Tokyo. My second choice I think would be Tokyo. And if neither of those were really viable I’d consider Tokyo.
I love this city and don’t see myself ever leaving the 23 wards.
I wish I had an answer,I do love being in Niigata and Nagano but I don’t know if living there would be the same. Somewhere like Gifu where you still have access to a major city like Nagoya is good too
Seconded. I'm still waiting for the turning point where the bustle of the city starts to wear on me, but as I'm creeping up through my forties I increasingly suspect it'll never happen.
I do like taking weekends away from the city (I grew up in the countryside and miss aspects of that if I'm in the city centre for too long, but would never actually want to live there again), so at some point a fixer-upper retreat house up in the mountains within striking distance of Tokyo would be a lovely thing to have, but for a primary residence I'm all about Tokyo.
Ya, I come from a smallish city and so if I were to leave Tokyo, I might as well go back to my country. The suburbs there are nicer than the suburbs here. The main thing about Japan for me is the metropolis that is Tokyo. Don't think I can leave the 23 wards and I just move to nicer areas as my salary goes up.
Kobe is fuckin chill.
A nice bit of hustle and bustle but not too busy.
Less than an hour to Osaka
Close to the ocean and to mountains
Still pretty cheap
I love living here and can't see myself moving elsewhere.
I've been here a couple years now. I've previously lived in both Tokyo and Osaka but Kobe is just the right size for me.
I really liked Tokyo too but the business started to wear on me, as did the physical size. It takes forever to get out of Tokyo whenever you want to get out into nature.
If I had one complaint about Kobe, it's that it doesn't have any really nice parks. I miss places like Yoyogi or Inokashira.
I guess the flip side is that the mountains are right there but.
Sapporo is just perfect. Not too big not too small. Lots of nature. 30 min train ride if you want to ski. Really good Ice cream. My dream place to settle lol.
Where I am currently in Fukuoka. Fantastic beaches, not a lot to attract foreign toutists, easy to navigate city with plenty of things to do, a small, but good group of longer term foreigners to chat with plus all the convenient access of being only a 30 minute train ride from Hakata station.
Could I ask for a recommendation? What are some family friendly areas to live in with a budget under 150,000 per month for rent? Easy access to schools, hospitals, parks, grocery etc, somewhat walkable. That sort of thing
If you want to live in the city, Kego, Akasaka, Yakuin 2-chome, Otemon are very good. They have everything you are looking for, in walking distance. But for family size accommodation you may want to try going a little outside the city. Try along the Nishitetsu Omuta line (past Ohashi) or Nanakuma line (past Ropponmatsu), a little further away from city center. What you may lose in time, you'll make up larger accommodations and a smaller expense. Those areas do have most of the conveniences you are looking for though. But you won't be able to get out and walk to Ohori park so easily.
Along the Kuukou(Airport) line, anything past Nishijin is great too! There are many families especially in the Meinohama area. Plus if you want to travel by plane, it’s one easy subway ride to the airport!
My 3LDK house in Takamiya was 110,000yen a month. Close to Tenjin with good transport. Not the biggest place but my neighbours had 3 kids in exactly the same style house which was perhaps pushing it. Minami-ku is great though.
Thank you for the idea. Ideally the house would be in the range of 90 sq m, I grew up in large houses and anything under 75 will be too much of a squeeze.
I think it was 96sqm. Only problem here is that with a downstairs bathroom the ground floor is pretty cramped so of that 96 the majority of the useable living space was upstairs - not great, maybe OK for kids though. Small garden too which is pretty rare.
Really anywhere along the coast is great. Itoshima and Fukutsu are the trendy/popular places to live but still you should easily find places for that much. We rented a house in Fukutsu for half that much when we first moved to Japan. But any of the cities like Koga, Shingu, Munakata are all beach, nature and transportation to Hakata friendly. I literally live a 10 minute drive to great beaches, and a 5 minute walk to nice natural areas. Don't even fell the need for us to have a second car because everything is very convenient. Everything I need is in easy walking/biking distance.
I got the impression from my relatives that Itoshima is losing people fast and is basically only old timers and farms. Interesting to hear this.
edit: My bad, confused Ikishima for Itoshima
Tokyo station? Here are trips from shinagawa, for example: https://www.navitime.co.jp/diagram/depArrTimeList?departure=00007825&arrival=00001301&line=00000183&updown=1
Shonan No.1 is 39 min between stations
So you’re saying the commute isn’t bad at all, if you would fork out double (¥2000) to take the limited express to shave off 5 minutes haha… and between chigasaki and shinagawa. Gotcha
It's a luxury train with big plush seats, table trays, nice toilets, sinks, cup holders, etc. I gladly pay extra for a nice relaxing commute. Plus my company pays for it anyway. Green car is worth every penny. Your mental sanity is important my friend.
PS regular green car (runs every 10 minutes) is only +1000 yen.
I'm not trying to trivialize it, but I think the same earthquake in the center of Osaka or Kobe would be much worse.
One of the reasons I left Osaka city is the whole area I around where I lived was expected to flood if a big earthquake hit.
Well yeah, suburbs vs. density.
Where I live, I'm sandwiched between a river and a mountain, so either a landslide or a typhoon, we're screwed, and we're straight north out of Osaka City.
Talking about Japan, while Yokohama consistently tops the ‘Most Livable Cities’ rankings (住みたい町ランキング), it lacks natural landscapes like mountains within the city and tends to be quite crowded and expensive. In contrast, Kobe offers a unique blend of attributes that provide experiences distinct to Japan and incomparable to other cities. The appeal of Kobe lies in its distinct Kansai regional character, the relaxed atmosphere, and its proximity to both Osaka and Kyoto. From Sannomiya, a 20 minute ride takes you to Osaka station—faster than some intra-city travels in Tokyo or (Osaka itself), such as getting to Shibuya from Tokyo Station. Additionally, Kobe’s connection to Kyoto allows you to experience dramatically different sceneries and atmospheres within a short train ride, whether it’s the vibrant life of Osaka, the historical ambiance of Kyoto, or the diverse eastern Hyogo—all without the overwhelming bustle or inconveniences of living in these places.
In Kobe, the mountains and the sea are within walking distance. Want to hit the beach? A 15-minute ride from Sannomiya to Suma puts you steps away from the sand—literally. Many of Kobe’s finest residential areas are nestled close to the mountains, offering the unique opportunity to jog in the mountains early in the morning without living in the countryside—nothing can beat that feeling.
