Comparing the Values of People Across Japan's 47 Prefectures: Chubu and Kinki Regions Edition

DENTSU SOKEN INC. and Dentsu Future Forecasting Support Lab conducted the "Quality of Society Annual Survey 2021" in October 2021, targeting 12,000 men and women nationwide, under the supervision of Professor Yasufumi Shibauchi of Tokyo Keizai University. This survey, which aims to understand people's awareness and values regarding society, began its first iteration in December 2019, making this the third survey. Plans are in place to continue collecting and accumulating data on a regular basis.

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This series highlights distinctive aspects of people's attitudes and values at the prefectural level, offering perspectives only possible through nationwide surveys. The second installment focuses on the Chubu and Kinki regions. All rankings within the article represent positions among Japan's 47 prefectures.

<Table of Contents>

Chubu Region Edition
▼Fukui: High satisfaction with "childcare support"; Niigata: Low satisfaction with "disaster prevention systems"
▼Aichi: Social class consciousness also "in the middle"; Mie: Believes automation/AI improves life
▼Shizuoka: Values living near family and relatives; Gifu: Doesn't prioritize residential status
▼Yamanashi: Positive about shared housing; Nagano: Eats balanced meals for health
▼Ishikawa loves dramas; Toyama needs both TV and books

Kinki Region Edition
▼Many in the Kinki region feel books and magazines are necessary
▼Nara wants jobs they're interested in or love; Wakayama desires low population density
▼Shiga and Kyoto want children to experience cutting-edge technology
▼Osaka shows no outstanding characteristics

Chubu Region Edition

This time, let's look at the Chubu region.

Fukui has high satisfaction with "child-rearing support," while Niigata has low satisfaction with "disaster prevention systems"

When asked about systems and structures supporting community life, the percentage of respondents who answered "Satisfied, consider it sufficient" regarding "Government and community child-rearing support systems" was highest in Fukui (48.6%), ranking 1st nationally. Considering the national average is 36.3%, this indicates a high level of satisfaction.

Conversely, regarding "disaster prevention systems and evacuation/recovery systems during disasters," Niigata ranked 46th nationally (34.1%) in the percentage of people who answered "satisfied" or "adequate." Niigata is also a heavy snowfall area, suggesting a high level of awareness about disaster risks.

Aichi ranks first nationally (73.6%) in perceiving themselves as middle class within Japan's overall society.

When asked about the social class (upper, middle, lower) they believe they belong to within current Japanese society, Aichi ranked first nationally (73.6%) in the proportion of people who answered "middle." While the prefecture promotes its geographical position as the center of Japan, offering good access from both Tokyo and Osaka, it is interesting that the consciousness of its residents also leans heavily toward "middle."

Neighboring Mie Prefecture shows high expectations for automation and AI (artificial intelligence). Mie had the highest percentage nationwide (78.6%) of people believing that "the introduction of automation and AI will have a positive impact on people's lives." Fukui (45th) and Yamanashi (44th) had lower figures, revealing significant differences in perception even within the same Chubu region.

Shizuoka prioritizes living near family and relatives; Gifu doesn't prioritize the status of their place of residence

Next, we asked about priorities for "places people want to live in the future." The percentage of people prioritizing "living near family or relatives" ranked Shizuoka second nationally (72.5%). Nationally, 63.2% responded they "prioritize" this, reflecting a desire to live near family and relatives despite the increasing number of nuclear families and single-person households.

In the same survey, when asked whether "living somewhere that conveys status" was important, Gifu ranked second nationally (78.3%) in the percentage of respondents who answered "not important." Given that Gifu is home to historic towns like Hida Takayama and was a base for Oda Nobunaga during the Warring States period, this result might surprise some.

Yamanashi embraces shared housing; Nagano prioritizes balanced meals for health

Next, let's look at lifestyle choices. Regarding "accepting" share houses—defined as "living together with single adults who are neither relatives nor married or in a common-law relationship"—Yamanashi ranked second nationally (48.1%). This is 7.3 percentage points higher than the national average (40.8%), indicating flexibility toward different living arrangements.

