Japanese names are written and pronounced in standard Chinese (Mandarin). English exonyms in most cases match Japanese endonyms without macrons, which are placed on top of Japanese vowels to show long vowels. An important exception is the country name itself. Chinese transcription is written in Hanyu Pinyin. Japanese spelling may not match neither simplified, nor traditional Chinese script.
Due to the large difference between Chinese writing system and any other systems, the majority of foreign geographical names in Chinese could be classified as exonyms because pronunciation, spelling (romanisation) is very different from the original, see Transliteration into Chinese characters for more. Many Japanese names may not be classified as true exonyms, as the Chinese and Japanese spelling may fully coincide (either the simplified or traditional or both forms), or the Japanese may use a modern Kanji, which is consistently different from both Chinese, e.g. Hiroshima (広島) uses character 広, the simplified Chinese spelling is 广岛, traditional Chinese is 廣島.
Unlike the majority of foreign names, Japanese names in Chinese may have nothing in common in pronunciation, like in the above example, Hiroshima in Chinese is Guǎngdǎo. This is usually the case when the Japanese names are pronounced based on Kun'yomi (訓読み), Japanese words that are pronounced based on On'yomi (音読み) may have some remote similarity, e.g. compare Japanese 東京 Tōkyō and Chinese Dōngjīng.
If the Japanese and Chinese writing fully match, the Japanese Kanji is followed by Chinese pronunciation, then Japanese, otherwise the Japanese is given first with the word (Japanese) in brackets.
Traditional Chinese (if different) is given in square brackets (only the part, which is different.)
Prefectures are followed by their capitals.
日本 Rìběn Nihon or Nippon (English:
Japan)
東京 (
Japanese) 东京/東京 Dōngjīng
Tōkyō
北海道 Běihǎidào Hokkaidō 札幌 Zháhuǎng Sapporo
東北地方 Tōhoku Chihō 东北地方 (東北地方) Dōngběi Dìfāng
秋田 Qiūtián
Akita (the capital has the same name)
青森 Qīngsēn
Aomori (the capital has the same name)
福島 (Japanese) 福岛/福島 Fúdǎo
Fukushima (the capital has the same name)
岩手 Yánshǒu
Iwate 盛岡 (Japanese) 盛冈/盛岡 Chénggāng
Morioka
宮城 (Japanese) 宫城/宮城 Gōngchéng
Miyagi 仙台 Xiāntái
Sendai
山形 Shānxíng
Yamagata (the capital has the same name)
関東地方 (Japanese) Kantō Chihō 关东地方/關東地方 Guāndōng Dìfāng
東京 (Japanese) 东京/東京 Dōngjīng Tōkyō 東京 (Japanese) 东京/東京 Dōngjīng
Tōkyō
千葉 (Japanese) 千叶/千葉 Qiānyè Chiba 千葉 (Japanese) 千叶/千葉 Qiānyè
Chiba
群馬 (Japanese) 群马/群馬 Qúnmǎ Gunma 前橋 (Japanese) 前桥/前橋 Qiánqiáo
Maebashi
茨城 Cíchéng Ibaraki 水戸 (Japanese) 水户/水戶 Shuǐhù
Mito
神奈川 Shénnàichuān Kanagawa 横浜 (Japanese) 横滨/橫濱 Héngbīn
Yokohama
埼玉 Qíyù Saitama 埼玉 Qíyù
Saitama
栃木 (Japanese) 枥木/櫪木 Lìmù Tochigi 宇都宫 Yǔdōugōng
Utsunomiya
Note: Chinese Wikipedia uses 栃木, although 栃 is not a standard Chinese character.