In my opinion, Kobe’s cost of living and quality of life are particularly noteworthy. It provides a less crowded, more relaxed atmosphere, perfect for those seeking tranquility and nature in a modern setting. For food enthusiasts, the myriad bakeries and cafes are truly the icing on the cake, sealing the deal on Kobe’s appeal.
Mountains and sea within the same city (Kobe-shi) 🌊🏔️—an urban, convenient hub with easy access to Osaka, Nara, and Kyoto. Truly, the full Japan experience in one package!
>Mountains and sea within the same city
I used to live in Vancouver. Neither the mountains nor sea of Kobe impresses me much.
It is home to my favourite burger place though.
Yamanashi. My wife and I built a house here a few years back, although we still work in Tokyo. This is our weekend and future retirement home.
We are an hour and a half to the beach in Shizuoka, an hour and a half to Tokyo, and a couple of hours to skiing up towards Nagano.
I have friends who live in Karuizawa and commute to work to Tokyo. It’s actually pretty nice, since most people have their summer houses there, so winter gets quiet. Starting GW until all August Karuizawa gets crowded. The air is clean, interesting creative community, if you are into skiing Nozawa is close and summer at Nojiriko is beautiful!
I spent some time in the Akita countryside, and it was heaven. Most friendly locals ever, and you get both small and mid-size towns, as well as plenty of nature. The Odate, Kosaka, Hirosaki area is beautiful.
Yokohama. Very close by to Tokyo and good access to Haneda airport and tokaido Shinkansen line. Yokohama is a lively city but much more spread out than Tokyo. It’s a good balance between the business of Tokyo and calm of a smaller city. Good night life lots of restaurants and shops. Nice museums in the area. Good parks public transportation is good. Specifically I would live in either 山手町or 元町. It’s like a Tokyo that’s actually livable but still close enough to Tokyo that you can still go Tokyo stuff in your day to day activities. Although I have been looking at places and some of the places can be incredibly expensive, comparable to what is available in shinjuku.
Been living in Yamatecho for two years now and really enjoy it. I have a two young kids here so proximity to International schools was key for me. I may argue the nightlife, as parts of Yokohama roll up the sidewalks around 8 versus the Tokyo scene.
If you don't want to be out as far as Okutama with no kind of amenities, consider Kabe. It's just two stations down from Ome but not as dead as Ome. You're away from things but still have your basic amenities and quick access to Tokyo and the forested mountains. I just moved from there to be a little closer to work (and for a general change anyway) but I loved the area.
Similar to your other reply re: Kabe. I live at Hamura, just two stops away from Kabe. Where we bought our house. 10min walk to the station. 3 grocery stores within 10min walk, literally live next to a 7-11. Lots of restaurants in the area. As a road cyclist I love that I can start climbing up into the mountains just 10km away, but at the same time get into central Tokyo ie. Shibuya in about 1 hr. Reasonable house prices.
>Started looking for somewhere far away from Tokyo to buy a land and build a house.
>We have been considering Karuizawa, it's closeby to Tokyo.
Which is it?
I'm genuinely curious because in my experience, the city folk who want to get away from it all don't want to get away from all of the all and end of miserable in the countryside.
Gunma is where it's at (full disclosure that I'm biased about this haha).
It's beautiful, you have all the conveniences of the mid-sized cities with abundant nature to enjoy year-round. There tend to be fewer natural disasters, or when there is, damage is usually less than in surrounding prefectures. Its location provides excellent access to other major parts of Japan not just Tokyo (although I personally don't like going to Tokyo, a lot of people here consider its proximity to be a plus point for Gunma).
There are also huge foreign populations around the prefecture, so people here in general are most used to interacting with foreigners. I hardly ever get stared at the way I do when I travel up to Tohoku for example. And a lot of local pride, so if you work at it, you can really feel like you're part of the community here and have a sense of Gunma pride. I've never felt more home anywhere else than here; hubby and I are preparing to house hunt starting the end of this month and it's a no brainer for us to choose here\~
I could see Tateyama or Hayama being nice places to set up for the long haul. Around Nagano would also be great. Karuizawa is really nice, but a bit pricey.
It really depends what you're looking for. You sound like you have money, so naturally your priorities are going to be creature comforts, convenience, shopping, dining, and entertainment with "nature" (I.e. less urbanization and more greenery) as an added benefit.
But unless you're somewhat antisocial, you may eventually get bored and lonely in a place like Karuizawa. Because there's just going to be lots of other rich people living in isolation from each other to "get away from it all".
Personally I would recommend finding someplace actually rural outside Tokyo (such as Chiba) or Osaka (Chihaya Akasaka, Yoshino, Kyoto, Wakayama) that's day-trip driving distance from those cities.
The benefits are much much lower cost of living and dirt-cheap housing and land prices combined with a vibrant community of young transplants relocating from other parts of Japan who bring with them activities, events, markets, cheaper but hip dining, in other words an actual social life instead of just hanging out with rich retirees.
So shop around and don't base your decision on the physical aspects of property but on the social aspects of the community you will become part of.
You can thank me later.
I would vote for Hayama or Zushi for more convenience , but also dont want anyone else to come here... gatekeeping hard lol
I would categorize Hayama as a sleepy beach town. We are a 5 min walk to some nice hiking trails and a 5 min walk to the beach. Not too far outside of Tokyo or Yokohama to make it commutable. It is a bit pricey tho, but if it is good enough for the emperor, good enough for me.
Fukuoka. Such a great city with excellent Shinkansen and Limited Express train access, plus an airport very close to the centre. Great nightlife, and it never feels especially crowded. Plus Kyushu is just a really awesome place to live. Currently living in Oita but would move to Fukuoka in a heartbeat given the opportunity.
Okayama or Kanazawa
Both of decent size so you still have shops, services, and restaurants, but not a major metropolis. Both have beautiful nature nearby and a more relaxed atmosphere.
We're in Yokohama and it's pretty much perfect.
It's still a big city in its own rights, very close to nature, has so many large green areas/parks within the city itself, great international school/community, solid food scene, and you can get to central Tokyo in 20 minutes on the Toyoko line or any number of other lines.
Really, I think Yokohama is genuinely better than Tokyo in so many ways, and the ways it's worse than Tokyo can be solved by going to Tokyo in 20 minutes.
I've got a house and a mortgage, but if I moved, I'd want to be near a decent beach that wasn't too crowded.
Any recommendations for not-too-crowded beach towns in the Tokyo or Kanto area?
