Photo/Illutration An event is held in Tokyo to promote relocation to Gunma Prefecture in November 2024. (Provided by the Gunma prefectural government)

Gunma Prefecture ranked No. 1 in 2024 for the first time on a list of desirable relocation destinations issued by a certified nonprofit organization in Tokyo’s Yurakucho district.

The “furusato kaiki” (return to hometown) support center provides relocation consultations to potential migrants in cooperation with local governments nationwide.

Its latest list, released on Feb. 25, is based on interest in prefectures shown in first-time consultations at the center’s office that year.

Gunma Prefecture pushed Shizuoka Prefecture, which had been No. 1 for four consecutive years since 2020, to second place in the rankings.

Tochigi Prefecture retained its third-place ranking, as did Nagano Prefecture in fourth place.

Fukuoka Prefecture moved up a notch and ranked fifth for 2024.

The support center said Gunma placed first because the prefecture and all 35 municipalities within it had become members of the organization by 2020.

The prefecture also held seminars in Tokyo on a variety of themes to show it welcomed people seeking to relocate.

The support organization said Gunma’s No. 2 ranking in 2023 helped the prefecture gain recognition in the media.

Gunma Prefecture has attracted interest particularly from people who are starting to consider relocation and those who want to raise their children in a relaxed atmosphere, the organization said.

This was the 16th survey conducted by the organization since 2009. The lists include only the top 20 prefectures.

Overall, the furusato kaiki group held a record high 61,720 consultations in 2024, up 4.1 percent from the previous year and underscoring the strong interest in relocation.

The number of consultations has risen every year with the exception of 2012 and 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

The number was about 2,500 in 2008. It exceeded 60,000 for the first time in 2024.

Consultations with people in their 20s and 30s have increased.

More than 70 percent of the consultations were with people living in the four prefectures of Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Chiba.

Tokyo ranked 14th on the list of prefectures where people want to relocate, entering the top 20 for the first time.

The Tokyo metropolitan government set up a consultation booth at the center in 2022 and is working to promote relocation to the Tama area as well as islands under its jurisdiction.

The promotion to these areas has been gaining attention, the organization said.

The top four prefectures in the ranking are easily accessible from Tokyo by Shinkansen.

Shizuoka Prefecture is said to be a popular relocation candidate among residents of the Tokyo metropolitan area because of its accessibility and good climate.

In addition, the organization said Shizuoka Prefecture is making efforts to accommodate newcomers.

It held 69 on-site consultation events in Tokyo in 2024 involving local officials from around the prefecture and the center’s consultants.

Tochigi Prefecture in 2024 started a “concierge” service to promote relocation, providing tailor-made guidance anywhere in the prefecture.

Tochigi officials are encouraging prospective relocators to tour the prefecture.

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