Areas of prefectures and municipalities in Japan for 2013 announced

　The total land area of Japan as of October 1st, 2013 was compiled, and areas by prefectures and municipalities for 2013 were announced on webpage of Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI).
　As a result of the compilation, it was revealed that the total national land area increased by 1.82km²(equivalent to 39 Tokyo Domes*) in one year (October 2nd, 2012 - October 1st, 2013), becoming 377,961.73km².

* The area of Tokyo Dome is 0.047km²

　After 1988 when GSI began to check it by the present method, the increase in the total national land area in this time was the minimum.
 

• 　Examining this figure by prefecture, the greatest area increase by reclamation was Hokkaido with 0.42km², followed by Kanagawa with 0.19km², and Nagasaki with 0.13km².
• 　By municipality, the greatest increase by reclamation was Otaru City with 0.35km², followed by Yokohama City with 0.19km², and Kashima City with 0.12km².  In addition, due to factors such as the setting of previously unfixed boundaries, the areas of related municipalities have fluctuated.

• Attachment:　Transition of the total national land area and number of municipalities (1988 - 2013) [PDF 64KB]

 
　The results of the compilation of the areas of prefectures and municipalities in Japan were released on GSI’s webpage, under “GIS and Land Area Information / Areas of Prefectures and Municipalities in Japan” (Japanese only).
 
　The announcement of the total national land area was first made by the Statistics House of the Grand Council of State in the 15th year of the Meiji Era (1882) and has a long history equal to that of the population statistics.  Since the 35th year of the Showa Era (1960), GSI has been announcing the “Statistical reports on the land area by prefectures and municipalities in Japan” each year.  These area values have been used in various sectors such as the base data for calculations of population density in the national census reports and local allocation tax (Article 12, Local Allocation Tax Act).