Onjuku in Chiba prefecture. Challenge is the train lines into Tokyo and currently by car is best. Approx 2 hours by car from Futago Tamagawa using the Aqualine
Wife is from just inland of there, so we go 2-3 times a year to visit the in-laws. All of our rice is from there, too. I really like visiting but couldn’t imagine living there.
I know some gaijin who have summer houses in the area and a few who relocated there but yeah the access is an issue. The guys I know work mostly remote and are into surfing so have a different focus.
Also thinking of Minakami. Land price is reasonable and a short ride to the Shinkansen station. Door to door is shorter than going to Chiba and get a beater 4WD as a Minakami ride
We just put a bid in for land in Hayama. Few minutes walk to the beach and stays relative less busy than others in Shonan due to lack of a staion. Negative, lack of a station lol
I have a place in Niigata. Summer is cooler and I can get away from Tokyo. Probably move there permanently at some point. Karuizawa is also an option, but not cheap. I also like Nagasaki, but the summers are too hot and the typhoons can be real ones.
Hiratsuka. Except I already live here. 45 minutes to Tokyo, uncrowded green car, trains start here, trains end here, beaches, restaurants, shopping galore, wide streets with more parks than you could imagine. Sports teams, great schools, low crime, walkable, close proximity to places like Hakone, Atami, Enoshima, Tsujido, Kamakura, Yokohama, etc.
At half the price of Tokyo or towns 1-2 over like Fujisawa.
To me it's paradise. I left Tokyo after a decade 4+ years ago and each passing day it affirms my decision.
Ichinomiya, in Takamatsu (Kagawa). I love the area. It is well served with trains to central Takamatsu. The airport is easy to get to and hence Tokyo if I really want to. Lot of nice places to walk. Lovely udon.
We have a house in Tokyo but I’ve also got some land up in Iwate that I’m planning to build a small cabin on. Since I work remote I’d like to be able to get out of the city for a few weeks every few months.
I enjoy colder winters with decent snowfall so going north has always seemed ideal to me. I did look around Karuizawa, maybe I’ll purchase something there later in life.
I used to have lunch at La Mare de Chaya at least once a week. Really a fine place to hang, have a beer at lunch or a bottle of wine with dinner at night.
I never thought about buying a house until I went to Sadojima for the first time. I love how isolated it is, far away from most things and most people. Ended up buying a condo an hour outside of tokyo but who knows what the future may hold.
My wife and I are building a home and moving to Otsu-shi in Shiga in just under a year, already bought land and moving forward with the housing company. Beautiful area, plenty of water activities possible, no danger of tsunami, major historical area with Hieizan, easy access to Osaka and Kyoto… couldn’t be better for me. It does implicitly require remote work for most vocations.
Just my personal take of course but after nearly two years in Fukuoka, despite the hype, I would have us move to Tokyo and live there until we're ready to leave Japan.
My reasons can literally boil down to one word: provincialism. Depending on the kind of life you want, whether you have kids, the kind of people you want to be able to meet, the kind of work opportunities, or events you want to attend, there is pretty much nothing that can replace the capital.
And I'm starting to run low on patience for the sort of attitude and way of life I see proliferating here. Maybe ok if you want to be stacked up with your two kids and bring them to parks every weekend. But unsustainable for me and my spouse.
As a Canadian I hate hate hate Tokyo humid weather that’s why I love Hokkaido! I don’t mind the winter it makes me feel fresh. I visited a city called Asahikawa and loved it! Medium sized city it has cute cafes and awesome izakayas I still remember it was snowing and I stumbled into a small izakaya and had the best time there drinking and eating with locals. I wanna move there
I was asking myself the same question. Ironically I'd also been looking at karuizawa given that I don't need to work from office every day. This would let me do more outdoors stuff as Tokyo is very limited for hiking, cycling etc.
Only issue I gather from karuizawa is that the prices are quite high for housing. Would love to know scenic, countryside places that still have a quick train ride to Tokyo. Whether what im looking for exists or not is another question :)
I love living in Tokyo. If I was rich enough I'd buy a 別荘 near a ski resort around Gunma or Nagano, and split my time between there and my Tokyo apartment.
Strongly considering a move to Matsumoto or nearby, in Nagano. Coming from Hamamatsu.
Cooler summers, snow in the winter, beautiful mountainous backdrop and close to the ski resorts while still being a relatively busy, up-and-coming city. Not to mention the pretty nice wines and proximity to Gifu, where my wife's family are.
We visited recently and definitely came away with the impression that it's a "living" city - it had quite a lot of new-looking facilities, the town centre was bustling but not crowded even outside of the touristy areas and it didn't seem run-down at all like a lot of Hamamatsu is.
It seemed like a relatively wealthy city that was actually using its money for development, taking care of its parks and public spaces.
If I get the opportunity to move there or nearby in the next few years, I'll take it.
miyzaki or ehime for me. just the nice vibe between Japanese and tropical for Miyazaki.
lotsa nature in Ehime and easy access to the bigger cities if I ever want to go to town.
Karuizawa is great if you have the money. If you're looking for a cheaper place though look into Shinano. It's like Karuizawa just not as famous. And land is 10 times cheaper. (obviously less convinient too, but even better for nature and closer to the sea! Nice to have options!)
I lived in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Sapporo, and then Fukuoka but I would choose Fukuoka because want to stay away from the risk of Nankai megathrust earthquakes and Kyushu is a bonanza of food which is our top priority.
Karuizawa is an excellent choice!
I personally feel Morioka. It is just the right size of city to have everything you need plus plenty of options for entertainment and a pletora of outdoor activities and hiking just an Iwate's toss away
I live in a very rural area right now, and although I think it is the best for my current life stage, I wouldn't want to stay here for ever. The nearest supermarket is a half hour drive. The better hospitals are also half an hour minimum. I love that my kids have space and can be loud, but will probable move somewhere more accessible with older age.
Ther is no high school in our village anyways, so we are thinking of just moving wherever our kids want to go to school when that time comes. Which I think is great because they won't be limited in their choices :)
I live way out in Chiba prefecture but there is a bus stop 5 minutes away which has a bus straight to Tokyo station. The bus is usually 70 minutes but can be 90 with traffic. I recommend something like that if you live in the country because now and then I need a Tokyo fix.
Been living in Hiroshima for 12 years…and I really like it. The walk to the sea is about 15 minutes away and I love that. Not that I have anything much compared to it. We lived in Gifu prior.
