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