Guess Small villages in Japan

A quick look at the 1,193 small villages you can be asked to find on the map, before you play.

GuessTheDot is a free geography guessing game: you get a place name and a map full of dots, then click the one you think is right.

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The hardest tier: places small enough that even many locals would need a map. This is where the best players separate themselves from everyone else.

In Japan this set is spread across 47 different prefectures, with Hokkaido home to the most of them (141).

How this category is defined

Place kinds on GuessTheDot are a practical grouping by population and place type for gameplay, not a legal or historical designation. A place can hold official city rights (or an old city charter) and still show up here as a village if it stayed small, and the other way around: this is a rough size ladder for guessing, not a statement about a place's official status.

Places in this set

1,193

Smallest population

2,003

Largest population

40,011

Median population

13,615

Two you might get asked about

Sasadaira
2,003 inhabitants, Tokyo
The kind of place that is easy to miss on a map. Good practice for the sharpest players.

Tatsunochō-tominaga
40,011 inhabitants, Hyōgo
One of the better known ones in this set, a fair starting point if you are new to this category.

Play Small villages in Japan →

The 250 biggest small villages in Japan

Only the 250 biggest fit on this page. The game still picks from all 1,193.

Place	Population	prefecture
Tatsunochō-tominaga	40,011	Hyōgo
Minawa	39,869	Kanagawa
Umi	39,772	Fukuoka
Morohongō	39,693	Saitama
Tamba-Sasayama	39,611	Hyōgo
Hamanoichi	39,475	Kagoshima
Mibu	39,474	Tochigi
Hitachiomiya	39,267	Ibaraki
Ōkawa	39,223	Fukuoka
Hasaki	39,209	Chiba
Iwase	39,122	Ibaraki
Bizen	39,117	Okayama
Higashimatsushima	39,098	Miyagi
Sakuragawa	39,072	Ibaraki
Kaseda-shirakame	39,012	Kagoshima
Ibusuki	39,011	Kagoshima
Minakuchichō-matoba	38,986	Shiga
Yasugichō	38,875	Shimane
Ōmagari	38,805	Akita
Yoshinogawa	38,772	Tokushima
Nishiwaki	38,673	Hyōgo
Kuroishi	38,615	Aomori
Miyoshidai	38,434	Saitama
Murata	38,271	Miyagi
Maibara	38,259	Shiga
Kamiiso	38,098	Hokkaido
Hitoyoshi	38,006	Kumamoto
Mizunami	37,705	Gifu
Tsubata	37,694	Ishikawa
Kanda	37,684	Fukuoka
Kawanoechō	37,641	Ehime
Uto	37,442	Kumamoto
Katsuragi	37,352	Nara
Tomobe	37,146	Ibaraki
Kanekomachi	37,107	Gunma
Hanawa	36,925	Akita
Kamizawa	36,794	Shizuoka
Washinomiya	36,544	Saitama
Kanie	36,489	Aichi
Tamamura	36,367	Gunma
Sakaiminato	36,324	Tottori
Yaita	36,275	Tochigi
