| Administrative divisions of Japan |
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| Prefectural |
| Prefectures |
| Sub-prefectural |
| Municipal |
| Sub-municipal |
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The bureaucratic administration of Japan is divided into three basic levels: national, prefectural, and municipal. They are defined by the Local Autonomy Law of 1947.
Below the national government there are 47 prefectures, six of which are further subdivided into subprefectures to better service large geographical areas or remote islands.
The 1718 municipalities (792 cities, 743 towns, and 183 villages)[1] and 23 special wards of Tokyo are the lowest level of government; the twenty most-populated cities outside Tokyo Metropolis are known as designated cities, and are subdivided into wards.