Largest Cities in Japan

Top 100 cities ranked by largest cities

Best Japan Cities

Composite rankings combining multiple weighted metrics, 4 topics from climate and air quality data.

Best Climate Cities
Warm temperatures, plenty of sunshine and clean air.
Cleanest Air Cities
Lowest pollution levels for healthy outdoor living.
Sunniest Cities
Most days of sunshine per year, with warm and dry climate.
Most Urban Cities
Densely populated city centers with the largest urban footprints.
Population & Density
Largest Cities Smallest Cities Most Dense Least Dense
Climate & Air
Warmest Cities Coldest Cities Rainiest Cities Driest Cities Snowiest Cities
Geography & Infrastructure
Highest Elevation Most Restaurants
All Countries  ·  Japan

Largest Cities - Japan

1 Tokyo 40 14,264,798
2 Yokohama 19 3,757,630
3 Osaka 32 2,751,862
4 Nagoya 01 2,326,844
5 Sapporo 12 1,959,313
6 Fukuoka 07 1,603,043
7 Kawasaki 19 1,538,262
8 Kobe 13 1,521,707
9 Kyoto 22 1,448,964
10 Saitama 34 1,324,854
11 Hiroshima 11 1,198,021
12 Sendai 24 1,061,177
13 Chiba 04 975,014
14 Setagaya 40 940,071
15 Kitakyushu 07 935,084
16 Sakai 32 826,161
17 Niigata 29 797,591
18 Hamamatsu 37 791,707
19 Ōta 40 748,081
20 Kumamoto 21 738,385
21 Aihara 19 725,493
22 Okayama 31 724,691
23 Sagamihara 19 720,780
24 Edogawe 40 697,932
25 Adachi 40 695,043
26 Shizuoka 37 693,389
27 Honchō 04 641,499
28 Kawaguchi 34 593,900
29 Kagoshima 18 593,754
30 Suginami 14 588,354
31 Itabashi 40 584,483
32 Hachiōji 40 575,721
33 Kotō 21 543,730
34 Himeji 13 527,596
35 Utsunomiya 38 518,757
36 Matsuyama 05 506,743
37 Matsudo 04 497,514
38 Ichikawa 04 496,676
39 Higashiosaka 32 493,940
40 Nishinomiya 13 485,587
41 Ōita 30 477,186
42 Kurashiki 31 474,862
43 Kanazawa 15 462,479
44 Fukuyama 11 459,576
45 Amagasaki 13 455,555
46 Katsushika 40 453,093
47 Fujisawa 19 436,744
48 Machida 40 434,414
49 Kashiwa 04 427,603
50 Aomori 03 425,962
51 Shinagawa 05 422,488
52 Toyota 01 422,106
53 Takamatsu 17 418,994
54 Toyama 42 413,028
55 Nagasaki 27 409,118
56 Hirakata 32 406,331
57 Toyonaka 32 401,558
58 Miyazaki 25 401,339
59 Gifu 09 400,118
60 Yokosuka 19 390,275
61 Suita 32 385,567
62 Okazaki 01 385,376
63 Ichinomiya 01 378,108
64 Minato 43 375,339
65 Nagano 26 372,760
66 Takasaki 10 372,639
67 Toyohashi 01 371,507
68 Nara-shi 28 367,353
69 Iwaki 08 357,309
70 Wakayama 43 356,729
71 Kawagoe 34 354,598
72 Shinjuku 40 349,385
73 Takatsuki 32 347,496
74 Nakano 40 344,880
75 Tokorozawa 34 344,194
76 Ōtsu 35 342,607
77 Koshigaya 34 341,784
78 Maebashi 10 332,149
79 Kita 40 332,140
80 Kochi 20 332,059
81 Asahikawa 12 331,392
82 Kōriyama 08 327,040
83 Naha 47 316,048
84 Yokkaichi 23 310,263
85 Kasugai 01 308,681
86 Akita 02 307,672
87 Kurume 07 302,858
88 Toshima 40 301,599
89 Akashi 13 299,699
90 Morioka 16 290,553
91 Meguro 40 288,088
92 Sumida 40 287,766
93 Ibaraki 32 287,730
94 Fukushima 08 284,282
95 Ichihara 04 283,531
96 Tsu 23 273,267
97 Yao 32 273,213
98 Mito 14 270,685
99 Tokushima 39 267,345
100 Nagaoka 29 266,936

The largest cities in Japan represent major centers of economic activity, cultural influence, and population growth. Tokyo leads with a population of 14,264,798, followed by Yokohama and Osaka. These cities serve as hubs for employment, education, and innovation, attracting residents from across the country and around the world.

Population size is a key indicator of a city's economic influence and infrastructure capacity. Larger cities typically offer more diverse job markets, extensive public transit systems, and a wider range of cultural amenities. 19 dominates the top 10 with 2 cities on the list, reflecting the state's strong economic pull and quality of life.

While large populations bring economic advantages, they also present challenges including higher costs of living, traffic congestion, and housing affordability concerns. Many of these cities have experienced significant growth over the past decade, driven by job opportunities in technology, healthcare, and professional services.

Did You Know?

  • 1. Tokyo's population is larger than that of more than 30 U.S. states.
  • 2. 19 has 2 cities in the top 10, more than any other state.
  • 3. The 50th largest city still has a population of 425,962 - larger than most cities worldwide.
  • 4. The top 5 cities combined have a population of 25,060,447.

Browse Rankings by Region

Japan - By Region

Aichi Akita Aomori Chiba Ehime Fukui Fukuoka Fukushima Gifu Gunma Hiroshima Hokkaido Hyōgo Ibaraki Ishikawa Iwate Kagawa Kagoshima Kanagawa Kochi Kumamoto Kyoto Mie Miyagi Miyazaki Nagano Nagasaki Nara Niigata Oita Okayama Okinawa Osaka Saga Saitama Shiga Shimane Shizuoka Tochigi Tokushima Tokyo Tottori Toyama Wakayama Yamagata Yamaguchi Yamanashi

By Country

Afghanistan Albania Algeria Angola Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bangladesh Belarus Belgium Benin Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czechia Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Estonia Ethiopia Finland France Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Guadeloupe Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Hungary India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Lithuania Luxembourg Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Mali Malta Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Moldova Mongolia Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nepal New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea North Macedonia Norway Oman Pakistan Palestinian Territory Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Republic of the Congo Reunion Romania Russia Rwanda Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Somalia South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand The Netherlands Togo Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Venezuela Vietnam Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe