A compact residential neighborhood in Obuse, Nagano Prefecture, January 2026. (©Sankei by Noriyuki Ishige)
Nagano Prefecture has reclaimed the top spot in Japan for relocation inquiries, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' FY2024 survey. On top of that, the February issue of Inaka Gurashi no Hon ("Country Living Magazine") ranked Nagano first in its survey of most-desired relocation destinations for the 20th year running.
Within Nagano's 77 municipalities, one town has been quietly gaining attention: Obuse. By all accounts, it's an exceptionally pleasant place to call home. Curious to learn why, we paid it a visit.
In the 2025 Livability Rankings (Hometown Edition) by real estate company Daito Trust Construction, Obuse ranked third — a dramatic leap from 20th place the year before. The survey polled more than 270,000 adults aged 20 and over and covered towns across Japan outside major metropolitan areas, ordinance-designated cities, and prefectural capitals.
Obuse trailed only Higashikawa in Hokkaido and Chatan in Okinawa, making it the top-ranked town on Honshu, Japan's main island.
High Marks From Locals
Takeshi So, a fellow at the Daito Trust Leasing Future Research Institute and a professor at Reitaku University, analyzed the survey's results. He said one distinctive feature of Obuse is the strong support it receives from people who grew up there.
"Residents who were raised here have a high opinion of the town," he said. "It suggests that locals themselves recognize and value the community-building efforts that have been sustained over many years."
Obuse is the smallest municipality in Nagano Prefecture by area, with a population of around 11,000 and roughly 4,000 households. Nearly all of its residential neighborhoods fall within a circle just two kilometers in radius. Yet despite its modest size, it draws approximately one million tourists every year.
Convenience of a Compact Town
The town's compactness became apparent almost the moment we started walking. From Obuse Station on the Nagano Electric Railway, it's a one-minute walk to both the town hall and the library. The elementary school is right next door, and the junior high school is about ten minutes away on foot.
Several clinics offer internal medicine and pediatric care, and a mid-sized hospital handles inpatient care and home visits. Long-established chestnut sweet shops, refined restaurants, supermarkets, and drugstores are all close by. For residents — children included — nearly everything is within walking distance.
What the town notably lacks are late-night bar strips and clusters of inns, so tourists rarely linger after dark. There are no flat-roofed buildings either. Most structures have pitched roofs and muted walls reminiscent of traditional earthen plaster. Homes sit comfortably apart from one another, often designed to reveal their gardens rather than screen them behind tall fences.
A Family-Friendly Town
Just beyond the town center, orchards of apples, grapes, and chestnuts stretch across the landscape, and the narrow paths threading between them make for pleasant walks.
"People from neighboring towns come here for medical care," said Mayor Toru Omiya, 37. "It's easy for parents to drop off and pick up their kids, and you can get to Nagano or Tokyo by train without much trouble."
He added: "Families who moved here to raise children often say it has its challenges, but that it's surprisingly convenient."
Omiya himself moved to Obuse from elsewhere, and is now raising two children here.
A Community-Shaped Townscape
About 40 years ago, Obuse embarked on a resident-led approach to town development with a strong emphasis on landscape and aesthetics. It has since become known as the "Obuse Method."
At its heart is a shared concept that although the inside of a building belongs to its owner, the outside belongs to everyone. This ethos leads residents to cooperate on ensuring that buildings and signage harmonize with their surroundings.
Obuse has long been a market town, once thriving as a commercial hub in northern Shinano, an old province that is now Nagano Prefecture. It has a tradition of openness to outsiders and new ideas. In the late Edo period, figures such as the artist Katsushika Hokusai and haiku poet Kobayashi Issa spent time here, helping local culture flourish.
For Residents and Tourists
Mayor Omiya describes the kind of town he hopes to maintain: "During the day, visitors can drop by places where residents are going about their daily lives, and natural conversations and exchanges emerge. People leave feeling they've had a meaningful encounter. Then at night, the town returns to its residents — a place where locals and tourists blend together naturally."
He says the town hopes to preserve this sense of shared values.
Between job transfers and other circumstances, I have lived in 21 homes across 17 cities and wards in 11 prefectures — my current home in Nagano City included. Friends often ask which place was the best. Honestly, most places become good once you settle in. They tend to share the same qualities: reasonable quiet, convenient transport, living traditions, and good food.
A sunny house helps too.
Come to think of it — Obuse might just tick all the boxes.
About Obuse
Obuse sits in northern Nagano Prefecture, about 30 minutes from Nagano Station on the Nagano Electric Railway or roughly 40 minutes by car. At the heart of the town is the Hokusai Museum, home to original works painted by Katsushika Hokusai in his later years. The town's slogan says it all: "A town of chestnuts, Hokusai, and flowers."
Since 2017, the number of people moving in has exceeded those moving out every year, typically by several dozen residents. Many newcomers are families in their 30s and 40s with children. The town also makes it easy for young people to get involved in community life.
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Author: Noriyuki Ishige, The Sankei Shimbun
