Central Tokyo sees return of net population inflow in 2022

The Japanese government says the number of people who moved to central Tokyo last year exceeded those who left.

The inflow marked a reversal of the trend in 2021, when more people left than arrived.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs puts the net inflow at 21,000.

Officials say that in 2021 many people refrained from moving to Tokyo due to concerns related to the pandemic. But they say the city has since returned to its long-running growth trend.

As for the wider Tokyo prefectural area, which includes 23 wards and other cities, 440,000 people relocated there in 2022.

That's more than 38,000 higher than the number of people who left.

The prefecture-wide net inflow marks an increase of over 32,000 from the previous year.

Ten other prefectures in Japan saw net population inflows. These include the ones that surround Tokyo: Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba.

Osaka in western Japan experienced the same trend.

Topping the ranking of net outflows was Hiroshima.

Source: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230131_18/