Photo: Pakutaso
lifestyle

Which Japanese city is gaining interest among families and renters? Hint: it’s not in Tokyo

8 Comments
By Ingrid Tsai, SoraNews24

Apartment hunting in Japan is its own beast. With a multitude of factors to consider, such as your commute and how far away your local supermarket is, the process is complicated, drawn out, and made even more frustrating if a language barrier is involved. And that’s where apartment searching databases such as SUUMO come in handy, helping folks narrow down multiple options to that one perfect spot.

SUUMO is a popular real estate website that has done extra leg work this year in compiling their search data to answer one burning question when it comes to housing: which city has been generating the most interest in terms of drawing in future families and single renters?

The answer is none other than…Wako in Saitama Prefecture.

However, what has really driven Wako up the search result rankings isn’t necessarily its location. After all, there’s a wide assortment of cities between the Saitama and Tokyo prefectural border that provide direct, or at least with a few transfers, easy access to downtown Tokyo.

Interest in Wako has been generated from two main points: its position as a terminus point for the Tokyo Yurakucho and Fukutoshin Metro lines as well as the recently finished renovation of its station complex, now housing company offices, shopping outlets, and a variety of restaurants.

▼ A sneak peek at Wako Station’s renovated south exit.

800px-Wakoshi_station.jpg
Photo: Wikipedia/SEIBU LINER

▼ Wako is also along the Tokyo Tobu Line, which not only connects to Ikebukuro as well but also provides access to other hotspots in Saitama such as Kawagoe, pictured below.

TKL2039001_TP_V.jpg
Photo: Wikipedia/SEIBU LINER

Other cities which showed up behind Wako include Tachikawa, located west of Shinjuku, in second place and Nishioi, another suburb close to Shinagawa, in third. Similar to Wako, their appeal points lie in both their proximity to Tokyo and their re-vitalization through new construction and renovations ushering in more amenities for locals and visitors alike.

It’s unknown whether Wako, Tachikawa, and Nishioi will continue to hold their spots going into 2021. However, it’s still fascinating to see how the housing trends around Tokyo fluctuate and change over the years, and for all we know, maybe Wako will keep its place, especially if the city consistently has novel housing developments such as this apartment complex with its own movie theater.

Source: PR Times, Netlab

Read more stories from SoraNews24.

-- These apartments are crazy-small even by Tokyo standards, and super-popular with young people

-- 11 cheapest Tokyo neighborhoods to rent an apartment in show living here’s not an impossible dream

-- New “social apartment” that comes with attached movie theater will open soon in Saitama

© SoraNews24

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

8 Comments
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Hint: it’s not in Tokyo

Yeah, technically it's not in Tokyo, no. But it does border the 23-ku and Wako-shi Station is not even 1km from that border. It's practically just an extension of Tokyo. Please save these headlines for when places like Zushi, Oyama, etc. suddenly shoot to the top of such lists.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

We live on the outskirts of Tachikawa, and it's really nice. The shopping is good, accessibility to the trains are nice and Showa park is really cool. The south side of the station has lots of bars and restaurants while the north had lots of shopping and office buildings.

We recorded a lot of the station area on our YouTube channel! Just lookup BabyTown Tokyo

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Does revitalization really mean destruction? When places are "revitalized" with a new station building, they become uniformly boring with Uniqlo, Starbucks, Daiso. The shotengai is killed and with it any character the place had also dies, Futako Tamagaya is a prime example of this, even Shimo Kitazawa is now rapidly losing character, too. The big chains, the chain restaurants, the uniform is all that is left. Nothing special, nothing with character remains.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

At least it doesn’t have a fu at the end...Wakofu.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Who wouldn't want to live in a place called "Wako"?

Someone currently living in Intercourse (Pennsylvania) perhaps? They're probably looking to move to Climax North Carolina.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

Who wouldn't want to live in a place called "Wako"?

11 ( +11 / -0 )

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