The hiragana cities of Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 are cities whose names are written in hiragana

Hiragana

is a Japanese syllabary, one basic component of the Japanese writing system, along with katakana, kanji, and the Latin alphabet . Hiragana and katakana are both kana systems, in which each character represents one mora...

 rather than kanji

Kanji

Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...

. Traditionally, all Japanese place names were written using kanji. However, some recently founded cities such as Tsukuba in Ibaraki Prefecture

Ibaraki Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan, located in the Kantō region on the main island of Honshu. The capital is Mito.-History:Ibaraki Prefecture was previously known as Hitachi Province...

  have names which have kanji, but are usually written in hiragana only.

Many of the cities whose names are written in hiragana have equivalent kanji names that are either phonetic manyōgana

Manyogana

is an ancient writing system that employs Chinese characters to represent the Japanese language. The date of the earliest usage of this type of kana is not clear, but it was in use since at least the mid seventh century...

, or whose kanji are now obsolete

Joyo kanji

The is the guide to kanji characters announced officially by the Japanese Ministry of Education. Current jōyō kanji are those on a list of 2,136 characters issued in 2010...

.

List of fully Hiragana cities and towns

Romaji	| Hiragana	| Kanji	| Prefecture
Awara Awara, Fukui is a city located in Fukui, Japan.As of October 1, 2005, the city has an estimated population of 31,080 and the density of 265.66 persons per km². The total area is 116.99 km²....			Fukui Fukui Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Fukui.- Prehistory :The Kitadani Dinosaur Quarry, on the Sugiyama River within the city limits of Katsuyama, has yielded the Fukuiraptor kitadaniensis and Fukuisaurus tetoriensis as well as an unnamed...
Ebino			Miyazaki Miyazaki Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Miyazaki.- History :Historically, after the Meiji Restoration, Hyūga Province was renamed Miyazaki Prefecture....
Erimo Erimo, Hokkaido is a town located in Horoizumi District, Hidaka, Hokkaidō, Japan.Erimo is famous for its strong winds, kelp , and its scenic cape, Cape Erimo erimo-misaki. The cape was made famous by Shinichi Mori's enka song. It is supposed to be a romantic place to visit. The cape hosts a population of Kurile...			Hokkaidō Hokkaido , formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
Hitachinaka			Ibaraki Ibaraki Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan, located in the Kantō region on the main island of Honshu. The capital is Mito.-History:Ibaraki Prefecture was previously known as Hitachi Province...
Inabe Inabe, Mie , is a city located in the northernmost tip of Mie Prefecture in Japan along the border with Gifu and Shiga prefectures. The city was formed on December 1, 2003 from the merger of the towns of Inabe, Hokusei, Daian and Fujiwara, all from Inabe District....			Mie Mie Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan which is part of the Kansai regions on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Tsu.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, Mie prefecture was known as Ise Province and Iga Province....
Ino Ino, Kochi is a town located in Agawa District, Kōchi, Japan. The town is famous for the production of .On October 1, 2004 the village of Gohoku, also from Agawa District, and the village of Hongawa, from Tosa District, were merged into Ino, increasing its size by almost a factor of five.As of the merger with...			Kōchi Kochi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the south coast of Shikoku. The capital is the city of Kōchi.- History :Prior to the Meiji Restoration, Kōchi was known as Tosa Province and was controlled by the Chosokabe clan in the Sengoku period and the Yamauchi family during the Edo period.- Geography...
Isumi Isumi, Chiba is a city in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of March 1, 2010, the city has a population of 41,014 in an area of 157.50 km².Tōkyō Station is reached from Isumi by express train in 1 hour and 10 minutes via Ōhara Station on the JR East Sotobō Line.-Geography:...			Chiba Chiba Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...
Iwaki 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...			Fukushima Fukushima Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region on the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Fukushima.-History:Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Fukushima prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....
Kahoku			Ishikawa Ishikawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshū island. The capital is Kanazawa.- History :Ishikawa was formed from the merger of Kaga Province and the smaller Noto Province.- Geography :Ishikawa is on the Sea of Japan coast...
Kasumigaura			Ibaraki Ibaraki Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan, located in the Kantō region on the main island of Honshu. The capital is Mito.-History:Ibaraki Prefecture was previously known as Hitachi Province...
Katsura Katsuragi, Wakayama is a town located in Ito District, Wakayama, Japan.As of September 30, 2010, the town has an estimated population of 18,948 and a density of 124.88 persons per km². The total area is 151.73 km²....			Wakayama Wakayama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the Kii Peninsula in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Wakayama.- History :Present-day Wakayama is mostly the western part of the province of Kii.- 1953 Wakayama Prefecture flood disaster :...
Midori Midori, Gunma is a city located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan.The name "Midori-shi", literally means "Greenery City".The city was founded on March 27, 2006 from the merger of the town of Ōmama, from Yamada District, the town of Kasakake, from Nitta District, and the village of Azuma, from Seta District.As of this...			Gunma Gunma Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the northwest corner of the Kantō region on Honshu island. Its capital is Maebashi.- History :The remains of a Paleolithic man were found at Iwajuku, Gunma Prefecture, in the early 20th century and there is a public museum there.Japan was without horses until...
Minabe Minabe, Wakayama is a small town located in Wakayama in the Kansai region of Japan. Situated on a small bay of the Pacific ocean and surrounded by mountains, it is a quiet and picturesque farming community of about 14,000 people. Its location has been mentioned in ancient texts since the 8th century, but the basic...			Wakayama Wakayama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the Kii Peninsula in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Wakayama.- History :Present-day Wakayama is mostly the western part of the province of Kii.- 1953 Wakayama Prefecture flood disaster :...
