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Having lived in big cities for decades, I can understand the attraction, especially for singletons. I can't speak about the Japanese cultural factors; but I think there are two other factors which may reinforce the decline in migration to the cities: firstly, the possibility for those with office jobs to work from home these days. Just avoiding the rush hours trains would make it worthwhile, wouldn't it? The second factor, in my opinion, will be the growing understanding of the harmful effects on health of EMF radiation from wi-fi and cell towers, especially 5G millimeter-waves. I think people will realize that they need to get away from the concentrated and toxic EMF soup in which city-dwellers live. The more rural, the easier.

https://francesleader.substack.com/?sort=search&search=EMF

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The ability to work remotely is certainly a factor. Another trend that I thought about adding to the original post that may play a role is the desire of many to avoid the overly commercial culture that pushes people toward overconsumption and overt displays of wealth. By going back to the basics - nature, deep and genuine relationships with others, etc. - the path to true fulfillment is much more likely to be achieved. Japan's beautiful countryside is often a good place to start such a journey.

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🙌🏻

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Yes, I know quite a few friends and former colleagues that have the office in Tokyo, but moved out to the countryside and telecommute, thanks to their employers being more flexible after COVID.

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Cool, hopefully employers can see that their employees can be cheaper and more productive if there are no rail fares to pay and no time wasted traveling in overcrowded railway carriages, while employees enjoy a better quality of life, less stress and better work/life balance. Seems like a win-win to me.

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Thank you for reading and adding this perspective. We'll see if this trend continues as Covid fades into memory.

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