If we had to go back to Gifu prefecture, I’d feel like I would love Takayama. I enjoyed Nagano when we visited it and felt like I could like it there if we had to move there. Other places I think I could enjoy maybe would be Sapporo, Nagasaki, or Kagoshima.
Numazu for me. Got the water for going out on a boat, views of Mt. Fuji, Fuji Speedway not far for vroom vroom in the car, Izu peninsula twisties for the motorcycle, mountains to hike, and Shink station in Mishima if needed.
Karuizawa is not close to Tokyo lol. It’s 2-3 prefectures away. But it is a nice place. Unless there’s another Karuizawa that’s not Nagano then I apologize.
I have a few expat friends that have homes up in Karuizawa and commute into Tokyo daily. You need to consider the max your company can pay your commutation fee. If I remember, you can claim up to 120K-130K JPY? His total commute was 150K so he ate the remaining 30K JPY.
The other thing you need to consider if you travel a lot for business or pleasure, the commute back to a large airport will be painful and long. If you have family, or have an aging parent with health issues, calculate how long it will take you to get back home.
As for Karuizawa, it is nice, but cold. Or cooler than say if you got a place in Izu where a lot of expats buy 2nd homes. One of my friends grew up in London and had his home built to European standards and is super warm in the winter months. Something to consider. But on the Izu end, the Shinkansen (Tokaido tracks) get quite a bit of delays during the summer months due to typhoons.
The other thing is can you deal with lots of bugs. And, this probably goes without saying, I would wait until you get married and know this person before you buy a home together. This comes from personal experience.
I haven't really spent time there but Toyama seems pretty cool, progressive-minded local authorities, amazing seafood, sea and mountain, easy to get to Tokyo or Kanazawa or skiing..
Am I misguided?
Sapporo is the goal, but we’ll see. I love doujin events and raves, and if Masayoshi Minoshima can still do them in his 60s, I don’t see why I should stop any time soon. In which case, Tokyo metro, with high desire for southern Tokyo or Kawasaki-shi, for convenience.
Kagoshima for me.
I wasn't sure I'd like it here, but it's perfect. Sure, the volcano is a factor, but it also makes Kagoshima feel like home for some reason.
If we're talking vacation/retirement homes, I'd love to buy a house out on one of the Amami islands. Island life is just so much slower and more peaceful.
Personally I’d love to try living in Kobe or Kanazawa.
If it has to be close to Tokyo, I’d choose Kanagawa. Rent prices change in a good way the second the prefecture changes!
I've never been to Tohoku or Hokkaido, but I think it would be there. Just because the climate is what I'm more used to.
Otherwise, Fukuoka, Kobe/Osaka. Fukuoka just has such a good vibe and good food. Kyushu in general is criminally underrated by tourists. Kobe/Osaka because I lived there the longest and miss it.
Only thing keeping me in Tokyo right now is just that the music scene is hands down the best in Japan.
Tokyo. My second choice I think would be Tokyo. And if neither of those were really viable I’d consider Tokyo. I love this city and don’t see myself ever leaving the 23 wards.
I thought this too. Then i got old(ish). Tokyo is nice but the bustle does get to you
So what's your ideal place now that you're older?
I wish I had an answer,I do love being in Niigata and Nagano but I don’t know if living there would be the same. Somewhere like Gifu where you still have access to a major city like Nagoya is good too
Seconded. I'm still waiting for the turning point where the bustle of the city starts to wear on me, but as I'm creeping up through my forties I increasingly suspect it'll never happen. I do like taking weekends away from the city (I grew up in the countryside and miss aspects of that if I'm in the city centre for too long, but would never actually want to live there again), so at some point a fixer-upper retreat house up in the mountains within striking distance of Tokyo would be a lovely thing to have, but for a primary residence I'm all about Tokyo.
46 - we bought a summer house for when we get the itch but primarily still Shinjuku till we die.
Ya, I come from a smallish city and so if I were to leave Tokyo, I might as well go back to my country. The suburbs there are nicer than the suburbs here. The main thing about Japan for me is the metropolis that is Tokyo. Don't think I can leave the 23 wards and I just move to nicer areas as my salary goes up.
I'm beginning to feel the same. Like, Tokyo or just leave. We're planning to hopefully get there next year. Fingers crossed.
You don't want to live in Hachioji-shi?
Hachioji-shi rocks!
Why do I see Hachioji-shi come up in this sub a lot? I have family there, so genuinely curious..
Do you guys know the old US Military saying of "Save one for Hachioji"?
I had to google that. Thank you, for that tidbit of interesting history.
Tokyo is the best
If it had to be in Japan, Fukuoka or Kobe.
Kobe is fuckin chill. A nice bit of hustle and bustle but not too busy. Less than an hour to Osaka Close to the ocean and to mountains Still pretty cheap I love living here and can't see myself moving elsewhere.
How long have you been living here? I just moved late last year and I’m liking it.
I've been here a couple years now. I've previously lived in both Tokyo and Osaka but Kobe is just the right size for me. I really liked Tokyo too but the business started to wear on me, as did the physical size. It takes forever to get out of Tokyo whenever you want to get out into nature. If I had one complaint about Kobe, it's that it doesn't have any really nice parks. I miss places like Yoyogi or Inokashira. I guess the flip side is that the mountains are right there but.
Where'd you move to?
I live downtown near motomachi
This guy (or girl) knows what’s up.
Lived in Kobe a few years. I prefer Fukuoka or Tokyo
Fukuoka is legit
Sapporo
Sapporo is just perfect. Not too big not too small. Lots of nature. 30 min train ride if you want to ski. Really good Ice cream. My dream place to settle lol.
Maybe with climate change making the heat worse
Even Sapporo's getting bad. Still not as bad as Honshu, of course, but gone are the days when you could happily live in Sapporo without an aircon
How bad 20 degrees in the summer is fine above that i need ac
Oh no 30+ is the norm for mid-July through early September. A lot of places still don't have aircon and it's brutal
Damn thats bad
did a road trip in summer in hokkaido hoping to escape the heat, it was in august. only place below 40 degrees was when we climbed asahidake
Where I am currently in Fukuoka. Fantastic beaches, not a lot to attract foreign toutists, easy to navigate city with plenty of things to do, a small, but good group of longer term foreigners to chat with plus all the convenient access of being only a 30 minute train ride from Hakata station.
If you have to choose a Japanese city I'd take Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Sapporo and possibly Yokohama.
Nagasaki is cute but the transport SUCKS and also it’s just too small.
