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2 clusters · 8 sources · 13 days · First seen · Last updated

Japanese regional brand and desirability rankings

Overview

In 2026, various surveys evaluated the brand strength and desirability of Japanese municipalities and prefectures.

According to the ‘Ii Heya Net Municipality Brand Ranking 2026’ by Daito Trust Construction, Kanazawa City in Ishikawa Prefecture secured the top national position for the second consecutive year. Other high-ranking municipalities included Hakodate, Otaru, Kamakura, and Sapporo, while Nikko City maintained its status as the top municipality in the North Kanto region.

In a separate regional brand survey by the Brand Research Institute, Kanagawa Prefecture ranked first in terms of residents’ desire to live there for the second year in a row. Tokyo followed in second place. The survey noted significant shifts in rankings, such as Kyoto rising to third place and Osaka seeing a substantial increase in its score. Additionally, Kumamoto’s rise to 15th place was attributed to its growing reputation as an IT and advanced technology hub.

Entities

Kanagawa Prefecture · Kanazawa · Macromill · Kyoto Prefecture · Tokyo

Timeline

  1. [CULTURE] 5 sources
    Kanagawa ranks first in Japan's 2026 desire-to-live survey

    Kanagawa Prefecture ranks first in the 2026 survey of Japanese prefectures people most desire to live in, followed by Tokyo and Kyoto, which saw a significant jump to third place.

  2. [BUSINESS] 3 sources
    Kanazawa tops Japan's 2026 Municipality Brand Ranking

    Daito Trust Construction’s 2026 Municipality Brand Ranking names Kanazawa as the top city in Japan for the second year, while Nikko leads the North Kanto region for the third consecutive year.

Sources

csnews.jp · dxmagazine.jp · hokkoku.co.jp · kobe-journal.com · news.mynavi.jp · prtimes.jp · resemom.jp · shimotsuke.co.jp