Ibaraki again labeled least attractive prefecture in rankings

Jiji Press

19:30 JST, October 15, 2023

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — Ibaraki Prefecture came last among the country’s 47 prefectures in the 2023 rankings of prefectural attractiveness, a survey showed Saturday.

Saga Prefecture, which was at the bottom in last year’s rankings, came 46th, switching places with Ibaraki, according to the survey by Brand Research Institute, a Tokyo-based private research firm. Hokkaido ranked first for the 15th straight year. Kyoto came second, followed by Okinawa.

The survey was conducted online between late June and early July on people in their 20s to 70s, asking to rate the attractiveness of each prefecture on a five-point scale. Some 34,000 people gave answers.

Ibaraki ranked last for the 12th time since the survey began in 2009. “Ibaraki’s overall reputation is improving, but the tourist attractions are not being fully publicized,” said Akio Tanaka, president of Brand Research Institute.

Yamanashi Prefecture, which ranked 27th last year, climbed to 21st place, helped by the growing popularity of Mt. Fuji and the image of abundant local produce, according to the research company.