中部地方 (Japanese) Chūbu Chihō 中部地方 Zhōngbù Dìfāng
愛知 (Japanese) 爱知/愛知 Àizhī Aichi 名古屋 Mínggǔwū
Nagoya
福井 Fújǐng Fukui 福井 Fújǐng
Fukui
岐阜 Qífù Gifu 岐阜 Qífù
Gifu
石川 Shíchuān Ishikawa 金沢 (Japanese) 金泽/金澤 Jīnzé
Kanazawa
長野 (Japanese) 长野[長-] Chángyě Nagano 長野 (Japanese) 长野/長野 Chángyě
Nagano
新潟 Xīnxì Niigata 新潟 Xīnxì
Niigata
静岡 (Japanese) 静冈/靜岡 Jìnggāng Shizuoka 静岡 (Japanese) 静冈/靜岡 Jìnggāng
Shizuoka
富山 Fùshān Toyama 富山 Fùshān
Toyama
山梨 Shānlí Yamanashi 甲府 Jiǎfǔ
Kōfu
関西地方 (Japanese) Kansai (Kinki) Chihō 关西(近畿)地方 Guānxī (Jìnjī) Dìfāng also called: 近畿地方 Kinki Chihō 近畿地方 Jìnjī Dìfāng
兵庫 (Japanese) 兵库/兵庫 Bīngkù Hyōgo 神戸 (Japanese) 神户/神戶 Shénhù
Kōbe
三重 Sānchóng Mie 津 Jīn
Tsu
奈良 Nàiliáng Nara 奈良 Nàiliáng
Nara
滋賀 (Japanese) 滋贺/滋賀 Zīhè Shiga 大津 Dàjīn
Ōtsu
和歌山 Hégēshān Wakayama 和歌山 Hégēshān
Wakayama
京都 Jīngdū Kyōto 京都 Jīngdū
Kyōto
大阪 (Japanese) 大坂/大阪 Dàbǎn Ōsaka 大阪 (Japanese) 大坂/大阪 Dàbǎn
Ōsaka
中国地方 Chūgoku Chihō 中国地方/中國地方 Zhōngguó Dìfāng
also called: 山陰山陽地方 San'in San'yō Chihō 山阴山阳地方/山陰山陽地方 Shānyīn Shānyáng Dìfāng San'in San'yō Chihō
広島 (Japanese) 广岛/廣島 Guǎngdǎo Hiroshima 広島 (Japanese) 广岛/廣島 Guǎngdǎo
Hiroshima
岡山 (Japanese) 冈山/岡山 Gāngshān Okayama 岡山 (Japanese) 冈山/岡山 Gāngshān
Okayama
島根 (Japanese) 岛根/島根 Dǎogēn Shimane 松江 Sōngjiāng
Matsue
鳥取 (Japanese) 鸟取/鳥取 Niǎoqǔ Tottori 鳥取 (Japanese) 鸟取/鳥取 Niǎoqǔ
Tottori
山口 Shānkǒu Yamaguchi 山口 Shānkǒu
Yamaguchi
四国地方 Shikoku Chihō 四国地方[-國--] Sìguó Dìfāng
愛媛 (Japanese) 爱媛/愛媛 Àiyuàn Ehime 松山 Sōngshān
Matsuyama
香川 Xiāngchuān Kagawa 高松 Gāosōng
Takamatsu
高知 Gāozhī Kōchi 高知 Gāozhī
Kōchi
徳島 (Japanese) 德岛/德島 Dédǎo Tokushima 徳島 (Japanese) 德岛/德島 Dédǎo
Tokushima
九州地方 Kyūshū Chihō 九州地方 Jiǔzhōu Dìfāng
福岡 (Japanese) 福冈/福岡 Fúgāng Fukuoka 福岡 (Japanese) 福冈/福岡 Fúgāng
Fukuoka
鹿児島 (Japanese) 鹿儿岛/鹿兒島 Lù'érdǎo Kagoshima 鹿児島 (Japanese) 鹿儿岛/鹿兒島 Lù'érdǎo
Kagoshima
熊本 Xióngběn Kumamoto 熊本 Xióngběn
Kumamoto
宮崎 (Japanese) 宫崎/宮崎 Gōngqí Miyazaki 宮崎 (Japanese) 宫崎/宮崎 Gōngqí
Miyazaki
長崎 (Japanese) 长崎/長崎 Chángqí Nagasaki 長崎 (Japanese) 长崎/長崎 Chángqí
Nagasaki
大分 Dàfēn Ōita 大分 Dàfēn
Ōita
佐賀 (Japanese) 佐贺/佐賀 Zuǒhè Saga 佐賀 (Japanese) 佐贺/佐賀 Zuǒhè
Saga
沖縄 (Japanese) 冲绳/沖繩 Chōngshéng Okinawa 那覇 (Japanese) 那霸 Nàbà
Naha (Okinawa)
琉球诸岛 Ryūkyū Shotō 琉球群岛/琉球群島 Liúqiú Qúndǎo
also called: 南西諸島 Nansei Shotō 南西群岛/南西群島 Nánxī Qúndǎo
本州 Běnzhōu
Honshū
九州 Jiǔzhōu
Kyūshū
北海道 Běihǎidào
Hokkaidō
四国 (Japanese) 四国/四國 Sìguó
Shikoku
富士山 Fùshì Shān Fujisan or Fujiyama
Japanese: 県 (Ken)
prefecture (of Japan); county (of China)
Chinese: 県 (Japanese version of 县縣) [xiàn] county, district, subdivision, Ken)
Chinese: 县[縣] xiàn en (type of province in Japan)
都 Dū To (type of province in Japan)
府 Fǔ Fu (type of province in Japan)
道 Dào Dō (type of province in Japan - only about 北海道 Hokkaidō)
地方 (chihō (Japanese), dìfāng (Chinese) is normally 地区 dìqū
So, 中国地方 (Chūgoku chihō) is normally written as 中国地区 (Zhōngguó dìqū)
Japanese names are written and pronounced in standard Chinese (Mandarin). English exonyms in most cases match Japanese endonyms without macrons, which are placed on top of Japanese vowels to show long vowels. An important exception is the country name itself. Chinese transcription is written in Hanyu Pinyin. Japanese spelling may not match neither simplified, nor traditional Chinese script.
