Before I begin, I’d like to define the term “best”. According to my Japanese friends, the ‘best’ {suburb} indicates popularity, accessibility, and resources available. This is by no means a definitive list, but merely an indication of a few desirable areas to live in, for different age groups. Each of the three areas I have chosen has its pros and cons, as does every suburb, but I’d like to share these, if only to communicate the desires of Japanese for a living area – via a Japanese high school student {夏帆}

20s
The first area is targeted towards those in their 20s, young adults who are attending university or working. Apparently, the most desirable area for these people is Kitchijoujin. At the moment, this suburb is incredibly trendy. It holds lots of good cafes and small shops, as well as various department stores. There are also many parks in the area, making it an attractive spot. However, the price of property is incredibly high – leaving me to wonder how young people starting out can afford to live in this area. Nevertheless, it is, at least, the most desirable living area for people of this age range.

30s-40s
The next age group I am going to touch on is 30s-40s. People in this age range will have slightly more mature tastes, and most will be working or starting a family. Apparently a popular spot is Ebisu. It has many fashionable buildings, as well as lots of pubs and bars. 夏帆 tells me that this makes it more suitable for that age range. In addition to this, the area is popular because lots of actors live there. So perhaps people are moving to this area in the hopes of spotting their favourite celebrity?

Family
The last category I think is important is family. 夏帆 recommends Sakurashinmachi. This area is especially good for smaller children as the streets are filled with cartoon characters from the popular anime Sazae san. There are various parks and shrines nearby, making for easy days out. In addition to this, there are many small shops to visit, with large department stores just a little further out. This suburb is only 4 train stops from Shibuya, making getting to school more convenient for school-aged kids.

Though I haven’t covered every age or category, I believe that these three groups I have chosen target the times when people are most likely to be moving. Again, these are only the trendy suburbs at the moment, and I am by no means implying that other suburbs or areas are lesser or uninhabited. Happy House Hunting!

-H