City administration maintaining fundamental
living conditions of citizens
Cities and City Administration
Today , the total population of Japan is more than 126 million , of which some 98 million or 78 % of the total live in cities . Cities are places where people congregate and lead their lives , and they provide meeting places for people , goods and information .
The city , as a basic unit of municipalities , provides services which are indispensable to the daily life of residents .
These services include water supply , sewerage , waste disposal , environmental matters , social welfare , public health , social security , formal education , life-long education , roads , parks , city development / preservation , fire fighting / disaster prevention and promotion of industry . Some cities manage even a hospital , bus or subway facilities . In addition , cities try to activate the local community and make city life richer , by planning or supporting local events or increasing exchange with other cities in and outside Japan .
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Number of local governments : 47 prefectures (including Tokyo Metropolis )
and 693cities (including 23 Tokyo Special wards), 1,988 towns , and 566 villages . (2001.6.7)
Population of cities : 98,605,679
Population of towns and villages : 27,465,626
Total population : 126,071,305
Area of cities : 104,980 ｋ㎡
Area of towns and villages :272,880 k㎡
Total area : 377,860 ｋ㎡ |