Best Livable Places in Japan (Ultimate Introvert Edition)

As you may know, I have three homes in Japan — Tokyo (Nakameguro), Nagano (Azumino), and Okinawa (Miyako Island). As an extreme introvert (barely speaking a few words a week but posting 800 things online daily), I’d like to recommend some truly wonderful livable destinations in Japan for fellow introverts — I guarantee they’re great.

Why am I so confident? Because for extremely introverted people like us, what matters most? First, air & water & sunlight. Second: trees. Third, food (not those fake $1,000 Western fine dining experiences).

I’m not just making things up. I’ve been living a retired life in Japan for over six years, spent two or three full years in the countryside, traveled across Japan countless times, stayed at over 500 onsen towns, and even visited the Ogasawara Islands twice.

My experience tells me that, at the end of the day, what is the essence of life? It’s nature and food.

Are people important? Not really — others aren’t as important as we think. For introverts, life is ultimately about looking inward, pursuing the ultimate inner satisfaction and enjoyment. Whether rich or poor, the ultimate life for an introvert isn’t about wild partying — it’s about extremely high standards of self-care and self-actualization. Don’t overthink what rich people “should” be doing. I know plenty of ultra-wealthy people around me, and no sensible person chooses a life that can’t withstand scrutiny. What matters is focusing on yourself and being good to yourself!

First, air should have high visibility and transparency — a place that “washes your eyes” daily, preferably without cedar pollen. Water is simpler — just look at where Japan’s semiconductor factories are located to know where the water is good, or check where convenience store bottled water comes from. Sunlight depends on weather — how many rainy days per year matters a lot. Trees are particular — you want to live where there are many old and large trees, and ideally you can see trees from home (a beautiful tree is far more valuable than a view of Tokyo Tower). Such areas also tend to have many historic shrines and temples. Food is even more particular — Tokyo has great food, but regional cuisine is even more abundant and requires personal ongoing exploration.

Enough talk. Here are my highest-rated places from years of traveling across Japan. I won’t explain exactly what makes each place great — go stay there or visit and you’ll know immediately. I’m only recommending places that meet all three criteria above AND are suitable for long-term living. Many onsen towns are also wonderful but aren’t suitable for permanent residence (no residential areas), so I’m leaving those out. No particular ranking — just writing them as they come to mind.

• Nagano: Azumino, Matsumoto, Hakuba, Suwa, Nojiriko, Karuizawa
• Hokuriku: Toyama City
• Tokyo: Nakameguro-Shirokanedai area, Futakotamagawa area, Yoyogi Park-Jingumae area
• Other Kanto: Izu Kogen, Nasu Kogen
• Kansai: Kobe, Lake Biwa area (especially the northern shore), Onomichi
• Kyushu: Aso City
• Hokkaido: Hakodate
• Islands: Miyako Island

This list includes all the areas I’ve either wanted to live in or have actually lived in for some time. If you have areas you’ve lived in that you’d recommend, feel free to share in the comments!

Original author: Guo Yu guoyu.eth (@turingou) Original post: X Article