Photo/Illutration A photo taken from an Asahi Shimbun helicopter on Nov. 1, 2023, shows skyscrapers in the heart of Tokyo. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Tokyo officials were overjoyed after the Japanese capital was named the world’s best large city in a leading U.S. travel magazine.

Conde Nast Traveler’s 2024 reader survey, which excluded U.S. cities, showed that Tokyo gained 575,048 votes to gain the top spot for the first time in three years, according to the Tokyo metropolitan government.

It was the sixth time Tokyo earned the No. 1 place in the survey, which started in 1988.

Singapore ranked second, followed by Sydney, Cape Town and Vienna.

The Conde Nast Traveler magazine offers information on vacations, hotels, restaurants, shopping and other topics for wealthy readers. Its U.S. edition has a readership of around 3.5 million.

Officials of the Tokyo metropolitan government’s Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs said they have attracted high-spending tourists from abroad by focusing promotional efforts on food and culture, as well as night-time tourism made possible by the city’s good security.

“(The No. 1 ranking) is the result of our tourism promotion activities, projects to improve the environment to receive tourists and other efforts,” an official said.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said in a statement: “Tokyo is a city where visitors can experience a distinctive culture, with traditional shrines and temples coexisting alongside innovative anime and the latest pop culture in a rare charm that entices the world. This result reaffirms for me how the appeal of Tokyo is well recognized by people around the world.”

Travelers shared what they thought were the charms of Tokyo.

A 23-year-old German woman who visited the capital with her younger brother said Tokyo is safe and clean even though it is one of the largest cities in the world.

Although airfare and accommodations were far from cheap, she couldn’t resist the city’s attractions.

Many of her friends also choose Tokyo as their destination for solo travel because they can visit various places with no worries, she added.

A Frenchman, 24, said his dream came true when he arrived in Tokyo.

He noted the diversity of things to do in the city, from taking advantage of entertainment opportunities to visiting Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples and parks rich with greenery.

He came to Tokyo for the last days of his two-week trip to Japan after visiting Kyoto and Osaka.

He said Japan’s capital is one of the world’s top three cities, but it can’t hold a candle to his home of Paris.

A 30-year-old woman from the Chinese coastal city of Qingdao said Tokyo is so close that she can visit casually. She said Japanese people are polite and that she feels comfortable because she is treated with kindness anywhere she goes.

(This story was written by Kaho Matsuda and Natsuno Otahara)

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