Tokyo Holds Steady at Third in Global City Ranking

In December, the Mori Memorial Foundation released its Global Power City Index, an annual ranking of the world’s top metropolises. London took top honors, followed by New York and then Tokyo, with the Japanese capital retaining its third-place position for the ninth year running. Paris and Singapore rounded out the top five.

The GPCI ranked 48 major cities on the six functions of economy, research and development, cultural interaction, livability, environment, and accessibility. Tokyo made strides in the cultural interaction sector, moving past New York into third as it saw substantial improvements in offerings like luxury hotels, nightlife, and tourist attractions in response to the growth in foreign visitors. At the same time, factors like low wages and diminished consumer spending due to the double punch of a weak yen and inflation weighed on the city’s ranking in the economy category, holding it to a record-low tenth place for the second consecutive year.

Other Asian cities making the 2024 GPCI included Seoul at sixth, followed by Shanghai (11), Beijing (16), Hong Kong (18), Taipei (30), and Bangkok (39). Osaka climbed two spots to thirty-fifth and Fukuoka held steady at forty-second, one place behind the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur.

(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo © Pixta.)