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The number 1 ‘most satisfying’ city in the world is….TOKYO!!!

KK Miller Jun 6, 2014
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The world is a huge place, and where you spend your hard-earned money and time off is a big decision. With so many fabulous locations around the globe, how do you choose what is the best destination for you? The answer seems obvious: ask the people. With tools like Yelp and Wikitravel, crowd sourcing your best vacation spot is easier than ever.

One of the most popular travel sites, Trip Advisor, has released a survey asking its users to rank its top 37 cities, and Japan has something to celebrate before the World Cup even begins: coming in at #1 in the world!

Tokyo topped Trip Advisor’s list of the most satisfying cities to visit. The site asked users to rate each of the cities in 16 different ways. In 13 of the 16 categories, Tokyo finished in the top 10. It topped five of the categories including:

1. Local friendliness
2. Taxi services
3. Cleanliness
4. Public Transportation
5. Overall satisfaction

The city ranked second for friendliness of taxi drivers and ease of solo travel, third for restaurants and night life, fifth for shopping, and eighth in ease of moving through the city, hotels and ease of traveling with family.

Image: Flickr (OiMax)

An impressive array of stats, for sure! The Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau (TCVB) might be a little concerned about the last three categories, culture, tourism and attractions and best money value, though. While value for money isn’t necessarily something a tourism board can control, attracting people to culture and attractions is certainly something they can work on.

After seeing the results of the survey the TCVB commented:

“Regarding Tokyo and the online survey from travelers around the world, we are extremely pleased that Tokyo has ranked number-one for most satisfying city in the world. We are very proud of our omotenashi (hospitality) and the results of the survey which recognized our “heart” and services through the high ranking in the categories. Looking towards the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, please come and visit us in our beautiful city of Tokyo which is always moving towards the future.”

Image: Flickr (Eugene Wei)

For many people who live in Japan, hearing that Tokyo doesn’t rank in the top 10 for culture and attractions may seem a little strange. Although Tokyo may be the “concrete jungle”, there are plenty of pockets of Japanese culture, and old Japanese culture that maybe Kyoto is better known for. There is Meji-jingu shrine, Kaminarimon, Kabuki-za, many different Ueno museums, and the Imperial Gardens just to name a few. The problem is getting the word out and letting visitors know that there is more to Tokyo than just the big (really big) city life. The company director for the Japanese branch of Trip Advisor knows that this is a concern, but is quite happy with Tokyo’s upward movement.

“We are extremely proud that Tokyo placed so high in the survey regarding the world’s most satisfying cities. When you look at the survey, Tokyo is continuing to rise in rank in the sections concerning culture and attractions. Tourist attractions are spreading through word of mouth/the internet in recent years. As the world’s greatest word-of-mouth tourist site, Trip Advisor, we want to not only include information about hotels and restaurants but we also want to include information about new and beautiful tourist attractions and cultural sites to all tourists coming to Japan.”

So celebrate Tokyo’s spot at number one! Get out there and tell everyone about all there is to offer in Tokyo, and be sure to emphasize the culture and attractions that Tokyo has to offer in spades. The power is with the people now; it’s easier than ever to get your opinions heard. Let us know what your favorite spots in Tokyo are in the comments below! Maybe you will help someone plan their next big vacation to Tokyo!

Source: Yahoo! Japan News
Feature image: Flickr (Mikel)