201:
165:
63:
22:
919:
564:, a series of administrative and financial reforms that significantly affected smaller municipalities after their implementation in the early 2000s, many of these small municipalities had to voluntarily merge with others. The main motivation of the reform was stated as to support small local governments that would become unstable in the event of poor fiscal periods.
895:
Ikuta concluded that, while there are cases of successful mergers that embrace the common characteristics of the region as a whole, there are also many merged municipalities that struggle with a new shared regional image and identity. The Great Heisei
Amalgamations were characterized at least in part
456:
contained fewer than 200 residents. Japanese municipalities require skilled workers, and 40% of Japan's GDP consisted of debts from local governments. Efforts to merge local governments have been made with aims to expand residential area per municipal government, create different school attendance
891:
Suzuki and Ha's empirical research found that municipal merger in Japan during 2008 to 2014 discourages performance of legislative activity and bylaw proposals, using a dataset of 754 Japanese city-level governments. Local councils, after municipal mergers, propose fewer municipal bylaws, showing
869:
Most of Japan's rural municipalities largely depend on subsidies from the central government. They are often criticized for spending money for wasteful public enterprises to keep jobs. The central government, which is itself running budget deficits, has a policy of encouraging mergers to make the
628:
Naming a new post-merger municipality is not a negligible matter. Disagreement on a name sometimes causes merger talks to break down. If a city is far larger than the towns joining it, no arguments take place; the city's name simply survives. However, if their sizes do not differ significantly,
481:
and an amendment to the
Special Law for Municipal Mergers (SLMM) in 1999, which provided strong financial and economic incentives for municipal consolidation, the central government forced municipal mergers by using incentive schemes according to special financial measures:
430:, took place over the period from 1953 to 1956. It reduced the number of cities, towns and villages by over half, from 9,868 to 3,472 with purposes of the establishment of a National Treasury Subsidy System. 5,000 villages disappeared, but the number of cities were doubled.
567:
From April 1999 to April 2014, there were 188 cases of municipal absorption, and 461 new municipalities. Among them, 582 consolidations were done during the Great Heisei
Consolidations period from April 1999 to March 2006. This number includes duplicated consolidations.
486:
A grace period was offered to keep an original grant after municipal mergers, combining the grants of the two combined municipalities. If city A received 0, and city B received 100, a merger of A and B would keep 100, guaranteeing the same amount of
892:
that these communities produced after municipal mergers appear to experience worse legislative performance. Their research also shows that enlarging municipal size is negatively associated with legislative performance.
490:
After mergers, the issue of special local bonds would be paid through central government grants. These special bonds provided very strong incentive for the implementation of public works to support the new merged
307:
to join the facilities and legal boundaries of municipal districts, towns, and cities. Often, these mergers are driven by a necessity to consolidate villages and 'natural settlements' into larger-scale cities as
495:
Although mergers were not mandatory, the central government established a goal of decreasing municipality numbers to 1,000, and used these incentives to urge prefectural governments to promote mergers.
633:
or compounding the names of the localities to be merged; the latter method is relatively common in Europe, but is unusual in Japan. These compounded names are often abbreviated. For example, the
350:, occurred in the period from 1888 to 1889, when the modern municipal system was established. Before the mergers, existing municipalities were the direct successors of spontaneous hamlets called
80:
35:
506:
The creation of a new entity out of the merger cities. When a new entity is created, they receive new legal status, create a new name and location for government offices, and form a new council.
612:
405:
that existed at the time from 71,314 to 15,859 cities, towns and villages, justified at the time by the increased scale and relevance of the resulting respective autonomous governing bodies.
884:; they consider that the ultimate goal is to change Japan into a union consisting of more autonomous states. So far, the mergers have been limited to local municipalities. Mergers of
873:
Although the government purports to respect self-determination of the municipalities, some consider the policy to be compulsory. As a result of mergers, some cities such as
503:
Absorption by one city of others. The core city retains its name, legal status, mayor and legislative body, and municipal offices, while the absorbed entity loses theirs.
230:
907:
and Soma
Village, in which the city tourism policy focused only on images of Hirosaki, resulting in a poor outcome in tourism for the smaller municipalities involved.
41:
1362:
854:
553:, were executed from 1999 to 2010 (the so-called Great Heisei Amalgamations). Municipality numbers dropped from 3,232 to 1,727 during this period. Due to the
1389:
127:
1379:
99:
106:
433:
In 1965, the
Special Law for Municipal Mergers (SLMM) was enacted, but it failed to motivate municipalities to voluntarily merge with others.
