In this article, we take a look at a ranking of the most popular residential areas in Tokyo among Australians, New Zealanders and citizens of other countries in Oceania.
This is Part 3 in a series of articles looking at the most popular places for foreigners to live in Tokyo.
In Part 1, we gave an overview of the foreigner population in Tokyo and focused on popular areas for Europeans living in Tokyo.
In Part 2, we covered the most popular places for North Americans living in Tokyo.
The data below comes from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government‘s register of foreign citizens residing in Tokyo.
What are the most popular wards for Oceanians?
The numbers below in parentheses indicate the percentage of citizens from countries in Oceania compared to the total foreigner population in Tokyo as a whole (551,683) and Europeans as a percentage of foreigners living in the 23 Wards (465,191)
Total number of citizens of Oceania in Tokyo Including Western Suburbs: 4,412 (0.80% of total foreigner population)
Total number of Oceanians in 23 Wards: 2,934 (0.81% of foreigner population in 23 Wards)
Top 5 Most Popular Wards for Oceanians living in Tokyo 23 Wards
Numbers in parentheses indicates the percentage of the total Oceanian population (4,412) living in the indicated Ward.
About 54.5% of Occeanians live in just five wards: Minato, Setagaya, Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Meguro. These are the same as the most popular places for Europeans living in Tokyo and North Americans living in Tokyo.
- Minato Ward (17.8%)
- Setagaya Ward (12.6%)
- Shibuya Ward (10.6%)
- Meguro Ward (7.3%)
- Shinjuku Ward (6.1%)
For more on why Minato Ward is so popular with westerners living in Tokyo, please scroll to the bottom of the article.
Top 5 Oceanian Nationalities living in Tokyo
Nationals from 13 Oceanian countries live in Tokyo. In the data, “Oceania” includes Australia, New Zealand and countries in Melanasia, Microneasia, and Polynesia.
The overwhelming majority of North Americans are from Australia (76.2%). Together, the top two nationalities (Australians and New Zealanders) comprise about 97% of all Oceanians living in Tokyo.
The Top 5 Oceanian nationalities in Tokyo are:
- Australia (3,364, 76.2% of North Americans living in Tokyo)
- New Zealand (931, 21.1%)
- Fiji (45, 1.0%)
- Tonga (108, 0.52%)
- Papua New Guinea (72, 0.32%)
Where do most Australians live in Tokyo?
About 57% of the Australian population (comprising of 3,364 people) in Tokyo is concentrated in five wards:
- Minato Ward (19.6%)
- Setagaya Ward (12.1%)
- Shibuya Ward (10.9%)
- Shinjuku Ward (7.7%)
- Meguro Ward (6.4%)
Where do most New Zealanders live in Tokyo?
About 53% of the population of New Zealanders (931) in Tokyo lives in six wards:
- Setagaya Ward (14.5%)
- Minato Ward (12.1%)
- Shibuya Ward (10.7%)
- Meguro Ward (6.1%)
- Shinjuku Ward (5.2%)
- Koto Ward (4.9%)
Below are brief guides to the Top 3 Tokyo wards popular with Australians and New Zealanders.
Minato Ward
Minato Ward is considered one of the 5 central Tokyo wards (Chiyoda, Minato, Chuo, Shibuya, and Shinjuku) and includes:
- Many of the city’s iconic landmarks (Tokyo Tower and the Rainbow Bridge)
- Major hub stations (including Shinbashi and Shinagawa)
- Premiere business districts (including Akasaka, Toranomon and Hamamatsucho)
- Shopping and entertainment destinations (Roppongi Hills, Omotesando, Odaiba),
- Many government buildings and embassies.
Minato also has many of the city’s most exclusive residential neighborhoods (including Roppongi Hills, Aoyama, Azabu, Shiba, Shirokane, and Takanawa).
Popular residential neighborhoods in Minato Ward
Home to numerous embassies, excellent public and international schools, quiet narrow streets, expat-dense, international influences vie with Edo-period appeal. Popular with expats and cosmopolitan Japanese alike, this family-friendly suburb boasts top-class amenities. Click on the photo for a guide to living in Azabu Juban. Photo by Chris Mollison
- Akasaka
- Azabu Juban
- Minami Aoyama (which includes Gaienmae and Omotesando Stations)
- Nishi Azabu
- Roppongi
- Shiba
- Shirokane
- Takanawa
Setagaya Ward
Setagaya is a western ward of Tokyo, bordered by Suginami Ward to the north, Shibuya and Meguro Wards to the east, the city of Kawasaki to the south, and the cities of Komae and Chofu to the west.
It is known for its many family-friendly neighborhoods (for example, the Futako Tamagawa Rise shopping and residential development in Futako Tamagawa), proximity to natural areas (especially along the Tama River and Komazawa Olympic Park), and a number of well-ranked universities. Many families choose to live on the Den-en-toshi line, which has its eastern terminus at Shibuya Station. Sangenjaya, a laid back neighborhood chock full of small bars and cheap eats, is another popular residential area in Setagaya ward.
Setagaya is where many families settle when they want to live in a single-family home and to have green spaces nearby for the kids. Proximity to the Tokyo American School, located in Chofu, is another reason that many ex-pat families settle in here. Please see this page for a list of properties for sale in Setagaya.
Shibuya Living Guide
For an in-depth,guide to living around the Shibuya Station area written by a Tokyo local, please visit the Shibuya Living Guide.
You may also be interested in:
- What are the most popular places for foreigners to live in Tokyo? (2019 guide)
- What are the most popular places for North Americans to live in Tokyo?
Lead photo: Beach in Mamanuca island chain, Fiji via Planetware