Smallest Cities in Japan

Top 100 cities ranked by smallest cities

Largest Cities Smallest Cities Most Dense Least Dense Highest Income Lowest Income Lowest Unemployment Highest Unemployment Lowest Poverty Highest Poverty Highest Rent Lowest Rent Most Educated Youngest Cities Oldest Cities Safest Cities Highest Crime Warmest Cities Coldest Cities Rainiest Cities Driest Cities

All Countries · Japan

Smallest Cities — Japan

1 Daigyōji 07 5,008

2 Honchō 12 5,023

3 Koshimizu 12 5,029

4 Konoha 21 5,045

5 Setamai 16 5,045

6 Sumiyoshi 40 5,055

7 Imagane 12 5,072

8 Niseko 12 5,074

9 Sekimachi-higashi 40 5,076

10 Funagata 44 5,101

11 Chabana 18 5,115

12 Ōta 16 5,134

13 Shimoseki 29 5,144

14 Ōma 03 5,155

15 Kaminokuni 12 5,161

16 Utashinai 12 5,162

17 Yamanaka 46 5,179

18 Ochi 20 5,187

19 HIgashifushimi 40 5,187

20 Shimomatsumoto 08 5,194

21 Toi 37 5,203

22 Dōjō 34 5,203

23 Kaneyama 44 5,205

24 Yagoshima 08 5,264

25 Shikaoi 12 5,266

26 Fudaba 20 5,291

27 Kamikawa 12 5,294

28 Biratori 12 5,305

29 Kinshi 40 5,363

30 Sato 43 5,364

31 Shimoichi 28 5,378

32 Minamida 16 5,378

33 Higashidate 08 5,392

34 Rausu 12 5,395

35 Kanita 03 5,401

36 Ōyauchi 08 5,412

37 Taiki 12 5,420

38 Yuni 12 5,426

39 Nakanokami 18 5,445

40 Naganohara 10 5,495

41 Hamanaka-sakuraminami 12 5,507

42 Daiba 40 5,530

43 Nagi 31 5,578

44 Hachirougata 02 5,583

45 Moroura 33 5,609

46 Waseda-tsurumakichō 40 5,614

47 Tomika 09 5,626

48 Higashi-nihombashi 40 5,628

49 Kuzumaki 16 5,634

50 Ōyama-kanaichō 40 5,659

51 Naie 12 5,664

52 Asuka 28 5,681

53 Nishitokorozawa 34 5,686

54 Oshamambe 12 5,694

55 Niikappu 12 5,696

56 Togōchi 11 5,740

57 Nozawa 08 5,770

58 Kozawa 12 5,772

59 Ōyama-higashichō 40 5,832

60 Ginoza 47 5,833

61 Suga-inadazutsumi 19 5,842

62 Shihoro 12 5,848

63 Kōzaki 04 5,884

64 Ōhira 24 5,918

65 Sarugamori 03 5,955

66 Ajima 26 5,973

67 China 18 5,976

68 Iizakamachi 08 5,977

69 Tatsugō 18 5,992

70 Yonedacho Sendo 13 6,000

71 Yoshino 20 6,002

72 Jūjō-nakahara 40 6,006

73 Fujisato 23 6,023

74 Waki 45 6,034

75 Komaba 26 6,068

76 Okugano 36 6,077

77 Nagawa 26 6,088

78 Ōuchi 24 6,110

79 Nakajima 15 6,135

80 Takamori 21 6,189

81 Tanokuchi 37 6,206

82 Hiwasaura 39 6,222

83 Iriya 40 6,226

84 Saruhashi 46 6,229

85 Kawahigashi 18 6,237

86 Kusatsu 10 6,255

87 Matsumae 12 6,260

88 Izumizaki 08 6,265

89 Shintoku 12 6,285

90 Ōmachi 33 6,293

91 Asakawa 08 6,315

92 Tōma 12 6,319

93 Amagi 18 6,350

94 Kōra 35 6,362

95 Miyajuku 44 6,366

96 Kitasugama 08 6,392

97 Azabu-jūban 40 6,394

98 Misasa 41 6,407

99 Ichiba 26 6,426

100 Kawahara 21 6,426

The smallest cities in Japan (with populations above 5,000) offer a different quality of life compared to major metropolitan areas. Daigyōji has a population of just 5,008. These communities often feature lower costs of living, stronger neighborhood connections, and less congestion.

Small cities can offer significant advantages for residents seeking affordable housing, shorter commutes, and a close-knit community feel. Many serve as regional centers for surrounding rural areas, providing essential services while maintaining a small-town atmosphere.

Despite their smaller size, many of these cities have thriving local economies, good school systems, and access to outdoor recreation. They represent an alternative to the fast-paced lifestyle of major metropolitan areas.

Did You Know?

1. At 5,008 residents, Daigyōji is smaller than a single large apartment complex in New York City.
2. Small cities (5,000-10,000) make up the majority of incorporated places in the United States.
3. Many of the smallest cities serve as county seats or regional service centers for surrounding rural communities.

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 Brunei 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