【Research Report】Study on the Awareness of Young People Regarding Rural Areas

Summary

• Young people in the Tokyo area express a desire for rural life at a rate of 49.3%. Among them, 79.0% say that they want to "actually experience rural living," accounting for about 40% of the total.

• When considering rural living, 47.5% express a desire for complete relocation. Short-term relocation experiences, such as trials, are desired by 22.1%, and 21.2% aspire to a dual lifestyle, living both in the countryside and in the city. Regarding the community of relocation, 59.2% consider an area where people of their generation have already moved as the "most livable."

• In terms of work values, 54.5% say that "personal fulfillment" is more important than "career advancement," surpassing half. Only 12.5% consider "career advancement" more critical.

• Nearly 60% believe that living in urban areas is better for securing a "good job," while only about 10% think they can find a "good job" in rural areas. As for the conditions for a "good job," the top responses are "high income" (53.3%), "sense of enjoyment and achievement" (47.9%), and "ease of work" (46.2%). The perception of income in rural jobs seems to be a factor, leading to cases where individuals are hesitant to take the step despite an intention for rural living.

• About 25.8% of young people in the Tokyo area have experience with the hometown tax donation, and 43.5% express an interest despite not having experience with it.

• 29.1% have their "second hometown" to which they feel attached, even if it's not their place of origin. Among them, 64.8% discovered their second hometown through the hometown tax donation.

• 55.7% express a desire to contribute to sustainable regional development, with the age group of 15 to 19 being the most eager—65.9% responded positively.

The detailed report in Japanese is available.

◆Research target   ：
919 aged 15 to 29 living in the Tokyo metropolitan area, encompassing Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo, and Kanagawa.
◆Research period  ： July 26-27.2023
◆Research method： Internet research