Due to the large difference between Chinese writing system and any other systems, the majority of foreign geographical names in Chinese could be classified as exonyms because pronunciation, spelling (romanisation) is very different from the original, see Transliteration into Chinese characters for more. Many Japanese names may not be classified as true exonyms, as the Chinese and Japanese spelling may fully coincide (either the simplified or traditional or both forms), or the Japanese may use a modern Kanji, which is consistently different from both Chinese, e.g. Hiroshima (広島) uses character 広, the simplified Chinese spelling is 广岛, traditional Chinese is 廣島.
Unlike the majority of foreign names, Japanese names in Chinese may have nothing in common in pronunciation, like in the above example, Hiroshima in Chinese is Guǎngdǎo. This is usually the case when the Japanese names are pronounced based on Kun'yomi (訓読み), Japanese words that are pronounced based on On'yomi (音読み) may have some remote similarity, e.g. compare Japanese 東京 Tōkyō and Chinese Dōngjīng.
If the Japanese and Chinese writing fully match, the Japanese Kanji is followed by Chinese pronunciation, then Japanese, otherwise the Japanese is given first with the word (Japanese) in brackets.
Traditional Chinese (if different) is given in square brackets (only the part, which is different.)
Prefectures are followed by their capitals.
日本 Rìběn Nihon or Nippon (English:
Japan)
東京 (
Japanese) 东京/東京 Dōngjīng
Tōkyō
北海道 Běihǎidào Hokkaidō 札幌 Zháhuǎng Sapporo
東北地方 Tōhoku Chihō 东北地方 (東北地方) Dōngběi Dìfāng
秋田 Qiūtián
Akita (the capital has the same name)
青森 Qīngsēn
Aomori (the capital has the same name)
福島 (Japanese) 福岛/福島 Fúdǎo
Fukushima (the capital has the same name)
岩手 Yánshǒu
Iwate 盛岡 (Japanese) 盛冈/盛岡 Chénggāng
Morioka
宮城 (Japanese) 宫城/宮城 Gōngchéng
Miyagi 仙台 Xiāntái
Sendai
山形 Shānxíng
Yamagata (the capital has the same name)
関東地方 (Japanese) Kantō Chihō 关东地方/關東地方 Guāndōng Dìfāng
東京 (Japanese) 东京/東京 Dōngjīng Tōkyō 東京 (Japanese) 东京/東京 Dōngjīng
Tōkyō
千葉 (Japanese) 千叶/千葉 Qiānyè Chiba 千葉 (Japanese) 千叶/千葉 Qiānyè
Chiba
群馬 (Japanese) 群马/群馬 Qúnmǎ Gunma 前橋 (Japanese) 前桥/前橋 Qiánqiáo
Maebashi
茨城 Cíchéng Ibaraki 水戸 (Japanese) 水户/水戶 Shuǐhù
Mito
神奈川 Shénnàichuān Kanagawa 横浜 (Japanese) 横滨/橫濱 Héngbīn
Yokohama
埼玉 Qíyù Saitama 埼玉 Qíyù
Saitama
栃木 (Japanese) 枥木/櫪木 Lìmù Tochigi 宇都宫 Yǔdōugōng
Utsunomiya
Note: Chinese Wikipedia uses 栃木, although 栃 is not a standard Chinese character.