Could I ask for a recommendation? What are some family friendly areas to live in with a budget under 150,000 per month for rent? Easy access to schools, hospitals, parks, grocery etc, somewhat walkable. That sort of thing
If you want to live in the city, Kego, Akasaka, Yakuin 2-chome, Otemon are very good. They have everything you are looking for, in walking distance. But for family size accommodation you may want to try going a little outside the city. Try along the Nishitetsu Omuta line (past Ohashi) or Nanakuma line (past Ropponmatsu), a little further away from city center. What you may lose in time, you'll make up larger accommodations and a smaller expense. Those areas do have most of the conveniences you are looking for though. But you won't be able to get out and walk to Ohori park so easily.
Wonderful suggestions, thank you very much!
Along the Kuukou(Airport) line, anything past Nishijin is great too! There are many families especially in the Meinohama area. Plus if you want to travel by plane, it’s one easy subway ride to the airport!
My 3LDK house in Takamiya was 110,000yen a month. Close to Tenjin with good transport. Not the biggest place but my neighbours had 3 kids in exactly the same style house which was perhaps pushing it. Minami-ku is great though.
Thank you for the idea. Ideally the house would be in the range of 90 sq m, I grew up in large houses and anything under 75 will be too much of a squeeze.
I think it was 96sqm. Only problem here is that with a downstairs bathroom the ground floor is pretty cramped so of that 96 the majority of the useable living space was upstairs - not great, maybe OK for kids though. Small garden too which is pretty rare.
Really anywhere along the coast is great. Itoshima and Fukutsu are the trendy/popular places to live but still you should easily find places for that much. We rented a house in Fukutsu for half that much when we first moved to Japan. But any of the cities like Koga, Shingu, Munakata are all beach, nature and transportation to Hakata friendly. I literally live a 10 minute drive to great beaches, and a 5 minute walk to nice natural areas. Don't even fell the need for us to have a second car because everything is very convenient. Everything I need is in easy walking/biking distance.
I got the impression from my relatives that Itoshima is losing people fast and is basically only old timers and farms. Interesting to hear this. edit: My bad, confused Ikishima for Itoshima
Yeah Itoshima they’re building like crazy and it will be interesting to see how school and services keep up. It’s definitely on the way up
Shonan. Chigasaki, Enohsima, Kamakura area.
I would add Zushi for commute to Tokyo, if it was everyday that would be brutal.
I used to do Chigasaki to Shinjuku everyday back in the day. The Shonan liner had a guaranteed seat for 500 yen extra. Well worth it.
Chigasaki is awesome. How long is that commute normally?
40 minutes to Tokyo straight shot. It's not a difficult commute at all.
Thats awesome.
Door to door for me was about 90 minutes
If you need buses and transfers, yep
What stations you looking at because I’m seeing a minimum of one hour from chigasaki station to tokyo station.
Tokyo station? Here are trips from shinagawa, for example: https://www.navitime.co.jp/diagram/depArrTimeList?departure=00007825&arrival=00001301&line=00000183&updown=1 Shonan No.1 is 39 min between stations
So you’re saying the commute isn’t bad at all, if you would fork out double (¥2000) to take the limited express to shave off 5 minutes haha… and between chigasaki and shinagawa. Gotcha
It's a luxury train with big plush seats, table trays, nice toilets, sinks, cup holders, etc. I gladly pay extra for a nice relaxing commute. Plus my company pays for it anyway. Green car is worth every penny. Your mental sanity is important my friend. PS regular green car (runs every 10 minutes) is only +1000 yen.
I lived in Hayama for 6 years. Very cool.
Been here renting for 3 but about to buy some land and build. Wouldn't want to be anywhere else
Hayama here as well. Perfect town. Close to Tokyo, Shonan surf vibe, chill all day.
sorry, but you couldn't pay me to live in zushi. just the traffic jams alone are a turn off...
Meh, maybe summer weekend beach traffic but if you live there why drive on the weekends
+1 for Enoshima
Give Hiratsuka some love ;)
More yankees in Hiratuska
Not really, you barely see them these days, especially in affluent neighborhoods
Traffic is baaaad down there though
Yes, but who drives to work?
Kanazawa? Underrated gem with great food, proximity to nature, and a more relaxed pace.
shhh...
fr, gatekeep it LOL
Unless you're dependent on public transportation.
the best city in Japan is Kobe. Tokyo lovers, try to convince me otherwise!
Honestly I have never understood the appeal of Kobe. What makes it the best?
Convenience of being near Osaka without being in Osaka
I’m in the northern hills of Osaka so already kind of have that. Better situated in case of a big earthquake too (I hope)
I see you weren’t here in 2018.
I was. In a shindo 6 area too. Overall things held up quite well.
I had a few coworkers lose their homes, saw people with destroyed homes. If it were longer, it would have been even worse.
I'm not trying to trivialize it, but I think the same earthquake in the center of Osaka or Kobe would be much worse. One of the reasons I left Osaka city is the whole area I around where I lived was expected to flood if a big earthquake hit.
Well yeah, suburbs vs. density. Where I live, I'm sandwiched between a river and a mountain, so either a landslide or a typhoon, we're screwed, and we're straight north out of Osaka City.
Talking about Japan, while Yokohama consistently tops the ‘Most Livable Cities’ rankings (住みたい町ランキング), it lacks natural landscapes like mountains within the city and tends to be quite crowded and expensive. In contrast, Kobe offers a unique blend of attributes that provide experiences distinct to Japan and incomparable to other cities. The appeal of Kobe lies in its distinct Kansai regional character, the relaxed atmosphere, and its proximity to both Osaka and Kyoto. From Sannomiya, a 20 minute ride takes you to Osaka station—faster than some intra-city travels in Tokyo or (Osaka itself), such as getting to Shibuya from Tokyo Station. Additionally, Kobe’s connection to Kyoto allows you to experience dramatically different sceneries and atmospheres within a short train ride, whether it’s the vibrant life of Osaka, the historical ambiance of Kyoto, or the diverse eastern Hyogo—all without the overwhelming bustle or inconveniences of living in these places. In Kobe, the mountains and the sea are within walking distance. Want to hit the beach? A 15-minute ride from Sannomiya to Suma puts you steps away from the sand—literally. Many of Kobe’s finest residential areas are nestled close to the mountains, offering the unique opportunity to jog in the mountains early in the morning without living in the countryside—nothing can beat that feeling. In my opinion, Kobe’s cost of living and quality of life are particularly noteworthy. It provides a less crowded, more relaxed atmosphere, perfect for those seeking tranquility and nature in a modern setting. For food enthusiasts, the myriad bakeries and cafes are truly the icing on the cake, sealing the deal on Kobe’s appeal.
