Two Japanese cities have secured spots among the world's ten most liveable places in the latest global ranking, with Osaka once again finishing ahead of the capital, Tokyo. The results come from the Economist Intelligence Unit, the research arm of the group behind The Economist, which publishes a closely watched liveability index each year.
Osaka held its position in seventh place, while Tokyo climbed three spots to round out the top ten. The two cities were the only Asian entries in the leading group, underscoring Japan's strength in the mix of safety, services and everyday quality of life that the ranking tries to measure.
Copenhagen stays on top
At the summit sat Copenhagen, which kept the crown for a second year running with a near perfect score of 98 out of 100. The Danish capital posted flawless marks for stability, education and infrastructure, along with high scores for healthcare and for culture and environment. Behind it came Vienna in second and Melbourne in third, followed by Sydney, Zurich and Geneva ahead of Osaka.
Adelaide and Vancouver filled the gap between the two Japanese cities, leaving Tokyo in tenth. European and Australian cities once again dominated, a pattern that has held for years in a survey where wealthy, stable and well run cities tend to cluster at the top.
How the ranking works
The index scores 173 cities against 30 separate indicators, grouped into five broad categories. Those are stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure, and together they aim to capture what daily life is actually like for the people who live there. A high placing signals not just wealth but low crime, reliable public services, good schools and hospitals, and a rich cultural and physical environment.
Within that framework, Osaka's edge over Tokyo came down to infrastructure, where it scored higher than the capital. Tokyo, for its part, improved on culture and environment, the lift that helped it climb into the top ten this year.
Osaka's moment
The strong showing lands at a fitting time for Osaka, which has been in the global spotlight as host of a major world exposition that drew visitors from around the world to the Kansai region. The event has put the city's food, design and hospitality on display, and a top ten liveability score adds to the case that Japan's second city can stand alongside the capital as a destination for tourists, talent and business.
For Japan more broadly, the ranking is a quiet piece of good news. A weak yen has already made the country a magnet for travellers, and reliable evidence that its cities are among the most pleasant in the world strengthens its pull for companies weighing where to base staff and for skilled workers deciding where to live. In a region racing to attract both, safety and quality of life are becoming a competitive edge in their own right.
