Rediscovering the pros and cons of living in the countryside and moving abroad

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Since the Great East Japan Earthquake, more and more people are considering relocating. According to a population movement report based on the Basic Resident Register published by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications for the period March to May 2011, there has been a noticeable increase in people moving from the Tokyo area to the Osaka area by 14.5%, the Nagoya area by 5.9%, and Fukuoka prefecture by 25.4%, with a clear trend of people moving to Western Japan.

"The number of people changing jobs from the Tokyo remove background image metropolitan area to Kansai has increased," says Recruit Agent, a job change support service. Among them, the most notable is the change of jobs among engineers. Yuriko Tsurumaki, a public relations officer at the company, says:

"Since the disaster, there has been an increase in the number of engineers wishing to move west with their families due to concerns about the effects of radiation. In May and June, the number of people relocating there has doubled compared to the same months last year. There are many world-class parts manufacturers in the Kansai region, and there is high demand, with 4.5 companies hiring for every job seeker."

For those employed at a company, it usually takes three to four months from consultation to actually changing jobs, but freelancers can act quickly. Illustrator Shinichi Tokigawa evacuated from Tokyo to Okinawa one week after the disaster, and moved there permanently two months later. He loves fishing and had always wanted to live by the sea, but the nuclear accident prompted him to move with his wife and one-year-old daughter.

Cost of living in Okinawa
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Cost of living in Okinawa
The rent for a 70-square-meter apartment with an ocean view is 60,000 yen, and the total cost of living is an average of 230,000 yen per month. Compared to the average cost of living in Tokyo, which was 380,000 yen, this is about 40% less. Surrounded by beautiful nature, he enjoys fishing and snorkeling at least twice a week.