Japan is divided into 47 prefectures, forming the country’s first level of jurisdiction and administrative division.

They include 43 prefectures proper, two urban prefectures, one “circuit” or “territory” and one “metropolis”.

The counties of the United Kingdom are subnational divisions of the United Kingdom, used for the purposes of administrative, geographical and political demarcation.

The older term, shire is historically equivalent to county. By the Middle Ages, county had become established as the unit of local government, at least in England.By the early 17th century, all of England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland had been separated into counties. In Scotland shire was the only term used until after the Act of Union 1707.

Japanese cuisine encompasses the regional and traditional foods of Japan, which have developed through centuries of political, economic, and social changes. The traditional cuisine of Japan is based on rice with miso soup and other dishes; there is an emphasis on seasonal ingredients.

British cuisine is the heritage of cooking traditions and practices associated with the United Kingdom. Although Britain has a rich indigenous culinary tradition, its colonial history has profoundly enriched its native cooking traditions. British cuisine absorbed the cultural influences of its post-colonial territories—in particular those of South Asia.