Minakami Minakami, Gunma is a town located in Tone District, Gunma, Japan. It is the largest and northernmost town in the prefecture.The town was created on October 1, 2005, when the old Minakami merged with the town of Tsukiyono, and the village of Niiharu, all from Tone District....			Gunma Gunma Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the northwest corner of the Kantō region on Honshu island. Its capital is Maebashi.- History :The remains of a Paleolithic man were found at Iwajuku, Gunma Prefecture, in the early 20th century and there is a public museum there.Japan was without horses until...
Mukawa Mukawa, Hokkaido is a town located in Yūfutsu District, Iburi, Hokkaidō, Japan.On March 27, 2006 the towns of Hobetsu and Mukawa , both from Yūfutsu District merged to create new town of Mukawa...			Hokkaidō Hokkaido , formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
Mutsu Mutsu, Aomori is a city located in northeastern Aomori in the Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 2009, the city had an estimated population of 61,205 and a density of 70.09 persons per km²...			Aomori Aomori Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region. The capital is the city of Aomori.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Aomori prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....
Nikaho Nikaho, Akita is a city located in Akita, Japan.On October 1, 2005, the town of Nikaho merged with the towns of Kisakata and Konoura, all from Yuri District, to form the city of Nikaho. The new city has an area of 240.61km², and an estimated population of 27,245 as of October 2011.-City Symbols:The city tree is...			Akita Akita Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region of northern Honshu, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Akita.- History :The area of Akita has been created from the ancient provinces of Dewa and Mutsu....
Ōi Oi, Fukui is a town located in Ōi District, Fukui, Japan.As of 2005, the town has an estimated population of 9,216 and a density of 43 persons per km². The total area is 212 km²....			Fukui Fukui Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Fukui.- Prehistory :The Kitadani Dinosaur Quarry, on the Sugiyama River within the city limits of Katsuyama, has yielded the Fukuiraptor kitadaniensis and Fukuisaurus tetoriensis as well as an unnamed...
Saitama Saitama, Saitama ' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance...			Saitama Saitama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Saitama.This prefecture is part of the Greater Tokyo Area, and most of Saitama's cities can be described as suburbs of Tokyo, to which a large amount of residents commute each day.- History...
Sakura Sakura, Tochigi is a city located in Tochigi, Japan.The city was formed on March 28, 2005 with the merger of the towns of Kitsuregawa and Ujiie, both from Shioya District. It is a hiragana city....			Tochigi Tochigi Prefecture is a prefecture located in the Kantō region on the island of Honshū, Japan. The capital is the city of Utsunomiya.Nikkō, whose ancient Shintō shrines and Buddhist temples UNESCO has recognized by naming them a World Heritage Site, is in this prefecture...
Sanuki Sanuki, Kagawa is a city located in Kagawa, Japan.As of March 31, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 53,865, with 20,237 households and the density of 339.01 persons per km²...			Kagawa Kagawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on Shikoku island. The capital is Takamatsu.- History :Kagawa was formerly known as Sanuki Province.For a brief period between August 1876 and December 1888, Kagawa was made a part of Ehime Prefecture.-Battle of Yashima:...
Setana Setana, Hokkaido is a town located in Kudō District, Hiyama, Hokkaidō, Japan.As of December 2008, the town has an estimated population of 10,190 and a density of 15.96 persons per km²...			Hokkaidō Hokkaido , formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
Susami Susami, Wakayama is a town located in Nishimuro District, Wakayama, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 5,712 and a density of 32.70 persons per km². The total area is 174.70 km².- Trivia :...			Wakayama Wakayama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the Kii Peninsula in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Wakayama.- History :Present-day Wakayama is mostly the western part of the province of Kii.- 1953 Wakayama Prefecture flood disaster :...
Tatsuno Tatsuno, Hyogo is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.As of April 30, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 81,087, with a household number of 29,212 and a population density of 384.43 persons per km². The total area is 210.93 km².-History:...			Hyōgo Hyogo Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is Kobe.The prefecture's name was previously alternately spelled as Hiogo.- History :...
Tokigawa Tokigawa, Saitama is a town located in Hiki District, Saitama Prefecture, Japan.On February 1, 2006 Tokigawa absorbed the village of Tamagawa, also from Hiki District, to become the new town of Tokigawa....			Saitama Saitama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Saitama.This prefecture is part of the Greater Tokyo Area, and most of Saitama's cities can be described as suburbs of Tokyo, to which a large amount of residents commute each day.- History...
Tsugaru Tsugaru, Aomori is a city located in northeastern Aomori in Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 2009, the city had an estimated population of 37,957 and a density of 150 persons per km². Its total area was 253.85 km²...			Aomori Aomori Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region. The capital is the city of Aomori.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Aomori prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....
Tsukuba			Ibaraki Ibaraki Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan, located in the Kantō region on the main island of Honshu. The capital is Mito.-History:Ibaraki Prefecture was previously known as Hitachi Province...
Tsukubamirai			Ibaraki Ibaraki Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan, located in the Kantō region on the main island of Honshu. The capital is Mito.-History:Ibaraki Prefecture was previously known as Hitachi Province...
Tsurugi Tsurugi, Tokushima is a town in Mima District, Tokushima Prefecture, on the island of Shikoku in Japan.The town was formed on March 1, 2005 as a result of the merger of the towns of Handa and Sadamitsu, and the village of Ichiu, all from Mima District....			Tokushima Tokushima Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on Shikoku island. The capital is the city of Tokushima.- Tokushima Prefecture and Myodo Prefecture :Long ago, Tokushima City belonged to a region known as Myōdō-gun...
Ukiha Ukiha, Fukuoka is a city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan.The city was founded on March 20, 2005 as a result of the merger when the town of absorbed the town of Yoshii, which both were from Ukiha District....			Fukuoka Fukuoka Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen....
Uruma			Okinawa Okinawa Prefecture is one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island...

