Two other Japanese cities join the capital in top 25 of international quality of life ranking.
For the past 11 years, British-based lifestyle magazine Monocle has published a ranking of the most livable cities in the world. 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.
Germany has the most entries on this year’s list, with four of its cities making the cut. However, Japan was close behind with three cities in the top 25, including the top spot overall.
Coming in at number 14 is Fukuoka, the largest city on the southwest island of Kyushu, which won its spot thanks to its educational institutions, entrepreneur-friendly economic environment, and seaside location.
▼ Fukuoka
A few slots higher on the list, at number 12, was Kyoto. Long a darling of the global community for its historical heritage and beautiful architecture, Monocle also cited the city’s rich food culture, with locally-sourced produce getting a special mention.
▼ Kyoto
And finally, at the top of rankings, just as it was in 2016 and 2015, is Tokyo. The continued admiration for Japan’s capital in Monocle’s list stems from its ability to mix “small-town warmth and big city excitement.” While not every resident would call Tokyo “warm,” there’s no denying that Tokyo’s extremely unique neighborhoods form a massive continual chain of discovery and new experiences.
▼ Tokyo
Monocle also spoke of Tokyo’s amazing dining options and eminently reliable, low-stress public transportation, securing the win for a city the magazine said “should be…unbearably crowed,” but is instead an excellent place to live.
The full list of the top 25 consists of:
25. Oslo
24. Portland
23. Brisbane
22. Auckland
21. Singapore
20. Amsterdam
19. Dusseldorf
18. Vancouver
17. Barcelona
16. Lisbon
15. Hong Kong
14. Fukuoka
13. Helsinki
12. Kyoto
11. Stockholm
10. Madrid
9. Hamburg
8. Zurich
7. Sydney
6. Copenhagen
5. Melbourne
3 (tie). Munich
3 (tie). Berlin
2. Vienna
1. Tokyo
Of course, as with anything desirable, some would say you get what you pay for, as Tokyo regularly also tops lists of the most expensive places in the world to live. Some of those horror stories are exaggerations or misrepresentations, though, and knowing that, it’s not such a shock to see Tokyo picked as the most livable city in the world.
Source: Monocle via Nikkei via Jin
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert images: Wikipedia/mmry0241, Photo53, Pakutaso
