Hokkaido's 179 municipalities.
Hokkaido has 179 municipalities: 35 cities, 129 towns and 15 villages. Cities, towns and villages are all municipalities, a level of local government. This directory groups all 179 by Hokkaido's 14 subprefectures so you can plan a trip region by region.
Each municipality has its own page: what it's known for, drive times from the airport and Sapporo, its neighbours, and the guides that cover it.
Sources: Hokkaido Government, municipality directory (179, by subprefecture) and municipal mergers page (the 35/129/15 breakdown comes from its table dated 2009). Checked by us on 29 September 2026.
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Find a city, town or village
Search by Japanese or English name, or by subprefecture. Try Otaru, 小樽 or Shiribeshi.
You can also browse all 179 municipalities by region below.
Not sure where to go? Start with your trip
Compare areas, explore local food or choose an activity to help narrow down your destinations.
Ishikari8 municipalities
Region guide →Sapporo and its plain — Hokkaido's urban heart, beer halls and gateway airport.
Sorachi24 municipalities
Region guide →Former coal country turned wine valley, with quiet rice towns and rolling vineyards.
Shiribeshi20 municipalities
Region guide →Niseko powder, Otaru canals and the dramatic Shakotan coast.
Iburi11 municipalities
Region guide →Volcano country — Lake Toya, Noboribetsu hot springs and Ainu culture at Upopoy.
Hidaka7 municipalities
Region guide →Racehorse ranches under the Hidaka range, ending at windswept Cape Erimo.
Oshima11 municipalities
Region guide →Hakodate's night views, Edo-era Matsumae and the shinkansen gateway to the island.
Hiyama7 municipalities
Region guide →The quiet Japan Sea coast — herring-boom heritage towns and Okushiri Island.
Kamikawa23 municipalities
Region guide →Furano lavender, Biei's patchwork hills and the Daisetsuzan alpine wilderness.
Rumoi8 municipalities
Region guide →Sunset coastline famous for uni — sea urchin straight off the boats.
Soya10 municipalities
Region guide →Japan's northern tip: Wakkanai, and the flower islands of Rishiri and Rebun.
Okhotsk18 municipalities
Region guide →Drift ice in winter, Shiretoko World Heritage wilderness all year.
Tokachi19 municipalities
Region guide →Hokkaido's breadbasket — vast farmland, garden roads and food straight from the source.
Kushiro8 municipalities
Region guide →Misty port city, red-crowned cranes and the caldera lakes of Akan–Mashu.
Nemuro5 municipalities
Region guide →The wild east — dairy pastures, brown bears of Shiretoko's far side, and Japan's famed earliest sunrise.