Asahikawa: population and official figures

In depth

• Economy, jobs and prices in Asahikawa: Taxable income for municipal resident tax in Asahikawa averaged 3.25 million yen per taxpayer in fiscal 2024, 33rd lowest of 262 cities and below the national average of 3,933.7 thousand yen per taxpayer. It is income before deductions, so it is not take-home pay.
• Health in Asahikawa: Asahikawa had 33 general hospitals (hospitals other than psychiatric ones) in 2023, or 10.02 per 100,000 residents, 17th highest of 262 cities, above the national figure (5.60).
• Education in Asahikawa: Asahikawa had 52 primary schools with 13,572 pupils and 1,199 full-time teachers in May 2024.
• Poverty and living standards in Asahikawa: 39.5% of private households in Asahikawa were one-person households at the 2020 census (61,540), 58th highest of 262 cities, above the national figure (38.0%).
• Government budget and revenue in Asahikawa: The municipal government of Asahikawa took in 192.6 billion yen in fiscal 2022 (final accounts), 584,875 yen per resident, 30th highest of 262 cities.

Notes from the UN table: Excluding diplomatic personnel outside the country and foreign military and civilian personnel and their dependants stationed in the area. For the 2020 census, urban areas are “Densely Inhabited Districts”, defined as areas within a municipality that is composed of a group of contiguous Basic Unit Blocks, each of which has a population density of 4,000 inhabitants or more per square kilometer and whose total population exceeds 5,000 as of 1 October 2020. The detailed methodological explanation is available at https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/chiri/did/1-1.html Excluding diplomatic personnel outside the country and foreign military and civilian personnel and their dependants stationed in the area. For the 2020 census, urban areas are “Densely Inhabited Districts”, defined as areas within a municipality that is composed of a group of contiguous Basic Unit Blocks, each of which has a population density of 4,000 inhabitants or more per square kilometer and whose total population exceeds 5,000 as of 1 October 2020. The detailed methodological explanation is available at https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/chiri/did/1-1.html Excluding diplomatic personnel outside the country and foreign military and civilian personnel and their dependants stationed in the area. For the 2020 census, urban areas are “Densely Inhabited Districts”, defined as areas within a municipality that is composed of a group of contiguous Basic Unit Blocks, each of which has a population density of 4,000 inhabitants or more per square kilometer and whose total population exceeds 5,000 as of 1 October 2020. The detailed methodological explanation is available at https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/chiri/did/1-1.html Land areas are based on the "Municipalities Area Statistics of Japan, 2015" published by the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

Who runs Asahikawa?

In Japan, cities and towns are run by municipalities: Mayor and municipal assembly both directly elected for four years. Primary and lower secondary schools, welfare, waste, water, residents' registers, disaster response. Large 'designated cities' (20) take on prefectural tasks and are divided into administrative wards whose heads are officials, not elected.

How local power works in Japan

Cities of a similar size in Japan

• Takasaki 372,973
• Nagano 372,760
• Toyohashi 371,920
• Wakayama 356,729
• Nara 354,630
• Kawagoe 354,571
• Takatsuki 352,698
• Otsu 345,070
• Tokorozawa 342,464
• Koshigaya 341,621
• Iwaki 332,931
• Maebashi 332,149
• Koriyama 327,692
• Kochi 326,545
• Naha 317,625
• Kasugai 308,681

Up a level: all cities in Japan · Japan · government and power

Sources

• Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications: Statistical Observations of Municipalities 2026 (social and demographic statistics, city, ward, town and village data), read 28 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 2cb3d8c51aa1…)
• Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications: Statistical Observations of Prefectures 2026 (national figures, "All Japan" row), read 28 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b69774a5f40c…)

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