113:
1404:
95:
995:
1394:
1384:
999:
896:
by misunderstandings of regional brands, resulting in medium- and long-term regional competitiveness for achieving a local identity.
772:
270:
252:
146:
49:
559:
1399:
84:
120:
442:
1055:"The impact of the Trinity Reforms and the Heisei Mergers on processes of peripherisation in Japan's mountain villages"
213:
223:
217:
209:
73:
932:
474:
234:
321:
697:
677:
676:
Another common naming method is borrowing a well known nearby place name and adding a direction, such as in
1287:
1205:
828:
312:
progressed and consolidation was promoted to provide greater access to public facilities and schools.
885:
705:
616:
1301:"Internalization of externalities and local government consolidation: empirical evidence from Japan"
554:
1218:
899:
Rausch suggests that post-merger policies need a better framework. He points out an example of the
1338:
1279:
1246:
1121:
630:
478:
462:
788:, renamed in 1960. The number of place names using hiragana reached 45 by April 2006, including
1330:
1300:
1260:"Municipal Merger and Local Democracy: An Assessment of the Merger of Japanese Municipalities"
1238:
650:
649:); Ōkama was not chosen because of its likeness to 'okama', a derogatory word for homosexual.
458:
629:
lengthy disputes can ensue. Sometimes, the problem can be solved by adopting the name of the
1320:
1312:
1271:
1230:
1066:
904:
841:
802:
789:
446:
681:
689:
409:
178:
Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.
815:
708:("East Ōmi"). Other towns sometimes use nouns with pleasant connotations, such as peace
520:
374:
system is still reflected in the postal system for rural areas as postal units called
1373:
1342:
1283:
1250:
874:
776:
1219:"A framework for Japan's new municipal reality: assessing the Heisei gappei mergers"
996:
Consolidation of Local
Governments in Japan and Effects on Sister City Relationships
1275:
924:
329:
685:
1291:
1234:
1209:
1204:(2). Randallstown: Southern Public Administration Education Foundation: 236–261.
592:
Continue as independent municipality after seceding from original Merger
Council.
589:
A merger in which the original Merger
Council increased in size with new members.
858:
638:
586:
Merge in another Merger
Council after seceding from the original Merger Council.
364:
62:
1316:
1259:
1193:
914:
881:
634:
516:
1334:
1242:
449:
to promote national consolidation reform from the late 20th century onwards.
309:
304:
1131:. Council of Local Authorities for International Relations. 2010. p. 3
598:
Continue as an independent municipality after the Merger
Council dissolves.
595:
Continue as an independent municipality having not joined a Merger Council.
499:
There are two types of municipal merger under this and previous policies:
1357:
1070:
900:
764:
1325:
701:
654:
601:
Merge on the basis of the Merger Law alone (without a Merger Council).
576:
There were 8 merging patterns during the Great Heisei Amalgamations:
532:
1054:
768:
693:
453:
325:
523:. 352 local referendums on merging took place from 1999 to 2006.
519:
or questionnaire surveys regarding potential mergers to evaluate
465:
students, and to allow more widespread use of public facilities.
763:
A characteristic of the Heisei mergers is a rapid increase of
580:
Merge established by the Merger Council with original members.
194:
158:
56:
15:
1194:"Fiscal Sustainability And Municipal Amalgamations In Japan"
583:
Merge after creating a new Merger Council with new partners.
615:
shows mergers and dissolutions of municipalities sorted by
613:
list of mergers and dissolutions of municipalities in Japan
965:
963:
767:
names. The names of Japan's cities used to be written in
387:. The mergers slashed the number of ‘natural settlements’
531:
A vast number of municipal mergers, known as "the great
950:
948:
284:
Municipal mergers and dissolutions carried out in Japan
861:
in 2003 is the first example of a katakana city name.
328:
municipalities. The first wave, known as "the great
87:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
222:but its sources remain unclear because it lacks
1363:Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications
751:
733:
717:
544:
421:
396:
341:
293:
1264:Lex Localis - Journal of Local Self-Government
1258:Suzuki, Kohei; Ha, Hyesong (23 October 2018).
888:have been discussed in some regions of Japan.
846:
833:
820:
807:
794:
781:
745:
727:
711:
538:
415:
390:
380:
356:
335:
287:
96:"Municipal mergers and dissolutions in Japan"
8:
877:temporarily had very large city assemblies.