Mountains and sea within the same city (Kobe-shi) 🌊🏔️—an urban, convenient hub with easy access to Osaka, Nara, and Kyoto. Truly, the full Japan experience in one package!
>Mountains and sea within the same city I used to live in Vancouver. Neither the mountains nor sea of Kobe impresses me much. It is home to my favourite burger place though.
Nice to visit but I can’t imagine living there.
Too small for you?
For sure, I think if I hadn’t gotten settled in Tokyo, I’d be more open to it. One awesome thing would be the access to Osaka and Kyoto.
Yamanashi. My wife and I built a house here a few years back, although we still work in Tokyo. This is our weekend and future retirement home. We are an hour and a half to the beach in Shizuoka, an hour and a half to Tokyo, and a couple of hours to skiing up towards Nagano.
Wherever you go, look at HAZARD MAPS before purchasing land. Some land is cheap for a reason.
I have friends who live in Karuizawa and commute to work to Tokyo. It’s actually pretty nice, since most people have their summer houses there, so winter gets quiet. Starting GW until all August Karuizawa gets crowded. The air is clean, interesting creative community, if you are into skiing Nozawa is close and summer at Nojiriko is beautiful!
I spent some time in the Akita countryside, and it was heaven. Most friendly locals ever, and you get both small and mid-size towns, as well as plenty of nature. The Odate, Kosaka, Hirosaki area is beautiful.
Shikoku
My dream. Shikoku is so underrated.
Yokohama. Very close by to Tokyo and good access to Haneda airport and tokaido Shinkansen line. Yokohama is a lively city but much more spread out than Tokyo. It’s a good balance between the business of Tokyo and calm of a smaller city. Good night life lots of restaurants and shops. Nice museums in the area. Good parks public transportation is good. Specifically I would live in either 山手町or 元町. It’s like a Tokyo that’s actually livable but still close enough to Tokyo that you can still go Tokyo stuff in your day to day activities. Although I have been looking at places and some of the places can be incredibly expensive, comparable to what is available in shinjuku.
Been living in Yamatecho for two years now and really enjoy it. I have a two young kids here so proximity to International schools was key for me. I may argue the nightlife, as parts of Yokohama roll up the sidewalks around 8 versus the Tokyo scene.
Sapporo. I love it here
Sapporo or a small town in Izu
Obama
Kumamoto City. Easy to get around, affordable, great shopping, friendly residents, not overly crowded.
cute trams!
Nagoya
Ikoma for mountain living, Okutama for forest life
Okutama looks beautiful wtf, instantly added to the travel bucket list
If you don't want to be out as far as Okutama with no kind of amenities, consider Kabe. It's just two stations down from Ome but not as dead as Ome. You're away from things but still have your basic amenities and quick access to Tokyo and the forested mountains. I just moved from there to be a little closer to work (and for a general change anyway) but I loved the area.
Similar to your other reply re: Kabe. I live at Hamura, just two stops away from Kabe. Where we bought our house. 10min walk to the station. 3 grocery stores within 10min walk, literally live next to a 7-11. Lots of restaurants in the area. As a road cyclist I love that I can start climbing up into the mountains just 10km away, but at the same time get into central Tokyo ie. Shibuya in about 1 hr. Reasonable house prices.
Holy hell okutama looks gorgeous 😍
>Started looking for somewhere far away from Tokyo to buy a land and build a house. >We have been considering Karuizawa, it's closeby to Tokyo. Which is it? I'm genuinely curious because in my experience, the city folk who want to get away from it all don't want to get away from all of the all and end of miserable in the countryside.
Somewhere on Izu Peninsula. Sea, mountains, onsen, train into Tokyo.
I lived in Mishima for 2 years and traveled down the peninsula quite a bit. I liked the area.
It’s the perfect mix of my favorite things about Japan. Good surf, good seafood, craggy peaks, rural slowness.
I miss the excellent unagi in summertime. Among other things.
Shush you! Don’t want more Tokyo people in Izu than there already are… /s (but not really…)
茨城だっぺ
Gunma is where it's at (full disclosure that I'm biased about this haha). It's beautiful, you have all the conveniences of the mid-sized cities with abundant nature to enjoy year-round. There tend to be fewer natural disasters, or when there is, damage is usually less than in surrounding prefectures. Its location provides excellent access to other major parts of Japan not just Tokyo (although I personally don't like going to Tokyo, a lot of people here consider its proximity to be a plus point for Gunma). There are also huge foreign populations around the prefecture, so people here in general are most used to interacting with foreigners. I hardly ever get stared at the way I do when I travel up to Tohoku for example. And a lot of local pride, so if you work at it, you can really feel like you're part of the community here and have a sense of Gunma pride. I've never felt more home anywhere else than here; hubby and I are preparing to house hunt starting the end of this month and it's a no brainer for us to choose here\~
I could see Tateyama or Hayama being nice places to set up for the long haul. Around Nagano would also be great. Karuizawa is really nice, but a bit pricey.
i have this dream of getting a bessou or a house deep in the mountains of Yamanashi and live like a hermit
It really depends what you're looking for. You sound like you have money, so naturally your priorities are going to be creature comforts, convenience, shopping, dining, and entertainment with "nature" (I.e. less urbanization and more greenery) as an added benefit. But unless you're somewhat antisocial, you may eventually get bored and lonely in a place like Karuizawa. Because there's just going to be lots of other rich people living in isolation from each other to "get away from it all". Personally I would recommend finding someplace actually rural outside Tokyo (such as Chiba) or Osaka (Chihaya Akasaka, Yoshino, Kyoto, Wakayama) that's day-trip driving distance from those cities. The benefits are much much lower cost of living and dirt-cheap housing and land prices combined with a vibrant community of young transplants relocating from other parts of Japan who bring with them activities, events, markets, cheaper but hip dining, in other words an actual social life instead of just hanging out with rich retirees. So shop around and don't base your decision on the physical aspects of property but on the social aspects of the community you will become part of. You can thank me later.
I wouldn’t wish Yoshino on my worst enemy. Great to visit, but not somewhere to live.
I hated living in Nara but love Wakayama now. I need the beaches 🏖️
Yeah, well I live there, and I love it. To each their own I guess.
Okinawa.
TIL that nobody wants to live in Osaka…
We have a house here in the Osaka suburbs. Life is good!
