{"id":1036,"date":"2019-11-06T15:23:40","date_gmt":"2019-11-06T06:23:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/villagehouse.rainbow.co.jp\/?p=1036"},"modified":"2020-04-06T11:46:53","modified_gmt":"2020-04-06T02:46:53","slug":"growing-cities-in-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.villagehouse.jp\/en\/local-area-guides\/growing-cities-in-japan\/","title":{"rendered":"Growing Cities in Japan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

#1\nTokyo<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With the global spotlight due to be shone over the next 12 months on\nthe Japanese capital as both the Rugby World Cup and the 2020 Olympics, there\u2019s\nno getting around the fact that Tokyo<\/em><\/strong> remains the epicenter of the\nnation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only city to constantly see year-on-year population growth, the\nnation\u2019s capital is a global metropolis that needs little introduction with its\nvast array of employment opportunities, entertainment options, accommodation\nchoices, and cultural activities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Intriguingly though, there are several other cities and regions across\nthe nation that continue to attract a range of new residents for various\nreasons including economic, cultural, and environmental.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, if you\u2019re looking to escape the hustle and bustle of the \u2018big\ncity\u2019, it\u2019s well worth considering many other unique cities in this fascinating\nnation that stretches far beyond the capital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#2 Fukuoka<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s no doubt that one of the major buzz locations in Japan right\nnow is the southern port city of Fukuoka<\/em><\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just a short hop across from South Korea \u2013 and taking the high-speed\n\u2018Beetle\u2019 hydrofoil there is a wild ride \u2013 Fukuoka is currently home to around\none and a half million people but is making increasing efforts to grow that\npopulation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blessed with a warmer climate than most of the nation, there\u2019s no need\nto shiver through a snowy winter whilst the summer months are perfect for a\nrange of outdoor activities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

More importantly, the city has positioned itself as one of the most\ninnovative in the country under a youthful mayor (who was elected at the age of\n36) and has a range of incentives to attract investment as they look to become\nJapan\u2019s answer to the entrepreneurial US city of Seattle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Located on the southern island of Kyushu, Fukuoka is Japan\u2019s fastest-growing city outside of the capital and home to one of the nation\u2019s youngest populations. Nestled between the water and the mountains and blessed with excellent local cuisine and a laid-back nature, there\u2019s plenty to draw people to the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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#3 Toyama<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Another city that\u2019s fast earning a reputation for \u2018smart living\u2019 is Toyama<\/em><\/strong>\n\u2013 the capital of the prefecture with the same name that\u2019s located around 250\nkilometers north-west of Tokyo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a bid to promote sustainable living, the city of barely 400,000 people implemented a bicycle-sharing program more than a decade ago and has earned international praise for its commitment to building a compact and sustainable city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It\u2019s also one of Japan\u2019s 11 \u2018future cities\u2019 that are built on ideals\nthat are helping to try and solve issues around global warming and dwindling\nnatural resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a compact tram network, the city is easy to navigate and is also\nhome to an attractive local castle as well as the futuristic Glass Art Museum.\nBeing positioned neatly on a vast bay and also surrounded by mountains, the\ncity offers a range of ways to get in touch with nature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

#4 Sapporo<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For those who enjoy the colder winter months, there\u2019s a major appeal\nto the bustling northern city of Sapporo<\/em><\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Home to the internationally renowned \u2018Ice Festival\u2019 that\u2019s held every\nFebruary, it\u2019s Japan\u2019s fifth-largest city with a population of just under 2\nmillion but is right on the doorstep of some of the nation\u2019s wildest natural\nelements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sapporo is a paradise for those who love winter sports, and the summers are also far milder with less heat and humidity than the rest of the country and also offer some superb hiking and outdoor activities. Renowned for its regional cuisine, especially ramen, beer lovers will be right at home in the city that lends its name to one of the most popular brews in Japan but there\u2019s also plenty of unique buildings, gardens, and even the country\u2019s largest zoo! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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#5 Chofu<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Closer to the action in the capital, there\u2019s plenty of cities on the\nfringes of Tokyo that are also seeing a population boom and make ideal choices\nfor those who want to be close but not right in the thick of the Tokyo rush.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Located to the west of the central Tokyo wards is Chofu<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 known as part of\nthe Tokyo Metropolis \u2013 but being barely 20 minutes by train from downtown\nShinjuku \u2013 it\u2019s an ideal location for those looking for cheaper accommodation\noptions yet still with all the convenience of the big city. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given its location on the outer edge of the capital, the city is also\nwithin touching distance of plenty of nature options (including the Jindai\nBotanical Gardens) as well as being home to Tokyo\u2019s two professional soccer\nclubs in FC Tokyo and Tokyo Verdy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

#6 Chiba<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the opposite direction, Chiba<\/em><\/strong> is one of the few cities\noutside the capital to see noticeable population growth for many of the same\nreasons \u2013 the accommodation options are much more affordable yet it\u2019s still an\neasy commute for those who work in Tokyo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For those who are into water sports, it\u2019s also an easy trip to the\nbeaches on the Pacific coast but the city of almost a million people has more\nthan enough entertainment, dining and drinking options to keep you satisfied \u2013\nand it is home to the world\u2019s largest suspended monorail!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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#7 Tsukuba<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Finally, for those with a more academic or scientific interest, Tsukuba<\/em><\/strong>\nis also booming. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Located an hour north of Tokyo in Ibaraki Prefecture, Tsukuba is known\nas Japan\u2019s \u2018Science City\u2019 and is centered around the famed Tsukuba University\n(which has produced two Nobel Prize winners) and also features a \u2018Space Center\u2019\nwith a large rocket out the front and all sorts of information on Japan\u2019s space\nprogram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given it\u2019s more rural location, the city\nof 250,000 is also home to plenty of parks and wide-open spaces \u2013 as well as a\nropeway that can whisk you to the top of Mt. Tsukuba \u2013 and provides a far more\nrelaxed alternative to the capital but is still within a commutable distance. \n\nIf you\u2019ve set your mind on\nliving in Tokyo then you\u2019ll certainly not be lacking any kind of lifestyle or\nentertainment options, but if it\u2019s nature, smart cities or those with a milder\nclimate then there\u2019s plenty of other fantastic choices to look at right across\nthe nation.\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

#1 Tokyo With the global spotlight due to be shone over the next 12 months on the Japanese capital as both the Rugby World Cup and the 2020 Olympics, there\u2019s no getting around the fact that Tokyo remains the epicenter of the nation. The only city to constantly see year-on-year population growth, the nation\u2019s capital […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1037,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[95,96,94,97],"class_list":["post-1036","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-area-guides","tag-japan-life","tag-japan-tips","tag-life-in-japan","tag-living-in-japan"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.villagehouse.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1036","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.villagehouse.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.villagehouse.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.villagehouse.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.villagehouse.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1036"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.villagehouse.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1036\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.villagehouse.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1037"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.villagehouse.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1036"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.villagehouse.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1036"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.villagehouse.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1036"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}