452:As of January 2006, many municipalities in
50:Learn how and when to remove these messages
1324:
1004:Consulate General of Japan, San Francisco
271:Learn how and when to remove this message
253:Learn how and when to remove this message
147:Learn how and when to remove this message
1149:
1095:
1083:
1040:
1027:
1014:
982:
969:
944:
1174:
1162:
1108:
954:
7:
771:exclusively. The first instance of "
85:adding citations to reliable sources
1390:Mergers of administrative divisions
445:and very poor fiscal state led the
408:The second wave, called "the great
320:There have been several "waves" of
14:
1380:Dissolved municipalities of Japan
870:municipal system more efficient.
657:of the four antecedent villages:
31:This article has multiple issues.
1299:Miyazaki, Takeshi (1 May 2018).
1217:Rausch, Anthony S. (June 2012).
917:
880:Some people see it as a form of
199:
163:
61:
20:
1198:Public Administration Quarterly
1026:Ehime Prefecture, n.d. cite in
72:needs additional citations for
39:or discuss these issues on the
1:
1129:Japan Local Government Centre
515:Local governments used local
1235:10.1080/09555803.2012.671845
624:Naming of new municipalities
479:Omnibus Decentralization Law
443:declining birthrate of Japan
1122:"Local Government in Japan"
752:
734:
718:
545:
447:Japanese central government
422:
397:
342:
294:
1421:
1405:Political history of Japan
1276:10.4335/16.4.759-784(2018)
1059:Journal of Human Geography
853:, which was upgraded to a
527:Great Heisei Amalgamations
1395:Local government in Japan
1385:Former districts of Japan
1317:10.1007/s00181-017-1242-5
1192:Miyazaki, Masato (2020).
1107:Morikawa (2011) cited in
981:Yokomichi, 2007 cited in
933:Decentralisation in Japan
857:in 2003. The creation of
847:
834:
821:
808:
795:
782:
746:
728:
712:
539:
475:decentralisation movement
416:
391:
381:
357:
336:
288:
172:This article needs to be
637:(大田) ward of Tokyo is a
363:, or villages under the
303:have occurred since the
208:This article includes a
773:hiragana municipalities
237:more precise citations.
1161:Ikuta (2006) cited in
477:started, based on the
1400:Subdivisions of Japan
1071:10.4200/jjhg.63.6_526
1053:Elis, Volker (2011).
1028:Suzuki & Ha (2018
983:Suzuki & Ha (2018
1150:Suzuki & Ha 2018
1096:Suzuki & Ha 2018
1039:MIC (2010) cited in
81:improve this article
1358:Merger consultation
1305:Empirical Economics
1165:, pp. 198–199)
572:Amalgamate patterns
546:heisei-no-daigappei
437:Contemporary causes
1177:, p. 201-202.
1152:, p. 771-772.
463:junior high school
423:shōwa-no-daigappei
343:meiji-no-daigappei
210:list of references
651:Toyoshina, Nagano
606:Record of changes
511:Local referendums
459:elementary school
324:activity between
281:
280:
273:
263:
262:
255:
193:
192:
157:
156:
149:
131:
54:
1412:
1346:
1328:
1311:(3): 1061–1086.
1295:
1254:
1213:
1178:
1172:
1166:
1159:
1153:
1147:
1141:
1140:
1138:
1136:
1126:
1118:
1112:
1105:
1099:
1093:
1087:
1081:
1075:
1074:
1050:
1044:
1037:
1031:
1024:
1018:
1012:
1006:
992:
986:
979:
973:
967:
958:
952:
927:
922:
921:
920:
852:
850:
849:
839:
837:
836:
826:
824:
823:
813:
811:
810:
800:
798:
797:
787:
785:
784:
759:
758:
755:
749:
748:
741:
740:
737:
731:
730:
723:
721:
715:
714:
680:("West Tokyo"),
645:森) and Kamata (蒲
563:
552:
551:
548:
542:
541:
429:
428:
425:
419:
418:
404:
402:
394:
393:
386:
384:
383:
362:
360:
359:
349:
348:
345:
339:
338:
301:
300:
297:
295:shichōson gappei
291:
290:
276:
269:
258:
251:
247:
244:
238:
233:this article by
224:inline citations
203:
202:
195:
188:
185:
179:
167:
166:
159:
152:
145:
141:
138:
132:
130:
89:
65:
57:
46:
24:
23:
16:
1420:
1419:
1415:
1414:
1413:
1411:
1410:
1409:
1370:
1369:
1354:
1349:
1298:
1257:
1216:
1191:
1187:
1182:
1181:
1173:
1169:
1160:
1156:
1148:
1144:
1134:
1132:
1124:
1120:
1119:
1115:
1106:
1102:
1094:
1090:
1082:
1078:
1052:
1051:
1047:
1043:, p. 1065)
1038:
1034:
1025:
1021:
1013:
1009:
993:
989:
980:
976:
972:, p. 1065.
