Rural Town vs. Big City: Where Should I Live in Japan?

Introduction

Hello everyone! This is Andrew Smith from Globarx. If you have any interest in living or working in Japan, you may end up having to make a big choice “Should I live in a big city or a rural area”? When traveling to Japan, many foreigners only view Japan as Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. Because of this, most people may see it as an easy choice and quickly say “I must live in a big city in Japan!” without ever experiencing life in either of these areas. In this post, I'd like to compare life and work in rural and urban areas, as well as share my experiences from my recent business trip to Tokyo, provided by Globarx. 

At the end of this post I hope you can have a better view of what life and work may be like in both of these areas, and if you're interested in living or working in Japan, please consider using Globarx's recruitment and lifestyle support services by contacting andrew@globarx.co.jp. We have various positions available right now for residents of Japan, China, Philippines, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, and Bangladesh as well as language support in more than 7 different languages, to help you reach your career and life goals. You can also find more great information and content on Globarx’s social media accounts.

With that being said, let’s begin!

Rural Living in Ehime Prefecture

I have been living in Ehime prefecture for over 5 years now, and I must admit, before moving to Ehime, I had never even heard of the prefecture. I was placed here completely by chance, but I am so happy that I was because life here is like nothing I have ever experienced before. Let’s break down what work life and personal life is actually  like in a rural area.

(画像出典：hatenablog.com)

Work and Career

Living in a rural area means that you can expect commute times to work to be quite short and as there are fewer people living in these areas, traffic is almost unheard of. Most jobs seem calm and relatively low stress. Team building at work is also a welcomed custom as it is common to go out to a nearby restaurant or izakaya to relax with your coworkers.

Life and Leisure

The first thing I noticed was the abundance of nature. Everywhere I looked I could see mountains, rivers, farmland beaches, seas, and forests. Even after 5 years of living in this area, nature still amazes me everyday. I have never been active in nature before, but once I began living in Ehime, I began hobbies like cycling, picnics, nature photography, and hiking. My next goal is to cycle the famous nearby Shimanamikaido bridge. In addition to nature there is an abundance of history and culture. Shikoku is home to the Shikoku Henro, a 1,400km route which holds 88 unique and gorgeous Buddhist temples. It also has an abundance of unique festivals such as taiko matsuri and bonodori festival. The people in this area are warm and friendly. Although I am a foreigner, the community treats me like I am a part of their family. The community is so small that it feels like everyone knows each other.

Business Trip to Tokyo: The Excitement of the City

I have been to big cities in Japan before for vacation, but in my most recent business trip to Tokyo I was able to experience what work life is like living in Tokyo. Let’s break down the work life experience in this massive city.

Work and Career

Work in Tokyo feels so unique, it was a completely new experience for me. Although Tokyo is a very big and busy city, traveling is easily accessible due to the amazing train system.  You can access any part of the city quite quickly on their trains, but the crowds can become very intense. While working in Tokyo, I was able to network and make new work connections constantly, the amount of opportunity here seems to be unmatched. You are able to easily meet people from all sorts of fields and backgrounds to help grow your connections and knowledge in any industry.

Life and Leisure

The amount of activities available in a big city like Tokyo can not be overstated. You will have an endless supply of restaurants, stores, and events to go to. There are attractions everywhere trying to fight for your attention, if you can imagine it, you can probably do it in Tokyo. This aspect of the city was fun but also a little overwhelming (and expensive).

Rural vs. Big City: Comparison and Observations

Topic	Rural Ehime	Urban Tokyo
Work Environment	✅Slow paced, quiet, low stress environment ❌Limited Networking & Growth Opportunities, Fewer Industries, Small Market Reach, Likely Lower Pay	✅Lots of Networking & Growth Opportunities, Various Industries, Global Market Reach, Likely Higher Pay ❌Fast paced, very competitive, high stress environment
Cost of Living	✅Cheap rent, utilities, and restaurants	❌Expensive rent, utilities, and restaurants
Transportation	❌Long delays between trains, No IC card usage, Stations Limited	✅Extremely efficient, easy to access, very frequent ❌Crowded
Access to Nature	✅Very close access to beaches, forest, rivers, mountains, and sea	❌Nearby access is limited.
Entertainment/Culture	✅Very Friendly Community, Low Tourism, Small crowds at events and attractions, Cheap ❌Events Are Smaller and Very Limited, Can e Seen as Boring	✅Various Events Available, Exciting Entertainment, Night Life is Abundant ❌Less Friendly Community, Expensive, Lots of Tourist, Very crowded events and attractions

Your Next Step  in Japan with Globarx

I hope this post has given you a little more insight on what you may be able to expect if you work and live in a rural area or a big city. Japan truly has diverse faces depending on the region. The optimal place will change depending on what kind of lifestyle you desire.

If you are interested in working in Japan, Globarx fully supports those who aim to find employment.

Recruitment Services: We introduce you to Japanese companies that match your skills and experience.

Lifestyle Support: We provide assistance, from visa applications, documentation, and advising in order to help you settle into life in Japan.

Globarx will make your dream of "working in Japan" and "living in Japan" come true.

Please feel free to contact us!

Email: andrew@globarx.co.jp（Andrew Smith）

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■ About the Author

Andrew Smith

Originally from Louisiana, USA, Kenta is an English educator and content creator based in Ehime, Japan. With a background in media production and experience as an NBA digital reporter, he moved to Japan in 2020 driven by his passion for Japanese culture. After four years teaching English across all age groups, he joined Globarx in 2025, where he now leads business English initiatives（Globarx English） and social media outreach for North America.