Tokyo Ranks 2nd in Global Power City Index, Highest-Ever Position; Surpasses New York for the 1st Time

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:16 JST, December 17, 2025

Tokyo rose to second place, its highest-ever position, in the Global Power City Index released on Wednesday by the Mori Memorial Foundation’s Institute for Urban Strategies, a Mori Building Co. research institute. Highly praised for its tourist attractions, vibrant nightlife and abundance of restaurants, Tokyo surpassed New York for the first time since the survey began in 2008.

The comprehensive ranking scores 48 global cities across six categories — economy, research and development, cultural interaction, livability, environment and accessibility — to determine their positions.

Tokyo jumped one spot overall in rising to second place, driven by its top-tier score in cultural interaction for its tourist attractions, nightlife and number of inbound visitors. It also achieved its first-ever first-place ranking in livability, largely due to its abundance of restaurants and retail stores.

Tokyo had held third place overall for nine consecutive years until last year. This year, the score gap with first-place London was the smallest since the survey began in 2008.