Tokyo ranked as most livable city in the world in Monocle annual survey

I love it but at number one? Hmm.

It's great for live music, food, festivals, shopping and all that. Shrines, parks, landmarks and an efficient public transport (if crowded at certain times) all add to the mix.

But it's nice to visit; couldn't live in the city.

What a joke! The authors must have confused the category with "most miserable concrete jungle".

Luddite: "I find the love of rural living baffling"

Strange way of thinking for a Luddite. :) Of course it all comes down to matter of opinion which you prefer, but I doubt there are many who would disagree the worst of country life doesn't hold a candle to the worst of the city (and I don't mean lack of conbinis, I mean crime, dirtiness, noise, pollution, cost, etc.), but which has the better points of the two is certainly debatable.

Who wants to live in a city, anyway?

Me. City girl born and bred, I find the love of rural living baffling.

Who wants to live in a city, anyway?

Not me thanks.

Small-town life is the best; open spaces, clean air, more green than concrete, yet still all the shops and conveniences modern life demands. Plus neighbours who say hello.

Hear hear!

You'd have to pay me an awful lot to get me to live in a city again.

You couldn't pay me enough.

Zichi, Kobe sounds amazing! Never been, but been to Nishinomiya.

Even among Japanese cities Tokyo is nothing to write home about. Osaka and Sapporo are MUCH nicer.

Smith- Spot on! excellent post!

Monocle is partly owned by Nikkei Inc and the publisher Tyler Brule writes a column for the Financial Times newspaper, also owned by Nikkei Inc.

Hardly a surprise that Tokyo wins bestest place in the world nearly every year...

Exactly. The idea that Tokyo beats out places like Vancouver or Melborne, or some of the other amazing cities out there is laughable.

BertieWooser: "Obviously nobody from Monocle has ever been to Tokyo, much less lived there."

Au contraire, my friend; Monocle was partly bought out by the Nikkei Publishing Company two or three years ago, which is why every year since Monocle publishes Tokyo as the most liveable city in the world.

"The magazine launched on 15 February 2007. In September 2014, Brûlé sold a minority stake in Monocle magazine to Japanese publisher Nikkei Inc. The deal valued Monocle at about U.S. $115 million, although the size of Nikkei's investment was undisclosed."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monocle_(UK_magazine)

And then in the very next year...

"The 2015 Monocle Survey determined the world's most liveable city was Tokyo (a total of three Japanese cities were on the list)"

It then gave Tokyo, once again, the most liveable city in 2016, and now 2017.

So, for the record, since a major stake was bought by Japanese Nikkei Co, Japanese cities have started appearing not only as #1, but up to three in the top ten. Tokyo was #22 in 2013, and yet the year it was bought it moves up to #2, then #1 consistently in the years since?

Près tel, what changed in that one year to move it up 20 spots, aside from a major Japanese company basically buying it out?

Who wants to live in a city, anyway?

Small-town life is the best; open spaces, clean air, more green than concrete, yet still all the shops and conveniences modern life demands. Plus neighbours who say hello.

You'd have to pay me an awful lot to get me to live in a city again.

I've been to many of these places and would put Singapore at #1, or maybe #2 since the heat can be overbearing all year. I'd still put Tokyo in top 5; most people nay-saying are just unhappy with their place of employment. But yeah, Portland at #2??? A homeless-ridden, drugged out (yet still expensive) hippy hell hole like that shouldn't even be on the list anywhere. So yeah, not a very believeable list regardless of your opinions of Tokyo.

What a joke!

Tokyo with its high pollution,high prices, high population density and reams of concrete, and a microclimate in the summer offer what exactly to be no 1?

i don't think that I'm in a rush to get there anytime soon!......

Can't blame Monocle for having a one-eyed view of what a 'livable city' looks like can we. yes we can!

Money has changed hands.

if you look past the crowds, lines, sold out of everything you want and peeing in the street then sure, its ok...

Obviously they are not factoring in work-life-wages balance. What a ridiculous ranking. Glad I don't read and fall for that type of propaganda.

I find these rankings pretty baffling and useless. You can easily rig them to reach a desired result (such as Tokyo being #1) depending on how you weigh the various criteria used to measure livability. They also tell you nothing about how cities actually are to live in.

I lived in Fukuoka for four years and loved the city, for example, but on the list it sits between Hong Kong and Helsinki. These three cities have nothing in common and one's experience living in them would be massively different. But on this list they are ranked as if they were virtually the same.

Conversely another city I have lived in, Kobe, is also really great for many of the same reasons that Fukuoka is (about the same size, nestled between the mountains and ocean, etc. Main difference is that Kobe is close to Osaka and Kyoto while Fukuoka is in a bit more of a rustic location). Yet Kobe doesn't make the list for some reason.

"The evaluations in the annual Quality of Life Survey draw from factors such as transportation infrastructure, cultural activities, cuisine, housing costs, abundance of public spaces, and business startup climate."

bcexileToday 08:56 am JST

As ever these things need to be taken with a large grain of salt. These surveyors drop in for a few days, stay at one of the 5 star hotels, interview a few people who share their ideas about (destination) and make their lists.

Seems clear to me too, putting Hong-Kong in that list really shows that they have no ideas of how the locals live there ...

Alfie Noakes you beat me to it.

Since I've rarely had to take the packed trains and have lived on outskirts but still 東京都, I love it! I've never lived in Barcelona, but spent some time there, no way! Pickpockets, general crime, etc., no thanks.

As ever these things need to be taken with a large grain of salt. These surveyors drop in for a few days, stay at one of the 5 star hotels, interview a few people who share their ideas about (destination) and make their lists.

Having said that, Tokyo's transport system is still one of the best in the world, it is still one of the safest cities (relatively speaking) I have ever been in and it is certainly true if there is something you want to do or try, Tokyo probably has it.

But the Tokyo I have lived in for the last 20 years is the one of packed commutes, tight living conditions and little leisure time (or budget!) to enjoy those "world class" museums, nice mountains/beaches or amazing restaurants. Basically Tokyo is a concrete-slathered stress inducement machine.

Other cities, like Sapporo or Fukuoka, get the balance better in my humble opinion.

Monocle is partly owned by Nikkei Inc and the publisher Tyler Brule writes a column for the Financial Times newspaper, also owned by Nikkei Inc.

Hardly a surprise that Tokyo wins bestest place in the world nearly every year...

I love Tokyo. I can understand how it could be number one. The commuting sucks during the rushes, but the rest of the day it's often fine, and very convenient.

With all the options of places to eat, and things to do, beaches just an hour away, mountains to climb nearby, and the shinkansen making most of the country reachable in just a few hours, Tokyo is great.

Um, the list is incorrect, this has a less Confusing numbering for the list.

https://hypebeast.com/2017/6/monocle-magazine-most-liveable-city-2017

Obviously nobody from Monocle has ever been to Tokyo, much less lived there.

The people who voted Tokyo as "the most lovable city in the world" must have lived in luxury hotels and obviously don't know anything about the daily commuter experience or never needed emergency medical care on a weekend.