecture...	194,232	159,064	68,656	1.05
92	83	Niihama MEA Niihama, Ehime is a city located in the eastern part of Ehime, Japan. It has the third largest population in Ehime, behind the prefectural capital of Matsuyama and the recently expanded city of Imabari.Niihama was founded on November 3, 1937...	193,417	196,483	91,822	0.99
93	97	Matsusaka MEA Matsusaka, Mie , sometimes called Matsuzaka, is a city located in central Mie Prefecture, on the island of Honshū, Japan. The city is famous for its beef.-Founding:...	190,542	156,295	60,652	1.01
94	999-	Tsuyama McEA Tsuyama, Okayama is a city located in Okayama, Japan.As of 2003, the city had an estimated population of 89,974 and the density of 484.43 persons per km². The total area was 185.73 km²...	189,627	144,230	36,048	1.11
95	82	Aizuwakamatsu MEA Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima is a city located in the Aizu region of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.As of May 2011, the city has an estimated population of 125,341. The total area is 383.03 km².-History:...	188,686	197,672	93,305	1.15
96	999-	Hikone MEA Hikone, Shiga is a city located in Shiga, Japan. The city was incorporated on February 11, 1937.Hikone's most famous historical site is Hikone Castle. Its construction was begun in 1603, by Ii Naokatsu, son of the former lord, Ii Naomasa, but was not completed until 1622...	185,687	135,930	58,986	1.01
97	79	Kiryū MEA Kiryu, Gunma is a city in Gunma, Japan, near the cities of Ōta and Ashikaga. Incorporated on March 1, 1921, Kiryū is considered both a city and part of the Greater Tokyo Metropolitan Area, although it is still widely thought of as a rural area...	185,540	205,240	88,575	0.97
98	999-	Yamaguchi MEA Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi is the capital city of Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan.As of February 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 198,971 and a population density of 194.44 persons per km²...	178,402	147,867	74,041	1.02
99	89	Izumo McEA Izumo, Shimane is a city located in Shimane, Japan. Izumo is known for Izumo soba noodles and the Izumo Taisha Shinto shrine.-Demographics:The modern city was founded on November 3, 1941....	173,715	166,279	29,477	1.08
100	999-	Furukawa McEA Furukawa, Miyagi was a city located in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.In 2003, the city had an estimated population of 73,980 and a population density of 551.51 persons per km²...	169,910	65,525	33,802	1.07

These areas have multiple central cities. Municipal names are as of 2000.

• Tokyo: 8; Special wards of Tokyo
  Special wards of Tokyo
  The are 23 municipalities that together make up the core and the most populous part of Tokyo, Japan. Together, they occupy the land that was the city of Tokyo before it was abolished in 1943. The special wards' structure was established under the Japanese Local Autonomy Law and is unique to...
  
  , Kawasaki
  Kawasaki, Kanagawa
  is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, between Tokyo and Yokohama. It is the 9th most populated city in Japan and one of the main cities forming the Greater Tokyo Area and Keihin Industrial Area....
  
  , Yokohama
  Yokohama
  is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
  
  , Atsugi
  Atsugi, Kanagawa
  is a city located in central Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 225,622 and a population density of 2,410 persons per km². The total area was 93.83 km²...
  
  , Chiba
  Chiba, Chiba
  is the capital city of Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is located approximately 40 km east of the center of Tokyo on Tokyo Bay. Chiba City became a government designated city in 1992. Its population as of 2008 is approximately 960,000....
  
  , Toda
  Toda, Saitama
  is a city located in Saitama, Japan. The city is located beside the Arakawa river which separates it from Tokyo. The Sasame river also flows through the city before joining the Arakawa.-History:...
  
  , Musashino
  Musashino, Tokyo
  is a city located in Tokyo, Japan.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 137,222 and a population density of 12,788.63 persons per km². The total area is 10.73 km².The city was founded on November 3, 1947...
  
  , and Tachikawa
  Tachikawa, Tokyo
  is a city located in western Tokyo, Japan.As of February 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 178,064 and the density of 7,303.69 people per km². The total area is 24.38 km²...
  
  .
• Osaka: 4; Osaka, Higashiōsaka, Moriguchi
  Moriguchi, Osaka
  is a city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan which serves as a satellite town to Osaka.As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 146,524 and the density of 11,510 persons per km²...
  
  , and Kadoma
  Kadoma, Osaka
  is a city located in Osaka, Japan.As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 128,034 and the density of 10,430 persons per km². The total area is 12.28 km²....
  
  .
• Nagoya: 2; Nagoya and Komaki
  Komaki, Aichi
  is a city located in Aichi, Japan. It is commonly associated with the former Nagoya Airport, which is partly located in the city. The other part is in the city of Kasugai. As of January 1, 2008, the city has an estimated population of 149,060 and the density of 2,370 persons per km²...
  
  .
• Okayama: 2; Okayama and Kurashiki
  Kurashiki, Okayama
  is a historic city located to the west of Okayama Prefecture, Japan, sitting on the Takahashi River, on the coast of the Inland Sea.As of April 2010, the city has a population of 473,392. The total area is .-History:...
  
  . They were different UEAs until 1990.
• Tsukuba: 2; Tsukuba and Tsuchiura
  Tsuchiura, Ibaraki
  is a city located in Ibaraki prefecture, in Japan. It is situated along the western shores of Lake Kasumigaura, the second largest lake in Japan. Tokyo city lies about 60 km to the south, and Tsukuba science city borders Tsuchiura to the west.-Demographics:...
  
  .
• Ōta: 2; Ōta and Ōizumi
  Oizumi, Gunma
  is a town located in Ōra District, Gunma, Japan.As of September 1, 2007, the town had an estimated population of 41,098 and a density of 2292.14 persons per km²...
  
  .
• Tokuyama: 3; Tokuyama, Kudamatsu
  Kudamatsu, Yamaguchi
  is a city in Yamaguchi, Japan.As of 2003, the city has an estimated population of 53,082 and the density of 594.02 persons per km². The total area is 89.36 km²....
  
  , and Shinnan'yō.
• Kitakami: 2; Kitakami and Hanamaki
  Hanamaki, Iwate
  is a city located in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. As of March 31, 2011, the city has an estimated total population of 102,455, with a household number of 35,831. Hanamaki is most famous as the birthplace of Kenji Miyazawa and for its onsen. The city recently celebrated the 50th anniversary since its...
  
  .

These areas changed their names between 1980 and 2000, as the most populated central cities have changed.

• Tsuchiura UEA changed to Tsukuba UEA after 1995.
• Kimitsu
  Kimitsu, Chiba
  is a city located in Chiba, Japan. As of September 2010, the city had an estimated population of 88,661 and a population density of 278 persons per km². The total area was 318.83 km².-Geography:...
  
   UEA changed to Kisarazu UEA after 1990.

See also

• List of metropolitan areas in Japan by population
• List of Japanese cities by population