Latest ranking of traffic accident fatalities across Japan’s prefectures
Top 10 prefectures with the highest death toll
1. Tokyo: 146
2. Aichi: 141
3. Chiba: 131
4. Osaka: 127
5. Saitama: 113
6. Kanagawa: 109
6. Hyogo: 109
8. Hokkaido: 104
9. Ibaraki: 94
10. Fukuoka: 91
Prefectures with the lowest death counts
47. Shimane: 9
46. Tottori: 15
44. Nara: 23
44. Fukui: 23
38. Akita: 31
38. Kagawa: 31
Other regions like Yamanashi, Toyama, Ishikawa, and Tokushima also report relatively low numbers.
Fatal accidents are especially concentrated in urban areas. Tokyo, Aichi, and Osaka see heavy traffic, endless intersections, and highways tangled like spiderwebs. With so many cars and people packed together, the risk naturally climbs.
Hokkaido is worth pointing out. Even though it’s sparsely populated, it still ranks eighth nationwide. The reason lies in its long, straight roads and a driving culture that favors speed. On those stretches, drivers often push the limits, and serious crashes happen more often. The landscape itself ultimately magnifies the danger.
On the flip side, Shimane and Tottori record very few deaths. Shimane had only nine fatalities all year, the only prefecture to stay in single digits. The explanation is simple—fewer people, fewer cars, fewer accidents.
