As more foreigners move to Tokyo, why are many Japanese wanting to leave?

Tokyo has 551,000 foreigners with most coming from China, South Korea and Vietnam. They eclipsed the number of Japanese moving there last year

The coronavirus pandemic may change this year’s figure, while teleworking means more Japanese are keen to move out of the city to rural areas

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Government data shows that 68,161 foreigners moved to Tokyo last year while only 67,301 Japanese did. Photo: SCMP

Published: 6:45am, 13 Aug 2020Updated: 9:59pm, 13 Aug 2020

The population of Tokyo and its three surrounding prefectures increased again in 2019, although the statistics indicate that Japanese moving into the city and its suburbs were for the first time outnumbered by foreign nationals.

As the country’s capital and economic centre, Tokyo has for decades attracted people from across Japan seeking education and career opportunities. This has solidified its status as a cultural and entertainment hub.

These reasons may explain why an increasing number of foreigners are also choosing to live in Tokyo and the neighbouring prefectures of Kanagawa, Chiba and Saitama. Other explanations could include the upcoming Olympic Games or international companies moving their staff to Japan amid increased geopolitical tensions.

An annual study by Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications found that the total population of the greater Kanto region which includes Tokyo was 36,754,193 in 2019, up 0.37 per cent on the previous year.

Of that increase, 67,301 were Japanese while 68,161 were foreigners.

The figures also show that while the number of Japanese living in Kanto rose an incremental 0.19 per cent, the increase among non-Japanese came to 6.23 per cent. The ministry said this is the first time since it started compiling comparable demographic data in 2012 that the rate of increase of people moving to Tokyo has been faster among foreigners than Japanese.

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As more foreigners move to Tokyo, why are many Japanese wanting to leave?

Tokyo has 551,000 foreigners with most coming from China, South Korea and Vietnam. They eclipsed the number of Japanese moving there last year The coronavirus pandemic may change this year’s figure, while teleworking means more Japanese are keen to move out of the city to rural areas

Tokyo has 551,000 foreigners with most coming from China, South Korea and Vietnam. They eclipsed the number of Japanese moving there last year

The coronavirus pandemic may change this year’s figure, while teleworking means more Japanese are keen to move out of the city to rural areas