Furthermore, when asked about actions taken to protect their health, Nagano had the highest percentage nationwide (55.8%) of people who "strive for a balanced diet." Looking at Nagano Prefecture's website, it ranks first in harvest volume for multiple agricultural products like vegetables and fruits. This might influence Nagano residents' awareness regarding food.

Ishikawa loves dramas; Toyama needs both TV and books

Regarding information sources and media, when asked how necessary they are for daily life, the percentage of people who answered "commercial terrestrial TV" as "necessary" was highest in Toyama (80.4%) and Ishikawa (79.4%), ranking 1st and 2nd nationally.

Ishikawa, ranked second, had the highest percentage nationwide (43.0%) of respondents who cited "dramas" when asked about content interests. Toyama also ranked first nationwide (81.4%) for "books, publications, and magazines." This suggests many residents consider both watching TV and reading books essential parts of daily life.

Kinki Region Edition

Next, we introduce the Kinki region.

Many in the Kinki region feel books, publications, and magazines are necessary

When asked how necessary media and information sources are for daily life, the Kinki region ranked first among all regions for "books, magazines, and periodicals." Looking at individual prefectures, Wakayama (2nd), Kyoto (3rd), Hyogo (4th), and Nara (5th) all ranked highly. While Wakayama ceded the top spot to Toyama mentioned earlier, the fact that so many people in the Kinki region consider books necessary is a very interesting result.

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Nara: Wanting work they are interested in or enjoy; Wakayama: Preferring low population density

Regarding "work and work style," many people in Nara seem to consider "being able to do work they are interested in or enjoy" as their ideal. At 64.1%, this ranked first nationwide, suggesting they seek self-fulfillment through their work.

Next, the priorities for "places they want to live in the future." Wakayama ranked first nationally (54.5%) in the percentage of people who said they value "low population density." According to the national census, Wakayama actually ranks 29th in actual population density. This may reflect a perception of higher population density relative to its population ranking (40th).

Shiga and Kyoto: Where Children Should Experience Cutting-Edge Technology

Regarding places deemed necessary for children, Shiga tied for first place nationwide and Kyoto ranked third in the percentage of respondents who cited "places to experience cutting-edge technology," such as science museums, AR, and video experiences. For the same question, Shiga ranked third and Kyoto fourth in the percentage citing "places to experience history." This result, showing that both the past and the future are considered necessary for children, is quite interesting.

Osaka shows no outstanding characteristics

When you hear "people from Osaka," what kind of people come to mind? In this survey, Osaka showed little variation across most categories, revealing few distinct characteristics. Perceptions of regional personalities are often shaped by personal acquaintances or famous figures, potentially differing somewhat from reality.

This article focused on distinctive regional traits, but the survey collected data on many other aspects. If you're considering regional branding or promotional strategies, or wish to explore prefectural data in greater detail, please contact us. Next time, we'll cover the Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu regions.

*Rankings in the article are determined by referencing data to the second decimal place.
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[Survey Overview]
Title: "Quality of Society Annual Survey"
Survey Period:
1st Survey: December 11-18, 2019
2nd Survey: November 11–17, 2020
Third Survey: October 19–28, 2021
Survey Method: Internet survey
Target Area: Nationwide
Respondents: 12,000 men and women aged 18–74
Survey Company: Dentsu Macromill Insight, Inc.
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<Contact for Inquiries Regarding This Survey>
DENTSU SOKEN INC., Contact: Yamasaki, Hitō
E-mail: d-ii@dentsu.co.jp
URL: https://institute.dentsu.com
Future Prediction Support Lab Contacts: Ogura, Tachiki, Ono, Chiba
E-mail: future@dentsu.co.jp
URL: https://www.dentsu-fsl.jp
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