968:
961:
953:
946:
941:
923:
918:
916:
913:
867:
855:designated city
844:
831:
818:
805:
792:
779:
756:
743:
738:
725:
709:
626:
608:
574:
557:
549:
536:
529:
513:
491:municipalities.
471:
457:boundaries for
439:
426:
413:
388:
378:
354:
346:
333:
318:
298:
285:
277:
266:
265:
264:
259:
248:
242:
239:
228:
214:related reading
204:
200:
189:
183:
180:
177:
168:
164:
153:
142:
136:
133:
90:
88:
78:
66:
25:
21:
12:
11:
5:
1418:
1416:
1408:
1407:
1402:
1397:
1392:
1387:
1382:
1372:
1371:
1368:
1367:
1353:
1352:External links
1350:
1348:
1347:
1296:
1270:(4): 759–784.
1255:
1229:(2): 185–204.
1214:
1188:
1186:
1183:
1180:
1179:
1167:
1154:
1142:
1113:
1111:, p. 192)
1100:
1098:, p. 765.
1088:
1086:, p. 236.
1076:
1065:(6): 526–538.
1045:
1041:Miyazaki (2018
1032:
1030:, p. 765)
1019:
1017:, p. 241.
1007:
987:
985:, p. 765)
974:
959:
957:, p. 186.
943:
942:
940:
937:
936:
935:
929:
928:
912:
909:
866:
863:
625:
622:
621:
620:
607:
604:
603:
602:
599:
596:
593:
590:
587:
584:
581:
573:
570:
555:Trinity Reform
528:
525:
521:public opinion
512:
509:
508:
507:
504:
493:
492:
488:
470:
467:
438:
435:
399:shizen shūraku
317:
314:
279:
278:
261:
260:
218:external links
207:
205:
198:
191:
190:
171:
169:
162:
155:
154:
69:
67:
60:
55:
29:
28:
26:
19:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1417:
1406:
1403:
1401:
1398:
1396:
1393:
1391:
1388:
1386:
1383:
1381:
1378:
1377:
1375:
1365:
1364:
1359:
1356:
1355:
1351:
1344:
1340:
1336:
1332:
1327:
1322:
1318:
1314:
1310:
1306:
1302:
1297:
1293:
1289:
1285:
1281:
1277:
1273:
1269:
1265:
1261:
1256:
1252:
1248:
1244:
1240:
1236:
1232:
1228:
1224:
1220:
1215:
1211:
1207:
1203:
1199:
1195:
1190:
1189:
1184:
1176:
1171:
1168:
1164:
1158:
1155:
1151:
1146:
1143:
1130:
1123:
1117:
1114:
1110:
1104:
1101:
1097:
1092:
1089:
1085:
1084:Miyazaki 2020
1080:
1077:
1072:
1068:
1064:
1060:
1056:
1049:
1046:
1042:
1036:
1033:
1029:
1023:
1020:
1016:
1015:Miyazaki 2020
1011:
1008:
1005:
1001:
997:
991:
988:
984:
978:
975:
971:
970:Miyazaki 2018
966:
964:
960:
956:
951:
949:
945:
938:
934:
931:
930:
926:
915:
910:
908:
906:
902:
901:Hirosaki City
897:
893:
889:
887:
883:
878:
876:
875:Daisen, Akita
871:
864:
862:
860:
856:
843:
830:
817:
804:
791:
778:
774:
770:
766:
761:
754:
736:
720:
707:
703:
699:
695:
691:
687:
683:
679:
674:
672:
668:
664:
660:
656:
652:
648:
644:
640:
636:
632:
623:
618:
614:
610:
609:
605:
600:
597:
594:
591:
588:
585:
582:
579:
578:
577:
571:
569:
565:
561:
556:
547:
534:
526:
524:
522:
518:
510:
505:
502:
501:
500:
497:
489:
485:
484:
483:
480:
476:
468:
466:
464:
460:
455:
450:
448:
444:
436:
434:
431:
424:
411:
406:
401:
400:
377:
373:
369:
367:
353:
344:
331:
327:
323:
315:
313:
311:
310:modernization
306:
302:
296:
275:
272:
257:
254:
246:
236:
232:
226:
225:
219:
215:
211:
206:
197:
196:
187:
175:
170:
161:
160:
151:
148:
140:
129:
126:
122:
119:
115:
112:
108:
105:
101:
98: –
97:
93:
92:Find sources:
86:
82:
76:
75:
70:This article
68:
64:
59:
58:
53:
51:
44:
43:
38:
37:
32:
27:
18:
17:
1361:
