Did you know that prefectures in Japan are able to solve various problems in a practical and organized way, causing envy in other countries? Several problems of the Japanese population are solved only in the prefecture of each city. In this article, we will learn what prefectures in Japan are capable of and what they are like.
In Japan, the word prefecture ended up being used to refer to the administration of 47 provinces in Japan. There are also sub-prefectures called shicho (支庁). These local prefectures found in various cities act as part of the administration at a level below the prefecture of the province.
In Brazil, each municipality usually has its own city hall and even so we need to travel to different places to solve problems. In prefectures in Japan, things are often resolved in just one location.
I make it clear that in this article we are not talking specifically about the prefectures known as todōfuken (都道府県). We are talking about the Local government offices of each city known as yakusho (役所), City Hall. In some cities, it uses the term shicho (市庁), but it is a different word from the sub-prefecture, understand below:
- 都道府県 - todoufuken - The 47 prefectures of the 47 provinces;
- 役所 - yakusho - Government Office - City Hall;
- 市庁 - shichou - City Hall;
- 支庁 - shichou - Subprefectures - Branch
Basically we can conclude that most cities in Japan have a prefecture location (City Hall) responsible for solving problems for the city's residents. Other problems, on the other hand, can only be solved in sub-prefectures or in the 47 city halls of the states.
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What are prefectures in Japan like?
City halls are often organized to support multiple languages, offering a variety of services to residents and foreigners. They are usually large, first-rate buildings, as are the Japan hospitals. A video from our friend Caipira in Japan shows all the details of a prefecture in Japan below:
As the redneck video showed, there are several departments (部署) in a city hall, such as:
- Department of Promotion of Political Measures;
- Department of General Affairs;
- Department of Life, Culture and Sport;
- Residents' Labor Cooperation Department;
- Department of Health and Wellbeing;
- Department of Economics & Constructions;
- Department of Education;
- Department of Industry;
- Retirement department;
- Residents Department;
- Department of Policy and Planning, Division of International Affairs;
- Longevity Care Department;
- General social welfare support center;
- Social Security Department;
- Chamber and meeting room for councilors and mayors;
- Fire service;
- Human resources department;
- Education Council;
- Department of Transport;
- Agriculture Committee;
- Hospital Division;
- Water department;
- Urban planning section;
In a prefecture in Japan, you can solve problems related to your visa, citizenship, retirement, insurance, taxes and even look for a lost relative. You can also get documents, register marriages, births and even talk to a lawyer.
It seems Japan got smart and put all government departments in one building. We don't need to go to a notary, chamber, forum, INSS and other different places to solve a simple problem.
How to find a prefecture in Japan?
Japanese cities are very close to each other, some cities are small villages with less than 100 inhabitants. Taking off to go to a local prefecture, sub-prefecture or prefecture of the province is easier and more practical. Yet some small towns have even a small office to solve local problems.
To find out the location of your city's city hall, the hours and services it offers, just look for your city's official website. Searching by prefecture will make your search difficult, as this term is mostly used to refer to the prefectures of the 47 prefectures and todōfuken. If you live in a capital, then it is easier to find it and solve problems.
Ever had the chance to visit a prefecture in Japan? What was your experience with customer service and troubleshooting? We would like to see your comment and share. Finally, I'll leave you two more videos about prefectures in Japan for you to watch:
