Oct 17, 2025
Which prefecture do you think is the most attractive?
I posted this morning about the recently released Prefectural Attractiveness Rankings. Obviously there's an element of subjectivity to this, because what one person deems attractive can be very different to someone else's opinion of it. Hokkaido was ranked the most attractive prefecture in Japan, but the full list can be found below (image source is the article here: https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/39c11474715641625a5720b86bc9b72dfe59e4cd). Of the prefectures you've visited, which would you say is the most attractive, and why would you rate it that way?
Best Answer
-
on Oct 17
Ranking prefectures by "attractiveness" is fraught with problems. What makes a prefecure attractive, after all? Is it dependent on natural, historical, or cultural resources? I'd rather see a ranking of specific categories. For example, public transport access, susceptibility to disasters, cultural and natural charms, management of inbound tourism, and integration of non-Japanese residents. That last one, accommodating people with international roots, is the biggest issue for me.
-
on Oct 18
@TonetoEdo I really like your line of thinking with this. I also wondered the same, since "attractiveness" is very subjective. You mentioned that integration of non-Japanese residents is a big one for you. Do you think Chiba does a good job in that regard?
-
on Oct 18
@genkidesu I think Chiba prefectural government is proactive and welcoming. I've blogged about my volunteer position as a Chiba Kun Global Partner with the prefecture's international affairs division. The division asks for input from foreign residents and supports activities in schools and communities. At the municipal level, it really depends on budgets, human resources, and attitudes. Two cities in northern Chiba are very active in international relations, supporting foreign workers and students - Nagareyama and Matsudo.
-
on Oct 19
Shizuoka for me and I am surprised to see it has dropped from the top ten. Shizuoka stands out the most to me and it is the one that I go back to most often. I love that it has both mountains and sea and that you can get travel easily from one to the other. It ticks all the boxes; natural scenery, manmade scenery, mountain sports, sea sports, flowers, flower parks, folk parks, theme parks, amusement parks, hot springs, food, infrastructure, history, aquariums, museums etc etc
-
on Oct 21
@TonetoEdo I wish Saitama Prefecture was more like that. I also wish they were better at promoting the prefecture, its like they don't care about the "dasai-tama" image.
-
on Oct 21
@BigfamJapan I second this! Shizuoka is replete with historic and beautiful spots. Last time I was there, I saw some gorgeous scenery with soaring cliffs and mountains above the sea. I think Chiba and Shizuoka are rivals across Tokyo Bay for gorgeousness.
-
on Oct 29
I lived in Ibaraki and worked in Saitama for a year (a long time ago) and understand why they're at the bottom. They are both content to be be bedroom communities to Tokyo and don't bother trying to be much more. They must have gotten points for accessibility? Saga is another side of the coin... too rural but full of culture and probably avoiding the attention. I prefer Oita and Hyogo but that's because bustling cities aren't my thing. Culture, comfort, nature, and local food are gonna be the factors that make a place attractive to me.
-
on Apr 24
@helloalissa Can you tell us more about the appeal of Hyogo? Either regional centers or rural gems? I'm honestly curious.
-
on Jul 12
@TonetoEdo It's been months since I've been back, but I'll try to answer your question now. I'm a resident of Osaka Prefecture, so Hyogo is our neighbor without the oversaturated tourism. I'd recommend Kobe or Nara over Kyoto and Osaka to anyone visiting the region. You have the cultural tourism in Himeji (recently managing overtourism with ticket prices) and the small onsen town in Kinosaki. It's a lot of rural space and cottage industry (? tiny family owned businesses), but then the cities are culturally diverse, include natural spaces and are easy to access by shinkansen. As far as food, there's a lot of Chinese food in Kobe around one of the biggest chukagai in Japan, a lot of western influence, but also good local mom and pop izakaya and restaurants. We enjoyed staying in Toyooka and going into Kinosaki and Takeda from there.
-
on Jul 12
@helloalissa Thanks for your perspective on your region. It certainly sounds attractive. It's also central. I'm tempted to visit.
-
on Sep 30
11 Answers