Osaka Takes 1st Place in Ranking of Japanese Cities for 5th Consecutive Year

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:04 JST, September 3, 2025

Osaka ranked first for the fifth consecutive year in a ranking of major cities in Japan based on factors such as business vitality and natural environment, Mori Building Co. announced on Tuesday.

The ranking, Japan Power Cities — Profiling Urban Attractiveness 2025, included 136 cities. Nagoya ranked second for the second consecutive year, while Fukuoka, which had ranked fifth last year, came in third.

Osaka received top rankings in the two categories of “Economy and Business” and “Accessibility.” The city also earned high marks for infrastructure development and hotel construction projects done in preparation for the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo.

Nagoya ranked first in the two categories of “Research and Development” and “Daily Life and Livability.” Fukuoka’s score improved through its leveraging of its proximity to China and South Korea with initiatives such as attracting tourism.

Meanwhile, Yokohama dropped from third last year to fourth in the latest ranking. Its evaluation declined in indicators reflecting housing and cost of living.

The ranking is compiled annually by the Mori Memorial Foundation’s Institute for Urban Strategies. The selection criteria is ordinance-designated cities, cities with prefectural offices and cities with a population of 170,000 or more. Based on national statistics and resident surveys, 87 indicators across six categories — including “Economy and Business” and “Daily Life and Livability” — were scored and ranked.