Sugai	36,198	Kyoto
Usuki	36,158	Oita
Komatsushimachō	36,149	Tokushima
Setouchi	36,048	Okayama
Rifu	36,014	Miyagi
Nishishinminato	35,994	Toyama
Miyama	35,861	Fukuoka
Minamibōsō	35,831	Chiba
Abashiri	35,759	Hokkaido
Sōsa	35,674	Chiba
Shisō	35,639	Hyōgo
Kaminoyama	35,593	Yamagata
Isumi	35,544	Chiba
Kami	35,473	Fukuoka
Ōfunato	35,452	Iwate
Uwa	35,388	Ehime
Funaishikawa	35,318	Ibaraki
Yakami	35,246	Tokushima
Ōzu	35,187	Kumamoto
Tamura	35,169	Fukushima
Iyo	35,133	Ehime
Gero	35,000	Gifu
Nishihara	34,984	Okinawa
Kaizu	34,960	Gifu
Date	34,898	Hokkaido
Kahoku	34,889	Ishikawa
Sōma	34,865	Fukushima
Awa	34,713	Tokushima
Ojiya	34,704	Niigata
Namerikawa	34,638	Toyama
Okunoya	34,627	Ibaraki
Nakamura	34,559	Kochi
Ōizumi-gakuenchō	34,557	Tokyo
Uonuma	34,483	Niigata
Kuji	34,418	Iwate
Gotō	34,391	Nagasaki
Hirara	34,354	Okinawa
Ōdachō-ōda	34,354	Shimane
Gojō	34,342	Nara
Tsuma	34,318	Miyazaki
Katsuren-haebaru	34,239	Okinawa
Atami	34,233	Shizuoka
Fusō	34,133	Aichi
Tōon	33,903	Ehime
Wakkanai	33,869	Hokkaido
Hikiso	33,810	Nara
Mie	33,695	Oita
Ono	33,640	Fukui
Shōbara	33,633	Hiroshima
Higashinozoe	33,604	Hyōgo
Maruoka	33,563	Fukui
Ikaruga	33,477	Hyōgo
Watari	33,459	Miyagi
Yamanashi	33,435	Yamanashi
Shiroishi	33,330	Miyagi
Soo	33,310	Kagoshima
Kakuda	33,221	Miyagi
Hotaka	33,195	Nagano
Fujishiro	33,148	Ibaraki
Minamikyushu	33,080	Kagoshima
Motosu	32,928	Gifu
Shingū	32,927	Fukuoka
Minamisatsuma	32,887	Kagoshima
Yorii	32,851	Saitama
Asakuchi	32,772	Okayama
Yufu	32,772	Oita
Kameda-honchō	32,765	Niigata
Shimoda	32,694	Kochi
Yōkaichiba	32,651	Chiba
Ōiso	32,595	Kanagawa
Kuroda	32,586	Aichi
Nagato	32,519	Yamaguchi
Shimada	32,510	Kumamoto
Yanai	32,490	Yamaguchi
Ōharu	32,399	Aichi
Aki-takata	32,323	Hiroshima
Tawaramoto	32,241	Nara
Yamashita	32,207	Kochi
Komagane	32,202	Nagano
Namegata	32,185	Ibaraki
Hizume	32,147	Iwate
Kamogawa	32,116	Chiba
Yamoto	32,028	Miyagi
Yawatahama	31,987	Ehime
Ayabe	31,846	Kyoto
Hakonegasaki	31,765	Tokyo
Katagami	31,720	Akita
Fushimi	31,710	Shizuoka
Uekimachi-mōno	31,688	Kumamoto
Hayama	31,665	Kanagawa
Zentsujichó	31,631	Kagawa
Nantan	31,629	Kyoto
Takahashi	31,556	Okayama
Kōshū	31,526	Yamanashi
Kita-Akita	31,504	Akita
Sakai-nakajima	31,268	Gunma
Kaminokawa	31,243	Tochigi
Nemuro	31,223	Hokkaido
Chūō	31,216	Yamanashi
Sasaguri	31,213	Fukuoka
Hirado	31,192	Nagasaki
Omaezaki	31,103	Shizuoka
Nagai	31,026	Yamagata
Kanzakimachi-kanzaki	31,022	Saga
Tsuru	31,016	Yamanashi
Yurigaoka	31,007	Fukuoka
Yaese	30,941	Okinawa
Hirakawa	30,938	Aomori
Tsugaru	30,934	Aomori
Minase	30,927	Osaka
Izu	30,678	Shizuoka
Niimi	30,583	Okayama
Ichikikushikino	30,551	Kagoshima
