Tokyo’s Net Population Inflow Grows Sharply in 2022

Jiji Press

15:52 JST, January 31, 2023

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — Tokyo saw its net population inflow grow for the first time in three years in 2022, with the pace of inflow accelerating sharply, the internal affairs ministry said Monday.

The Japanese capital had a net population inflow of 38,023, up from 5,433 in 2021, the lowest level since the start of comparable records in 2014, according to a ministry report based on the country’s basic resident registry.

Flows of population to Tokyo apparently started to accelerate after COVID-19 restrictions on people’s movements were relaxed.

Migration to Tokyo has not returned to prepandemic levels, but it may accelerate as Japan is reopening its economy and society.

Tokyo’s net population inflow stood at around 70,000 to 80,000 annually until 2019, before falling to 31,125 in 2020.

The capital’s densely populated 23 wards had a net population inflow of 21,420 in 2022, after marking their first net outflow in the previous year.

The number of people who moved to Tokyo rose 4.7% to 439,787, while that of those who moved out fell 3.1% to 401,764.

Eleven of the country’s 47 prefectures logged net population inflows, including Tokyo, Kanagawa and Saitama. Miyagi marked its first net inflow in seven years, while Nagano logged its first net inflow since 2014.

Of the country’s three biggest metropolitan regions, the area comprising Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures recorded a net inflow of 99,519, an increase of 17,820 from the previous year.

The metropolitan area covering the three central prefectures of Aichi, Gifu and Mie logged a net outflow of 16,218 and the area consisting of Osaka and three neighboring western prefectures—Kyoto, Hyogo and Nara—posted a net outflow of 2,347.