Tokyo is attracting people from the rest of Japan again

After the slowdown of the pandemic years (and smart working), the number of arrivals in 2024 from other prefectures returned to 2019 levels. Still, despite the Ishiba government’s “revitalisation” plans, non-metropolitan areas continue to lose residents.

Tokyo (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Tokyo's population has begun to grow again at a rapid pace, settling back to 2019 levels, before the pandemic.

Data released today by the Ministry of Internal Affairs indicate that 461,454 people moved to the Japanese capital in 2024, compared to 382,169 who left.

The positive balance is 79,285 more residents than in the previous twelve months, a rise very similar to that recorded in the last year before COVID-19.

If the Greater Tokyo area, including the prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa and Saitama, is considered, the number of migrants from other parts of the country exceeds those who left by 135,843.

The trend that saw many Japanese quit the 40 million plus metropolis thanks to smart-working now seems to be coming to an end with mainly young people moving to Tokyo for study or work.

In a country where the overall population is steadily shrinking under the pressure of demographic winter, outlying regions are getting depopulated.

Data from last year show that more people moved out from 40 of the country's 47 prefectures that moved in, this despite the government’s long-term policy of encouraging people to move out of Tokyo as part of a regional revitalisation plan.

To this end, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced that this summer he’ll take steps to promote this process over the next 10 years.

• japan
• tokyo
• demography
• covid-19
• migration
• shigeru ishiba
• revitalisation