都道府県

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 都道府県 is read とどうふけん and collectively refers to Japan's prefecture-level jurisdictions.
• Basic usage: Use it in address fields or regional information, as in 都道府県別 for classification by prefecture.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Four labels and more local address units
  • The term groups 都, 道, 府, and 県, all labels at the same prefecture level.
  • 市区町村 refers to more local units.