Photo/Illutration A landscape in Biei, central Hokkaido. The northernmost main island has been ranked as the most attractive prefecture for the 16th year in a row. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Hokkaido has once again clinched the top spot in a nationwide survey assessing the appeal of Japan’s 47 prefectures, according to a report released by a research firm on Oct. 13.

This marks the 16th consecutive year that the northernmost main island has been deemed the most attractive region in the country.

Following Hokkaido in the top four rankings were Kyoto, Okinawa and Tokyo.

The annual survey has been conducted by Tokyo-based Brand Research Institute Inc. since 2006.

The survey gauges the public perception of various prefectures based on factors such as their level of recognition, respondents’ desire to live or visit and the appeal of the regions’ specialty foods and goods.

The 2024 poll garnered approximately 35,000 valid responses from internet users across Japan.

While Hokkaido consistently tops the list, the lower end of the rankings also garners significant attention.

Ibaraki, which had been ranked last in the previous year, climbed two spots to 45th place. Meanwhile, Saga dropped one place to the bottom spot. Saitama, which was 45th in 2023, fell to 46th in the latest rankings.

Several prefectures experienced notable improvements.

Fukui surged seven places to 31st, likely due to the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line in March 2024, which boosted tourism interest.

Additionally, Akita jumped nine places to 18th, attributed to increased exposure through TV dramas, movies and animation.

The region has also gained renewed attention with tourist destinations such as the Akita Inu Visitor Center, a dog park dedicated to the popular breed from the prefecture.

The survey also evaluated the attractiveness of municipalities within Japan, with Hakodate in Hokkaido taking the top spot, followed by Sapporo, also in Hokkaido, and Kyoto.

Here is the 2024 ranking of all 47 prefectures, with the number in parentheses indicating each prefecture’s ranking from the previous year. Kagawa is tied with Kumamoto for 26th place.

1 (1) Hokkaido
2 (2) Kyoto
3 (3) Okinawa
4 (4) Tokyo
5 (7) Kanagawa
6 (6) Fukuoka
7 (5) Osaka
8 (13) Nagano
9 (14) Shizuoka
10 (9) Ishikawa
11 (14) Hyogo
12 (10) Nagasaki
13 (11) Miyagi
14 (8) Nara
15 (12) Chiba
16 (17) Hiroshima
17 (19) Kagoshima
18 (27) Akita
19 (22) Toyama
20 (16) Aichi
21 (24) Mie
22 (20) Aomori
23 (25) Oita
24 (23) Miyazaki
25 (21) Yamanashi
26 (18) Kumamoto
26 (28) Kagawa
28 (34) Ehime
29 (30) Wakayama
30 (26) Niigata
31 (38) Fukui
32 (35) Okayama
33 (31) Yamagata
34 (39) Gifu
35 (29) Iwate
36 (32) Kochi
37 (33) Fukushima
38 (37) Shimane
39 (39) Tochigi
40 (36) Shiga
41 (44) Gunma
42 (42) Tokushima
43 (42) Yamaguchi
44 (41) Tottori
45 (47) Ibaraki
46 (45) Saitama
47 (46) Saga

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