List of partially Hiragana cities

City / Town	Hiragana + Kanji	Full kanji	Prefecture
Akiruno Akiruno, Tokyo is a city located in the western end of Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 80,621 and a population density of 1,100 persons per km². The total area was 73.34 km².-Geography:...			Tokyo-to Tokyo , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
Ichikikushikino Ichikikushikino, Kagoshima is a city located in Kagoshima, Japan.The city was founded on October 11, 2005 from the merger of the city of Kushikino with the town of Ichiki, from Hioki District.At the end of May 2008, the city has an estimated population of 31,827...			Kagoshima Kagoshima Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Kagoshima.- Geography :Kagoshima Prefecture is located at the southwest tip of Kyushu and includes a chain of islands stretching further to the southwest for a few hundred kilometers...
Higashikagawa			Kagawa Kagawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on Shikoku island. The capital is Takamatsu.- History :Kagawa was formerly known as Sanuki Province.For a brief period between August 1876 and December 1888, Kagawa was made a part of Ehime Prefecture.-Battle of Yashima:...
Higashimiyoshi Higashimiyoshi, Tokushima is a town located in Miyoshi District, Tokushima, Japan. It was founded on March 1, 2006 from the merger of the towns of Miyoshi and Mikamo, both from Miyoshi District....			Tokushima Tokushima Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on Shikoku island. The capital is the city of Tokushima.- Tokushima Prefecture and Myodo Prefecture :Long ago, Tokushima City belonged to a region known as Myōdō-gun...
Kinokawa Kinokawa, Wakayama is a city located in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan.As of April 30, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 67,835 with 25,607 households and a population density of 297.21 persons per km²...			Wakayama Wakayama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the Kii Peninsula in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Wakayama.- History :Present-day Wakayama is mostly the western part of the province of Kii.- 1953 Wakayama Prefecture flood disaster :...
Minamiawaji Minamiawaji, Hyogo is a city located in the southern part of Awaji Island in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.The city was formed on 11 January 2005 from the merger of all four towns of the former Mihara District: Mihara, Midori, Nandan and Seidan...			Hyōgo Hyogo Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is Kobe.The prefecture's name was previously alternately spelled as Hiogo.- History :...
Izunokuni Izunokuni, Shizuoka is a city located in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 49,381 and a population density of 521 persons per km². The total area was 94.71 km².-Geography:...			Shizuoka Shizuoka Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...
Fujimino Fujimino, Saitama is a city located in Saitama, Japan, about 30 km from central Tokyo. The city is surrounded by Kawagoe, Fujimi, and Miyoshi.The city is served by Kami-Fukuoka Station, about 35 minutes on the Tōbu Tōjō Line from Ikebukuro Station in Tokyo...			Saitama Saitama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Saitama.This prefecture is part of the Greater Tokyo Area, and most of Saitama's cities can be described as suburbs of Tokyo, to which a large amount of residents commute each day.- History...

List of Katakana cities

Romanized	Katakana + Kanji	Prefecture	| Remarks
Niseko Niseko, Hokkaido is a town located in Abuta District, Shiribeshi, Hokkaidō, Japan. To the Japanese people, Niseko principally refers to a mountain range and a municipal area. However, overseas the name has come to refer to a wider area of ski resorts encompassing Hokkaido's Mount Yōtei, often referred to as the...		Hokkaidō Hokkaido , formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...	from Ainu Ainu language Ainu is one of the Ainu languages, spoken by members of the Ainu ethnic group on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaidō....
Minamiarupusu		Yamanashi Yamanashi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Kōfu.-Pre-history to the 14th century:People have been living in the Yamanashi area for about 30,000 years...	from "Alps Alps The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west.... "