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Some Japanese prefectures have branch offices called 支庁 (shicho) in Japanese, which can be translated in English as subprefectures. Normally area of a subprefecture consists of a few to a dozen of cities, towns, and/or villages.
As the subprefectures are mere agencies of the prefectures, many peoples are unaware of them, except what of Hokkaido and Tokyo by historical reasons. Some elder peoples in Hokkaido use the subprefecture name suffixed by -kannai in their address. Some peoples use the subprefecture name suffixed by -shicho for addressing towns and villages on islands of Tokyo Prefecture.
In 1897, Nineteen shicho were placed under the Hokkaido Agency (an agency of the national government): Sapporo, Hakodate, Kameda, Matsumae, Hiyama, Suttsu, Iwanai, Otaru, Sorachi, Kamikawa, Mashike, Souya, Abashiri, Muroran, Urakawa, Kushiro, Kasai, Nemuro, and Shana.
In 1899, Sapporo-ku, Hakodate-ku, and Otaru-ku were established as municipalities independent of shicho. Sapporo-shicho and Otaru-shicho were continued with remaining area, but Hakodate-shicho was vanished. Previous Kameda-shicho was renamed as Hokodate-shicho.
In 1903, Matsumae-shicho was merged with Hakodate-shicho. Shana-shicho was merged with Nemuro-shicho.
In 1910, Suttsu-shicho, Iwanai-shicho, and Otaru-shicho were merged to form Shiribeshi-shicho.
In 1914, Asahikawa-ku was established as municipalities independent of Kamikawa-shicho. Mashike-shicho was renamed as Rumoi-shicho.
In 1918, Muroran-ku was established as municipalities independent of Muroran-shicho.
In 1920, Kushiro-ku was established as municipalities independent of Kushiro-shicho.
In 1922, six ku were restated as shi (cities). Sapporo-shicho was renamed as Ishikari-shicho. Hakodate-shicho was renamed as Oshima-shicho. Muroran-shicho was renamed as Iburi-shicho.
In 1932, Urakawa-shicho was renamed as Hidaka-shicho. Kasai-shicho was renamed as Tokachi-shicho.
In 1947, Hokkaido Agency was abolished and Hokkaido Prefecture was established. Hokkaido Prefecture took over shicho.
Today, fourteen shicho effectively cover whole Hokkaido area. To be pedantic, the shicho cover only towns and villages, albeit they do some commisioned business for cities.
Many other shicho are have their origins in tocho (island offices), which were gradually arranged around 1900.
As of 1909, eight tocho had been formed: Ogasawara (Tokyo), Hachijo (Tokyo), Oshima (Tokyo), Tsushima (Nagasaki), Oki (Shimane), Oshima (Kagoshima), Miyako (Okinawa), and Yaeyama (Okinawa).
In 1926, all tocho were restated as shicho.
All prefecture are allowed to hav shicho by their own discretion, regardless of history and geography. List of curent shicho is as below:
History of shicho in Hokkaido
History of islands shicho
Shicho of today
Note: English translation of shicho is not established; Hokkaido uses "subprefecture", while other prefectures may or may not. NEED YOUR HELP!