Designated city
A designated city (指定都市, shitei toshi; [ɕi̥.tei toꜜ.ɕi, -teː-]) or government ordinance city (政令市, seireishi; [sei.ɾeꜜi.ɕi, seː.ɾeꜜː-]), short for city designated by government ordinance (政令指定都市, seirei shitei toshi; [sei.ɾei ɕi̥.tei toꜜ.ɕi, seː.ɾeː- -teː-]), is a Japanese city that has a population greater than 500,000 and has been designated as such by order of the Cabinet of Japan under Article 252, Section 19, of the Local Autonomy Law. Designated cities are delegated many of the functions normally performed by prefectural governments in fields such as public education, social welfare, sanitation, business licensing, and urban planning.