data japanDownload Japan Prefectures Shapefile Data. Japan is divided into 47 prefectures, which rank immediately below the national government and form the country’s first level of jurisdictionData refers to a 5-year period preceding the reference year. j : Refers to foren citizens. k : Data as at the end of December. l : 2018: m : 2014: n : 2017: o : Data are as at 1 January of