Special cities of Japan Former special cities now core or designated cities Former special cities now core or designated cities

| Name_ | Japanese | Date_of_designation | Date_of_reclassification | Region | Prefecture |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hakodate | 函館 | 2000-11-01 | 2005-10-01 ( Core city ) | Hokkaido | Hokkaido |
| Shimizu | 清水 | 2001-04-01 | 2003-04-01 (merge into Shizuoka ) | Chūbu | Shizuoka |
| Shimonoseki | 下関 | 2002-04-01 | 2005-02-12 ( Core city ) | Chūgoku | Yamaguchi |
| Morioka | 盛岡 | 2000-11-01 | 2008-04-01 ( Core city ) | Tōhoku | Iwate |
| Kurume | 久留米 | 2001-04-01 | 2008-04-01 ( Core city ) | Kyushu | Fukuoka |
| Maebashi | 前橋 | 2001-04-01 | 2009-04-01 ( Core city ) | Kantō | Gunma |
| Ōtsu | 大津 | 2001-04-01 | 2009-04-01 ( Core city ) | Kansai | Shiga |
| Amagasaki | 尼崎 | 2001-04-01 | 2009-04-01 ( Core city ) | Kansai | Hyōgo |
| Takasaki | 高崎 | 2001-04-01 | 2011-04-01 ( Core city ) | Kantō | Gunma |
| Toyonaka | 豊中 | 2001-04-01 | 2012-04-01 ( Core city ) | Kansai | Osaka |