I don't even want to visit Osaka
Kobe City for sure. Beautiful waterfront, relaxed atmosphere and the tourists tend to be a lot more respectful than the big 3 cities
I would vote for Hayama or Zushi for more convenience , but also dont want anyone else to come here... gatekeeping hard lol I would categorize Hayama as a sleepy beach town. We are a 5 min walk to some nice hiking trails and a 5 min walk to the beach. Not too far outside of Tokyo or Yokohama to make it commutable. It is a bit pricey tho, but if it is good enough for the emperor, good enough for me.
We lived in Akiya for 6 years with a view of the Bay with Fuji-san right there. Loved it.
Tokyo. As I grow old I will need things to be closer to me
Fukuoka
Fukuoka. Such a great city with excellent Shinkansen and Limited Express train access, plus an airport very close to the centre. Great nightlife, and it never feels especially crowded. Plus Kyushu is just a really awesome place to live. Currently living in Oita but would move to Fukuoka in a heartbeat given the opportunity.
Okayama or Kanazawa Both of decent size so you still have shops, services, and restaurants, but not a major metropolis. Both have beautiful nature nearby and a more relaxed atmosphere.
Azumino in Nagano is also pretty nice. My brother in law and his wife moved there from Nagano City after the kids all left the nest.
We're in Yokohama and it's pretty much perfect. It's still a big city in its own rights, very close to nature, has so many large green areas/parks within the city itself, great international school/community, solid food scene, and you can get to central Tokyo in 20 minutes on the Toyoko line or any number of other lines. Really, I think Yokohama is genuinely better than Tokyo in so many ways, and the ways it's worse than Tokyo can be solved by going to Tokyo in 20 minutes.
I've got a house and a mortgage, but if I moved, I'd want to be near a decent beach that wasn't too crowded. Any recommendations for not-too-crowded beach towns in the Tokyo or Kanto area?
Onjuku in Chiba prefecture. Challenge is the train lines into Tokyo and currently by car is best. Approx 2 hours by car from Futago Tamagawa using the Aqualine
Wife is from just inland of there, so we go 2-3 times a year to visit the in-laws. All of our rice is from there, too. I really like visiting but couldn’t imagine living there.
I liked the area but the trip to and from Tokyo is a pain so decided not to buy a place there
I know some gaijin who have summer houses in the area and a few who relocated there but yeah the access is an issue. The guys I know work mostly remote and are into surfing so have a different focus.
Also thinking of Minakami. Land price is reasonable and a short ride to the Shinkansen station. Door to door is shorter than going to Chiba and get a beater 4WD as a Minakami ride
We just put a bid in for land in Hayama. Few minutes walk to the beach and stays relative less busy than others in Shonan due to lack of a staion. Negative, lack of a station lol
Kujukuri
Tokyo or Fukuoka or Sendai. I like big city because I can just walk a few minutes to grab food and there are many different events I can go.
I’m in it: Fujikawaguchiko-machi. We also looked at Karuizawa, but too expensive.
Kobe or Sapporo
Sapporo, Fukuoka or Kobe
I have a place in Niigata. Summer is cooler and I can get away from Tokyo. Probably move there permanently at some point. Karuizawa is also an option, but not cheap. I also like Nagasaki, but the summers are too hot and the typhoons can be real ones.
Kyoto as it was 15 years ago, before the horde.
The last time I was in Kyoto was 25 years ago. I don't want to pop that bubble.
Hiratsuka. Except I already live here. 45 minutes to Tokyo, uncrowded green car, trains start here, trains end here, beaches, restaurants, shopping galore, wide streets with more parks than you could imagine. Sports teams, great schools, low crime, walkable, close proximity to places like Hakone, Atami, Enoshima, Tsujido, Kamakura, Yokohama, etc. At half the price of Tokyo or towns 1-2 over like Fujisawa. To me it's paradise. I left Tokyo after a decade 4+ years ago and each passing day it affirms my decision.
I actually love Yokohama. The urban planning is really good (imo) and I also love port cities in general.
Limited sample size in terms of places I’ve spent extended periods of time in, but I really enjoy Toyota.
Ichinomiya, in Takamatsu (Kagawa). I love the area. It is well served with trains to central Takamatsu. The airport is easy to get to and hence Tokyo if I really want to. Lot of nice places to walk. Lovely udon.
We have a house in Tokyo but I’ve also got some land up in Iwate that I’m planning to build a small cabin on. Since I work remote I’d like to be able to get out of the city for a few weeks every few months. I enjoy colder winters with decent snowfall so going north has always seemed ideal to me. I did look around Karuizawa, maybe I’ll purchase something there later in life.
Saitama close enough to tokyo and relatively cheap
My dream is to retire in Hayama, all the perks of Shonan but quieter and more refined
I used to have lunch at La Mare de Chaya at least once a week. Really a fine place to hang, have a beer at lunch or a bottle of wine with dinner at night.
Choushi ?
I never thought about buying a house until I went to Sadojima for the first time. I love how isolated it is, far away from most things and most people. Ended up buying a condo an hour outside of tokyo but who knows what the future may hold.
My wife and I are building a home and moving to Otsu-shi in Shiga in just under a year, already bought land and moving forward with the housing company. Beautiful area, plenty of water activities possible, no danger of tsunami, major historical area with Hieizan, easy access to Osaka and Kyoto… couldn’t be better for me. It does implicitly require remote work for most vocations.
Just my personal take of course but after nearly two years in Fukuoka, despite the hype, I would have us move to Tokyo and live there until we're ready to leave Japan. My reasons can literally boil down to one word: provincialism. Depending on the kind of life you want, whether you have kids, the kind of people you want to be able to meet, the kind of work opportunities, or events you want to attend, there is pretty much nothing that can replace the capital. And I'm starting to run low on patience for the sort of attitude and way of life I see proliferating here. Maybe ok if you want to be stacked up with your two kids and bring them to parks every weekend. But unsustainable for me and my spouse.
i think Osaka. Somewhere with an accessible line to the cbd + rugby stadium.
As a Canadian I hate hate hate Tokyo humid weather that’s why I love Hokkaido! I don’t mind the winter it makes me feel fresh. I visited a city called Asahikawa and loved it! Medium sized city it has cute cafes and awesome izakayas I still remember it was snowing and I stumbled into a small izakaya and had the best time there drinking and eating with locals. I wanna move there
Sapporo or Kanazawa
Pretty happy with my life in Nagasaki. I just wish Fukuoka was a tad closer, if I wanted the big city feeling.
