Prefectures of Japan

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/prefectures-of-japan

1. What is the total administrative divisions?
2. What is the executive leadership?
3. What is a prefecture in Japan?
4. Why are there different types of prefectures like 'fu', 'ken', 'to', and 'dō'?

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the total administrative divisions?47 prefectures (todōfuken)
2. What is the executive leadership?Directly elected governor (chiji) for each prefecture
3. What is a prefecture in Japan?A prefecture is a local government area, like a state or province, that has its own governor and assembly. It helps run local services and make laws for its region.
4. Why are there different types of prefectures like 'fu', 'ken', 'to', and 'dō'?They reflect history and size. Osaka and Kyoto were big cities, so they are 'fu'. Tokyo is the capital city and also a prefecture, called 'to'. Hokkaido is a huge island, so it is called 'dō'. The rest are 'ken'.

Fuhanken sanchisei: The Meiji-era administrative system that established the first prefectures.
Chiji: The directly elected governor of a Japanese prefecture.
Gikai: The unicameral legislative assembly of a Japanese prefecture.
Ritsuryō provinces: Ancient administrative divisions of Japan that influenced modern prefectural boundaries.