Masaki-chō	30,548	Ehime
Takehara	30,506	Hiroshima
Nanyō	30,420	Yamagata
Myoko	30,383	Niigata
Ujiie	30,366	Tochigi
Iki	30,352	Nagasaki
Ishigami	30,343	Saitama
Inami	30,268	Hyōgo
Motomiya	30,236	Fukushima
Shibushi	30,231	Kagoshima
Narimasu	30,203	Tokyo
Kashima	30,159	Saga
Ōtake	30,151	Hiroshima
Tōmi	30,122	Nagano
Togitsu	30,084	Nagasaki
Kimokawa	29,680	Hyōgo
Kaitaichi	29,636	Hiroshima
Isawa	29,616	Yamanashi
Yamaguma	29,591	Fukuoka
Nirasaki	29,483	Yamanashi
Obama	29,435	Fukui
Minamata	29,428	Kumamoto
Machiya	29,272	Tokyo
Saito	29,262	Miyazaki
Hōshakuji	29,229	Tochigi
Muikamachi	29,123	Niigata
Maki	29,041	Niigata
Bibai	29,028	Hokkaido
Wadayama	28,989	Hyōgo
Oyabe	28,983	Toyama
Ogawamachi	28,971	Saitama
Sumiyoshi	28,919	Shizuoka
Matsubushi	28,787	Saitama
Yoshioka	28,786	Miyagi
Makuhari	28,729	Chiba
Tanuma	28,723	Tochigi
Sue	28,628	Fukuoka
Hiji	28,524	Oita
Honchō	28,514	Hokkaido
Tainai	28,509	Niigata
Tsushima	28,502	Nagasaki
Aioi	28,355	Hyōgo
Fukiage-fujimi	28,334	Saitama
Higashikagawa	28,305	Kagawa
Chatan	28,201	Okinawa
Hiratachō	28,154	Shimane
Ōuda-yamaguchi	28,121	Nara
Miyaodai	28,114	Fukuoka
Yahaba	28,056	Iwate
Mima	28,055	Tokushima
Kitsuki	27,999	Oita
Hōjō	27,992	Ehime
Ukiha	27,981	Fukuoka
Toyoshina	27,834	Nagano
Kurihashi	27,813	Saitama
Takahagi	27,699	Ibaraki
Menuma	27,684	Saitama
Itako	27,604	Ibaraki
Ōmiya	27,588	Ibaraki
Hōryūji	27,587	Nara
Ninomiya	27,564	Kanagawa
Ōmachi	27,559	Nagano
Awara	27,524	Fukui
Shingū	27,491	Wakayama
Arai	27,481	Niigata
Tarui	27,439	Gifu
Yamagata	27,356	Gifu
Nayoro	27,282	Hokkaido
Katsuyama	27,088	Fukui
Aso	27,039	Kumamoto
Buzen	26,886	Fukuoka
Takada	26,882	Gifu
Hiragi	26,878	Kagawa
Arida	26,755	Wakayama
Fukuechō	26,636	Nagasaki
Makubetsu	26,610	Hokkaido
Mukai-awagasaki	26,574	Ishikawa
Fujikawaguchiko	26,540	Yamanashi
Gose	26,522	Nara
Tosayamadachō-nakano	26,513	Kochi
Rumoi	26,454	Hokkaido
Miyawaka	26,298	Fukuoka
Saikai	26,275	Nagasaki
Kunisaki	26,232	Oita
Susaki	26,195	Kochi
Ōno-hara	26,190	Hiroshima
Matsubase	26,163	Kumamoto
Fukagawa	26,152	Hokkaido
Innoshima	26,141	Hiroshima
Tōno	26,110	Iwate
Mashiko	26,045	Tochigi
Kamo	25,971	Niigata
Hayashino	25,939	Okayama
Sagara	25,922	Shizuoka
Ginan	25,881	Gifu

Tips for this category

Population under a few thousand almost always means rural: rule out anywhere near a major city first.
When in doubt, guess toward the edges and coastlines: small villages are disproportionately common away from the big urban centers.

Other place kinds in Japan

Big cities Cities Big villages Villages

Small villages in other countries

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