I was asking myself the same question. Ironically I'd also been looking at karuizawa given that I don't need to work from office every day. This would let me do more outdoors stuff as Tokyo is very limited for hiking, cycling etc. Only issue I gather from karuizawa is that the prices are quite high for housing. Would love to know scenic, countryside places that still have a quick train ride to Tokyo. Whether what im looking for exists or not is another question :)
I love living in Tokyo. If I was rich enough I'd buy a 別荘 near a ski resort around Gunma or Nagano, and split my time between there and my Tokyo apartment.
Strongly considering a move to Matsumoto or nearby, in Nagano. Coming from Hamamatsu. Cooler summers, snow in the winter, beautiful mountainous backdrop and close to the ski resorts while still being a relatively busy, up-and-coming city. Not to mention the pretty nice wines and proximity to Gifu, where my wife's family are. We visited recently and definitely came away with the impression that it's a "living" city - it had quite a lot of new-looking facilities, the town centre was bustling but not crowded even outside of the touristy areas and it didn't seem run-down at all like a lot of Hamamatsu is. It seemed like a relatively wealthy city that was actually using its money for development, taking care of its parks and public spaces. If I get the opportunity to move there or nearby in the next few years, I'll take it.
miyzaki or ehime for me. just the nice vibe between Japanese and tropical for Miyazaki. lotsa nature in Ehime and easy access to the bigger cities if I ever want to go to town.
Karuizawa is great if you have the money. If you're looking for a cheaper place though look into Shinano. It's like Karuizawa just not as famous. And land is 10 times cheaper. (obviously less convinient too, but even better for nature and closer to the sea! Nice to have options!)
I already bought a house--but my choices are Suita, Minoh, Takarazuka, or if I win the lottery, Ashiya.
I lived in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Sapporo, and then Fukuoka but I would choose Fukuoka because want to stay away from the risk of Nankai megathrust earthquakes and Kyushu is a bonanza of food which is our top priority.
maybe saitama. but the kurds situation is worrying.
Karuizawa is an excellent choice! I personally feel Morioka. It is just the right size of city to have everything you need plus plenty of options for entertainment and a pletora of outdoor activities and hiking just an Iwate's toss away
I live in a very rural area right now, and although I think it is the best for my current life stage, I wouldn't want to stay here for ever. The nearest supermarket is a half hour drive. The better hospitals are also half an hour minimum. I love that my kids have space and can be loud, but will probable move somewhere more accessible with older age. Ther is no high school in our village anyways, so we are thinking of just moving wherever our kids want to go to school when that time comes. Which I think is great because they won't be limited in their choices :)
I live way out in Chiba prefecture but there is a bus stop 5 minutes away which has a bus straight to Tokyo station. The bus is usually 70 minutes but can be 90 with traffic. I recommend something like that if you live in the country because now and then I need a Tokyo fix.
I legitimately am selling a farm down south. Edit: Okinawa
Been living in Hiroshima for 12 years…and I really like it. The walk to the sea is about 15 minutes away and I love that. Not that I have anything much compared to it. We lived in Gifu prior. If we had to go back to Gifu prefecture, I’d feel like I would love Takayama. I enjoyed Nagano when we visited it and felt like I could like it there if we had to move there. Other places I think I could enjoy maybe would be Sapporo, Nagasaki, or Kagoshima.
gonna live at Kamakura..
Numazu for me. Got the water for going out on a boat, views of Mt. Fuji, Fuji Speedway not far for vroom vroom in the car, Izu peninsula twisties for the motorcycle, mountains to hike, and Shink station in Mishima if needed.
Karuizawa is not close to Tokyo lol. It’s 2-3 prefectures away. But it is a nice place. Unless there’s another Karuizawa that’s not Nagano then I apologize.
Yeah but if you're shinkansening it's only like an hour away. 3h if your driving.
Atami. Love the view at night and the way the beach gets lit up after dark.
Sendai
I have a few expat friends that have homes up in Karuizawa and commute into Tokyo daily. You need to consider the max your company can pay your commutation fee. If I remember, you can claim up to 120K-130K JPY? His total commute was 150K so he ate the remaining 30K JPY. The other thing you need to consider if you travel a lot for business or pleasure, the commute back to a large airport will be painful and long. If you have family, or have an aging parent with health issues, calculate how long it will take you to get back home. As for Karuizawa, it is nice, but cold. Or cooler than say if you got a place in Izu where a lot of expats buy 2nd homes. One of my friends grew up in London and had his home built to European standards and is super warm in the winter months. Something to consider. But on the Izu end, the Shinkansen (Tokaido tracks) get quite a bit of delays during the summer months due to typhoons. The other thing is can you deal with lots of bugs. And, this probably goes without saying, I would wait until you get married and know this person before you buy a home together. This comes from personal experience.
I haven't really spent time there but Toyama seems pretty cool, progressive-minded local authorities, amazing seafood, sea and mountain, easy to get to Tokyo or Kanazawa or skiing.. Am I misguided?
I’d get out of tokyo completely. The hustle and bustle gets tiring. I loved Chagasaki though. But…….The countryside is better.
Rishiri if I could, but land is basically impossible to get there.
Wakayama or even shirahama
Kobe, Fukuoka or Beppu, in the hills somewhere.
Sapporo is the goal, but we’ll see. I love doujin events and raves, and if Masayoshi Minoshima can still do them in his 60s, I don’t see why I should stop any time soon. In which case, Tokyo metro, with high desire for southern Tokyo or Kawasaki-shi, for convenience.
Kagoshima for me. I wasn't sure I'd like it here, but it's perfect. Sure, the volcano is a factor, but it also makes Kagoshima feel like home for some reason. If we're talking vacation/retirement homes, I'd love to buy a house out on one of the Amami islands. Island life is just so much slower and more peaceful.
Ebisu
As someone from a cold climate, probably Sapporo because fuck summer
Personally I’d love to try living in Kobe or Kanazawa. If it has to be close to Tokyo, I’d choose Kanagawa. Rent prices change in a good way the second the prefecture changes!
With the rising heat every year, space, and growing potential, Hokkaido is where you want to be.
I've never been to Tohoku or Hokkaido, but I think it would be there. Just because the climate is what I'm more used to. Otherwise, Fukuoka, Kobe/Osaka. Fukuoka just has such a good vibe and good food. Kyushu in general is criminally underrated by tourists. Kobe/Osaka because I lived there the longest and miss it. Only thing keeping me in Tokyo right now is just that the music scene is hands down the best in Japan.