Kugenuma in Shonan tops 2026 Greater Tokyo resident survey says SUUMO
Kugenuma, a residential neighborhood in Fujisawa near the Shonan coast southwest of Tokyo, has topped Recruit’s 2026 ranking of Greater Tokyo station areas where existing residents most want to continue living, beating a top 10 otherwise dominated by Tokyo’s 23 wards.
The ranking is published by SUUMO, Recruit’s major Japanese residential property portal.
Kugenuma, served by the Enoshima Electric Railway, scored 87.86 out of 100 and rose from seventh place in the previous survey in 2024. Sendagaya ranked second, followed by Akasaka, Hongo-sanchome and Sangubashi. Eight of the top 10 station areas were in Tokyo’s 23 wards.
Unlike surveys asking where people would like to move, the SUUMO study measures residential staying power. Existing residents were asked how strongly they wanted to continue living in their current area, with responses converted into a score out of 100.
The first-stage survey covered 251,356 adults living in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama and Ibaraki. Station results are based on respondents’ nearest stations, making the ranking effectively a comparison of residential station catchments rather than formally defined neighborhoods.
What distinguishes Kugenuma is not a commanding score for conventional urban advantages such as transportation or shopping.
Among the attributes where residents rated the area particularly highly were the ease with which newcomers and people from different backgrounds can fit in, having favorite local places and scenery, walkability, residents’ affection for their community and attachment to the character of the area.
Recruit also points to local activities including beach cleanups, markets promoting locally produced goods and community involvement in maintaining registered cultural properties. Such activities give residents opportunities to interact, although the survey does not establish that they caused Kugenuma’s first-place result.
The wider results suggest there is more than one route to strong residential staying power. Central Tokyo station areas feature heavily near the top, while Musashino City retained first place in the municipality ranking for the fourth consecutive survey.
For international buyers considering where to establish a long-term home, the survey offers a different perspective from property-price data or rankings of places people aspire to move to. It captures how residents feel after experiencing an area as a place to live.
Further Reading:
SUUMO 2026 Greater Tokyo Resident Retention Ranking (Japanese only)
