Survey ranks Tokyo as the most desirable place in Japan to live, bumping Kanagawa to #2

This is gotta be a joke. Tokyo desirable? When I get on the trains at 7:30 am, most of the people look like they got the life sucked out of them, and that’s desirable? People usually look surprised when I approach them for help regarding the train map. Osaka is more desirable, and so is Fukuoka, and lots of other places.

Such a predictable list.

Aside from Hokkaido & Okinawa - outstanding nature, lifestyle etc and Kyoto - historical beauty, culture - all are the major metropolis / megalopolis zones of Japan. No doubt most of the respondents live there. In fact 25% of all Japan lives in the Greater Tokyo Zone.

Of course such giant centers can offer much more than regional areas in the fields of education, health/medical, transport, employment, culture, entertainment etc etc. A no-brainer.

This survey simply reinforces the fact that Japan and the world, are being urbanized at unprecedented rates and people find "comfort" in living in close quarters with millions upon millions of people.

I imagine such people could never see the desirability of lovely smaller cities like Toyama, Kagoshima, Takamatsu, Shizuoka, Aomori, Niigata, Matsue etc, let alone I dare guess regional towns.

Govts & Industry, by encouraging centralization of the populace, are imo doing a disservice to the country.

One giant earthquake, one pandemic, one major calamity in Tokyo will bring pain to the whole nation.

I've got no desire to live in such places.

I love Tokyo. It's my favorite city on this planet, much less Japan. You can go anywhere in the city, into any neighborhood and find cool little shops, good food, and people to chat with. I like the cramped style of it all.

My first 3 years in Tokyo we’re miserable. I hated the lack of green space and all the people. After 22 years, I have become accustomed to it and have grown to appreciate the safety and the reliable trains.

If i had my choice, I’d move back to Fukuoka where I lived from 90-93. That’s a great city and I loved living there, with the exception of the gigantic cockroach’s.

Tokyo is a great place. So much to see and do. I’ve lived in and around it for 20 years and I’m still finding hidden gems. I remember one new employee from Akita told me there is more going on at one station on the Yamanote Line than in his home town.

No other Japanese city, and there are some good ones, comes close for me.

Wouldn’t live anywhere else in Japan.

Everything is in Tokyo, but the crowds and rental prices are really off-putting.

I cannot recall any amazing architecture at all or beautiful views. Most buildings are big rectangular boxes

I’d agree with that. Tokyo isn’t exactly pleasing on the eye but neither are any Japanese cities in my experience ( Kyoto is as dull as any with more temples than most dotted around ).

As you said, in a country hammered by earthquakes, functionality and safety tend to take precedence over flamboyance. It’s understandable.

Maybe data from before COVID

Kochi has highest number of beds per capita.

Otherwise, after all this is over, somewhere to go for a walk - beach, forest, un-concreted river, or all three

In Tatsuno I rent a 6DK house with surround garden for less monthly rental than a 1 room apartment in Tokyo.

Tokyo is actually reasonable compared with other megacities if you choose the right area. I lived in a nice-ish area of Tokyo and was paying over ¥200,000 per month for a modest 2LDK. In the less fashionable wards like Adachi and Arakawa ( about 30 mins or less from central Tokyo ) the rents are much cheaper. I have a friend living out in western Tokyo with reasonable rents and lovely views. In the satellite towns around Tokyo, the rents are cheaper still.

Man I wish you could fix typos after posting on this site. Or maybe I should just try reading my posts before uploading...

Pointless survey in my opinion. different people like different things for different reasons. Even different times of an individuals life they may find certain things more appealing to them. There is no universal "best". The idea that areas that ran lower should learn something from those that rand higher is ludicrous.

Let me guess, Ota City, Gunma was last place?

as well as plenty of opportunities for child care and education

Child Care,

Is it April fool or what?

You can go anywhere in the city, into any neighborhood and find cool little shops, good food, and people to chat with. 

So...like everywhere else in Japan?

So...like everywhere else in Japan?

Everywhere in Japan is like Tokyo? I think not.

Tokyo has too many American gaijin now, who are generally loud, rude and disrespectful. Too many baka Instagrammers.

That feeling goes both ways.