中部地方 (Japanese) Chūbu Chihō 中部地方 Zhōngbù Dìfāng
愛知 (Japanese) 爱知/愛知 Àizhī Aichi 名古屋 Mínggǔwū
Nagoya
福井 Fújǐng Fukui 福井 Fújǐng
Fukui
岐阜 Qífù Gifu 岐阜 Qífù
Gifu
石川 Shíchuān Ishikawa 金沢 (Japanese) 金泽/金澤 Jīnzé
Kanazawa
長野 (Japanese) 长野[長-] Chángyě Nagano 長野 (Japanese) 长野/長野 Chángyě
Nagano
新潟 Xīnxì Niigata 新潟 Xīnxì
Niigata
静岡 (Japanese) 静冈/靜岡 Jìnggāng Shizuoka 静岡 (Japanese) 静冈/靜岡 Jìnggāng
Shizuoka
富山 Fùshān Toyama 富山 Fùshān
Toyama
山梨 Shānlí Yamanashi 甲府 Jiǎfǔ
Kōfu
関西地方 (Japanese) Kansai (Kinki) Chihō 关西(近畿)地方 Guānxī (Jìnjī) Dìfāng also called: 近畿地方 Kinki Chihō 近畿地方 Jìnjī Dìfāng
兵庫 (Japanese) 兵库/兵庫 Bīngkù Hyōgo 神戸 (Japanese) 神户/神戶 Shénhù
Kōbe
三重 Sānchóng Mie 津 Jīn
Tsu
奈良 Nàiliáng Nara 奈良 Nàiliáng
Nara
滋賀 (Japanese) 滋贺/滋賀 Zīhè Shiga 大津 Dàjīn
Ōtsu
和歌山 Hégēshān Wakayama 和歌山 Hégēshān
Wakayama
京都 Jīngdū Kyōto 京都 Jīngdū
Kyōto
大阪 (Japanese) 大坂/大阪 Dàbǎn Ōsaka 大阪 (Japanese) 大坂/大阪 Dàbǎn
Ōsaka
中国地方 Chūgoku Chihō 中国地方/中國地方 Zhōngguó Dìfāng
also called: 山陰山陽地方 San'in San'yō Chihō 山阴山阳地方/山陰山陽地方 Shānyīn Shānyáng Dìfāng San'in San'yō Chihō
広島 (Japanese) 广岛/廣島 Guǎngdǎo Hiroshima 広島 (Japanese) 广岛/廣島 Guǎngdǎo
Hiroshima
岡山 (Japanese) 冈山/岡山 Gāngshān Okayama 岡山 (Japanese) 冈山/岡山 Gāngshān
Okayama
島根 (Japanese) 岛根/島根 Dǎogēn Shimane 松江 Sōngjiāng
Matsue
鳥取 (Japanese) 鸟取/鳥取 Niǎoqǔ Tottori 鳥取 (Japanese) 鸟取/鳥取 Niǎoqǔ
Tottori
山口 Shānkǒu Yamaguchi 山口 Shānkǒu
Yamaguchi
四国地方 Shikoku Chihō 四国地方[-國--] Sìguó Dìfāng
愛媛 (Japanese) 爱媛/愛媛 Àiyuàn Ehime 松山 Sōngshān
Matsuyama
香川 Xiāngchuān Kagawa 高松 Gāosōng
Takamatsu
高知 Gāozhī Kōchi 高知 Gāozhī
Kōchi
徳島 (Japanese) 德岛/德島 Dédǎo Tokushima 徳島 (Japanese) 德岛/德島 Dédǎo
Tokushima
九州地方 Kyūshū Chihō 九州地方 Jiǔzhōu Dìfāng
福岡 (Japanese) 福冈/福岡 Fúgāng Fukuoka 福岡 (Japanese) 福冈/福岡 Fúgāng
Fukuoka
鹿児島 (Japanese) 鹿儿岛/鹿兒島 Lù'érdǎo Kagoshima 鹿児島 (Japanese) 鹿儿岛/鹿兒島 Lù'érdǎo
Kagoshima
熊本 Xióngběn Kumamoto 熊本 Xióngběn
Kumamoto
宮崎 (Japanese) 宫崎/宮崎 Gōngqí Miyazaki 宮崎 (Japanese) 宫崎/宮崎 Gōngqí
Miyazaki
長崎 (Japanese) 长崎/長崎 Chángqí Nagasaki 長崎 (Japanese) 长崎/長崎 Chángqí
Nagasaki
大分 Dàfēn Ōita 大分 Dàfēn
Ōita
佐賀 (Japanese) 佐贺/佐賀 Zuǒhè Saga 佐賀 (Japanese) 佐贺/佐賀 Zuǒhè
Saga
沖縄 (Japanese) 冲绳/沖繩 Chōngshéng Okinawa 那覇 (Japanese) 那霸 Nàbà
Naha (Okinawa)
琉球诸岛 Ryūkyū Shotō 琉球群岛/琉球群島 Liúqiú Qúndǎo
also called: 南西諸島 Nansei Shotō 南西群岛/南西群島 Nánxī Qúndǎo
本州 Běnzhōu
Honshū
九州 Jiǔzhōu
Kyūshū
北海道 Běihǎidào
Hokkaidō
四国 (Japanese) 四国/四國 Sìguó
Shikoku
富士山 Fùshì Shān Fujisan or Fujiyama
Japanese: 県 (Ken)
prefecture (of Japan); county (of China)
Chinese: 県 (Japanese version of 县縣) [xiàn] county, district, subdivision, Ken)
Chinese: 县[縣] xiàn en (type of province in Japan)
都 Dū To (type of province in Japan)
府 Fǔ Fu (type of province in Japan)
道 Dào Dō (type of province in Japan - only about 北海道 Hokkaidō)
地方 (chihō (Japanese), dìfāng (Chinese) is normally 地区 dìqū
So, 中国地方 (Chūgoku chihō) is normally written as 中国地区 (Zhōngguó dìqū)