Changing Places: Shizuoka Remains Top Spot Among People Looking to Relocate

The NPO Furusato Kaiki Shien Sentā, a center working with local governments to provide information on migration, released its 2023 ranking of most desired relocation destinations in Japan. Shizuoka Prefecture was the most popular place among people who consulted the center, holding on to the top position for the fourth year running. It was followed by Gunma Prefecture, which jumped to second place from ninth the year before.

Shizuoka received high marks across different age groups for its convenience of life and proximity to Tokyo. Gunma attracted a surge in inquiries from families with young children, who favorably viewed the prefecture as an inexpensive place to live, including offering lower education costs than Tokyo, and safe, suffering few earthquakes. Being within 100 kilometers of Tokyo also made it popular with remote workers.

Prefectures surrounding Tokyo have garnered interest since the COVID-19 pandemic among people looking to relocate near the capital. Hokkaidō has also gained attention as a possible destination, moving up to seventh from twelfth place the previous year, with interest from people working remotely and others looking to leave the Kantō region.

Along with consultations, the center also hosted seminars offering information about different prefectures.

Most Popular Relocation Destinations in 2023

Created by Nippon.com based on data from Furusato Kaiki Shien Sentā.

Gunma was the most popular relocation destination among seminar participants, coming top for the first time after ranking fourteenth last year. This sudden rise was the result of seminars that provided advice on how to restore old farmhouses and explained the costs involved in relocation. Wakayama also jumped in popularity to third from eighth place, with seminars aimed at people looking for information on housing and job searches proving effective.

There center received over 59,000 consultations (interviews, phone calls, email, location visits, seminars) in 2023, the highest on record and representing a 13.3% rise compared to 2022. This was the third consecutive year for record-high figures. Looking at residency, 43.6% of the people seeking consultations lived in Tokyo.

The survey was conducted between January 4 and December 27, 2023. It covered new consultations at the center and received responses from 17,056 people.

(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo © Pixta.)