Kyoto京都府

Kyōto-fu, きょうとふ. The name ends in 府 (fu), urban prefecture.

Kyoto is one of the two 府 (fu). It reaches from the old capital north to the Sea of Japan coast at Maizuru.

Only Osaka and Kyoto use 府. Both were imperial and administrative centres. A 府 governor has the same office under the same law as a 県 governor. The suffix is a historical label, not a rank.

Open Kyoto on the map

Facts

Japanese name

京都府

Reading

Kyōto-fu / きょうとふ

Region

Kansai / Kinki 関西・近畿

Capital

Kyoto 京都市

Population

2,578,087 (2020 census)

Area

4,612 km²

Density

559 people per km²

Municipalities

26: 15 cities, 10 towns, and 1 village

Designated cities

Kyoto City

Districts (郡)

6

Codes

JIS 26, ISO 3166-2 JP-26

Website

www.pref.kyoto.jp

Tree

Kitayama cedar 北山杉

Flower

weeping cherry, Saga chrysanthemum, and fringed pink しだれ桜、嵯峨ぎく、ナデシコ

Bird

streaked shearwater オオミズナギドリ

The tree, flower, and bird are the prefectural symbols, chosen by ordinance. Every prefecture has all three.

The most populous municipalities

2020 census. Share is the municipality's part of the prefecture's population. The other 16 are listed below.

How an address here begins

The prefecture name is written first, then the municipality name, then the name of one of Kyoto's 11 wards. The guide explains the rest of the address, and the map finds any address you paste into it.

Neighbouring prefectures

• Fukui福井県
• Mie三重県
• Shiga滋賀県
• Osaka大阪府
• Hyōgo兵庫県
• Nara奈良県

Questions about Kyoto

Is Kyoto a city or a prefecture?

Kyoto (京都府) is a prefecture, one of Japan's 47. Kyoto City (京都市) is a municipality inside it and its capital. On its own, the name usually means the city. With 府 on the end it means the prefecture.

What is the capital of Kyoto?

Kyoto City (京都市). The prefectural office is there. It is also the largest municipality in the prefecture. It is a designated city, divided into wards.

What does 府 mean in 京都府?

府 (fu) means urban prefecture. Only Osaka and Kyoto use it, because both were imperial and administrative centres. A 府 governor has the same office under the same law as a 県 governor. The suffix is a historical label, not a rank.

How many municipalities are in Kyoto?

26: 15 cities, 10 towns, and 1 village. Each is a local government with its own mayor and assembly. One of them is a designated city, divided into wards: Kyoto City (11 wards). The wards are offices of the city, not governments. The towns and villages are grouped into six districts (郡), names used in addresses, not governments.

What is the population of Kyoto?

2,578,087 at the 2020 census, on 4,612 km², which is 559 people per km². Kyoto is the 13th most populous of the 47 prefectures and the 31st largest by area.

Which prefectures border Kyoto?

Six prefectures: Fukui (福井県), Mie (三重県), Shiga (滋賀県), Osaka (大阪府), Hyōgo (兵庫県), and Nara (奈良県). Borders across water are not counted.

What region is Kyoto in?

Kansai / Kinki (関西・近畿). A region is a customary grouping of prefectures, not a government, so Kyoto elects a governor and an assembly but the region elects nothing.

How is Kyoto written in Japanese?

京都府, read Kyōto-fu and written きょうとふ in hiragana. The last character, 府, is the word for prefecture, and the name is often used without it in English.

How does an address in Kyoto begin?

With the prefecture name, then the municipality name: 京都府京都市… (Kyōto-fu, Kyōto-shi, …). In Kyoto the ward name is written after the city name, since it is a designated city. After that are written the named area, the chōme, the block, and the building number.

What is the largest city in Kyoto?

Kyoto City (京都市), with 1,463,723 people at the 2020 census. It is also the capital. The three most populous municipalities are Kyoto City (京都市, 1,463,723), Uji City (宇治市, 179,630), and Kameoka City (亀岡市, 86,174).

What are the symbols of Kyoto?

The prefectural tree is the Kitayama cedar (北山杉), the flower the weeping cherry, Saga chrysanthemum, and fringed pink (しだれ桜、嵯峨ぎく、ナデシコ), and the bird the streaked shearwater (オオミズナギドリ). Kyoto chose them by ordinance, as every prefecture has.