1326:2324/1397623
1308:
1304:
1267:
1263:
1226:
1222:
1201:
1197:
1185:Bibliography
1170:
1163:Rausch (2012
1157:
1145:
1133:. Retrieved
1128:
1116:
1109:Rausch (2012
1103:
1091:
1079:
1062:
1058:
1048:
1035:
1022:
1010:
1003:
990:
977:
925:Japan portal
903:merger with
898:
894:
890:
879:
872:
868:
829:Tsukubamirai
762:
690:Higashiōsaka
675:
670:
666:
662:
658:
646:
642:
627:
575:
566:
530:
514:
498:
494:
472:
451:
440:
432:
407:
398:
375:
371:
365:
351:
319:
283:
282:
267:
249:
243:January 2024
240:
229:Please help
221:
181:
173:
143:
137:January 2008
134:
124:
117:
110:
103:
91:
79:Please help
74:verification
71:
47:
40:
34:
33:Please help
30:
1223:Japan Forum
1175:Rausch 2012
955:Rausch 2012
886:prefectures
859:Minami Alps
742:, or future
698:Shikokuchūō
639:portmanteau
558: [
517:referendums
235:introducing
1374:Categories
1366:(Japanese)
1292:2132563322
1210:2433400492
939:References
905:Iwaki Town
882:federalism
865:Criticisms
706:Higashiōmi
700:("Central
682:Kitakyūshū
678:Nishitōkyō
669:nden, and
641:of Ōmori (
617:prefecture
473:After the
184:March 2017
107:newspapers
36:improve it
1343:253722836
1335:1435-8921
1284:239897038
1251:154958137
1243:0955-5803
1135:7 January
352:hanseison
305:Meiji era
42:talk page
1288:ProQuest
1206:ProQuest
911:See also
765:hiragana
684:("North
653:, is an
631:district
535:mergers"
412:mergers"
332:mergers"
326:Japanese
1000:Archive
842:Saitama
790:Tsukuba
724:, green
704:") and
702:Shikoku
692:("East
665:shino,
655:acronym
487:grants.
469:Process
370:. This
316:History
231:improve
174:updated
121:scholar
1341:
1333:
1290:
1282:
1249:
1241:
1208:
840:, and
835:つくばみらい
816:Sanuki
803:Kahoku
775:" was
735:midori
686:Kyūshū
673:riai.
540:平成の大合併
533:Heisei
417:昭和の大合併
368:system
337:明治の大合併
322:merger
123:
116:
109:
102:
94:
1339:S2CID
1280:S2CID
1247:S2CID
1125:(PDF)
777:Mutsu
769:Kanji
753:mirai
719:heiwa
694:Osaka
562:]
454:Japan
410:Shōwa
330:Meiji
289:市町村合併
216:, or
128:JSTOR
114:books
1331:ISSN
1239:ISSN
1137:2024
998:," (
848:さいたま
696:"),
688:"),
661:ba,
611:The
461:and
441:The
392:自然集落
376:ōaza
100:news
1321:hdl
1313:doi
1272:doi
1231:doi
1067:doi
822:さぬき
809:かほく
796:つくば
667:Shi
635:Ōta
372:han
366:han
358:藩政村
83:by
1376::
1360:,
1337:.
1329:.
1319:.
1309:54
1307:.
1303:.
1286:.
1278:.
1268:16
1266:.
1262:.
1245:.
1237:.
1227:24
1225:.
1221:.
1202:44
1200:.
1196:.
1127:.
1063:63
1061:.
1057:.
1002:)
962:^
947:^
827:,
814:,
801:,
783:むつ
760:.
750:,
747:未来
732:,
716:,
713:平和
671:Na
663:Yo
659:To
560:ja
543:,
420:,
395:,
382:大字
340:,
292:,
220:,
212:,
45:.
1345:.
1323::
1315::
1294:.
1274::
1253:.
1233::
1212:.
1139:.
1073:.
1069::
994:"
851:)
845:(
838:)
832:(
825:)
819:(
812:)
806:(
799:)
793:(
786:)
780:(
757:)
744:(
739:)
729:緑
726:(
722:)
710:(
647:田
643:大
619:.
550:)
537:(
427:)
414:(
403:)
389:(
385:)
379:(
361:)
355:(
347:)
334:(
299:)
286:(
274:)
268:(
256:)
250:(
245:)
241:(
227:.
186:)
182:(
176:.
150:)
144:(
139:)
135:(
125:·
118:·
111:·
104:·
77:.
52:)
48:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
