Abstract
This paper studies characteristics of planning materials issued prefecture governments and its influences on actual planning based on surveys carried out to planning section of prefectures and municipalities. Twenty-seven prefectures among of forty-six have issued planning materials. Although some municipalities like to have planning materials for their reference, there would be some materials causing demerits of formality and deteriorating municipalities' effort for planning an original master plan. As for superiority recognition as a prefecture government on municipality, planning materials are categorized into three types, which are "a type recognized superiority", "a type recognized prefecture participation and little superiority" and "a type respecting autonomy of each municipality"
