Livability Report
FujisawaLivability Score
Kanagawa·Pop. 443,726
Fujisawa sits in southern Kanagawa Prefecture, facing Sagami Bay to the south with the gentle hills of the Sagamihara plateau to the north. Around National Route 1 the city divides into the Sagamino plateau and the flat Shonan dunes, with Enoshima at its southern tip. It grew as the temple town of Yugyoji, became the sixth post station of the Tokaido in 1601, and served as a base for pilgrims to Enoshima. After Fujisawa Station opened in 1887 the Shonan coast drew attention as a summer retreat, and Kugenuma, Katase and Enoshima became villa districts and bathing beaches. Factories, shopping centers and universities followed after the war, and the city describes itself as balancing housing, industry and the natural environment.
Published 2026-03-08 · Article updated 2026-10-27 · Data updated 2026-10-20
Where in Japan
Overall Score
49.6
31.2
57.3
62.3
64.8* These scores are based on statistical analysis of public data and do not represent a definitive assessment of any area. Actual livability varies depending on individual values and lifestyle.
5-axis scores
Safety49.6Cost31.2Convenience57.3Welfare62.3Economy64.8Basic Information
Population
443,726
Prefecture
Kanagawa
Q&A with Kai
Alex, Yuki, and Kai discuss what it's really like to live here.
From Post Town to the Center of Shonan
Yuki
How did Fujisawa come to look the way it does today?
Alex
It feels like a beach town. Are there places to work too?
Yuki
What is the terrain like?
Kai
It began as Yugyoji's temple town, then welcomed Tokaido travelers as the Fujisawa post station and served pilgrims bound for Enoshima; Hiroshige drew it in his Fifty-three Stations. After Fujisawa Station opened in 1887, the coast became a summer retreat with villas and beaches at Kugenuma, Katase and Enoshima. It became a town in 1908 and a city in 1940.
How to Read the Crime Figures
Alex
How much should I worry about crime if I live here?
Yuki
Can you tell differences between parts of the city?
Kai
The Kanagawa Prefectural Police table by municipality shows 2,463 reported penal code offenses in Fujisawa in 2025, or 5.55 per 1,000 residents, an average level among Japan's major municipalities; lower is better. The safety score is 49.6. Offenses are counted where they occur while the denominator is residents, so visitors to Enoshima and commuters are not included.
Land Prices and Rents Reflect Shonan's Popularity
Alex
What should I expect to pay to rent or buy?
Yuki
Why did housing become so expensive?
Alex
Is there any way to live here more cheaply?
Kai
The 2026 official land price survey puts average residential land at 229,645 yen per square meter, higher than the median of Japan's major municipalities. The 2023 Housing and Land Survey gives an average monthly rent of 71,074 yen, also higher than the median. Lower is easier on the budget; the cost score is 31.2, below the other four axes.
Six Railway Lines and Four Bus Hubs
Alex
Is commuting hard without a car?
Yuki
Do the stations play different roles?
Alex
How convenient are shopping and eating out?
Kai
The city is easy to get around without one. In the 2020 census, 45.0% of commuters and students used rail or bus, higher than the median of Japan's major municipalities. Six railway lines serve the city, and buses radiate from Fujisawa, Tsujido, Shonandai and Chogo stations. The city describes neighborhoods formed around stations and linked by public transport.
The City Hospital and Thirteen Community Centers
Alex
Are there enough hospitals?
Yuki
What about support for raising children?
Alex
And schools?
Kai
The 2023 Survey of Medical Institutions gives 10.21 hospitals and clinics per 10,000 residents, higher than the median of Japan's major municipalities: 16 hospitals and 437 clinics. Fujisawa City Hospital, opened in October 1971, functions as an emergency and critical care center, disaster base hospital and regional medical support hospital. The city also runs a nursing school.
From Factory Town to Research City
Yuki
How much do residents earn?
Alex
What kinds of companies are here?
Yuki
Any recent changes that stand out?
Kai
The 2025 municipal tax survey shows taxable income of 4,714,488 yen per taxpayer, higher than the median of Japan's major municipalities. In the 2025 Report on Internal Migration, in-migrants exceeded out-migrants by 1,056 people, a net migration rate of 0.24%, which is an average level among Japan's major municipalities. The economy score is 64.8.
Where Registered and Actual Residents Match
Alex
Does the registered population match who actually lives here?
Yuki
So where does its appeal as a place to live lie?
Kai
Almost exactly. Dividing the 2025 census population of 443,726 by the resident register population of 444,628 as of January 1, 2026 gives a residency rate of 99.80%, an average level among Japan's major municipalities. This supplementary indicator is not used in the five axis scores. Despite the villa history, people here live where they are registered.
Who this city suits
Families with children
There is a children's medical expense subsidy and a child and family center, and schools are dense at 1.22 per square kilometer of habitable land. The point to watch is housing cost: average rent is 71,074 yen a month, higher than the median. Near the coast, check the tsunami disaster warning zone on the city's official map.
Young singles
Six railway lines and bus networks from four stations serve the city, and 45.0% of commuters and students use rail or bus. The point to watch is housing cost: average residential land is 229,645 yen per square meter, higher than the median. Comparing homes out to the plateau side widens your options.
Seniors
There are 10.21 medical facilities per 10,000 residents, and the city hospital serves as an emergency center and regional medical support hospital. The point to watch is getting around areas poorly served by transit; shared taxis run in parts of Zengyo and Mutsuai. Community centers in 13 districts act as nearby service counters.
Remote workers
Shonan iPark and several universities are here, and neighborhoods form around stations linked by six railway lines. The point to watch is rent: the 71,074 yen average is higher than the median of Japan's major municipalities. Terrain differs between shore and plateau, so check flood and tsunami maps before choosing a home.
Disaster risk and hazard maps
The city publishes landslide and river flood, tsunami, storm surge and inland flood hazard maps on the Fujisawa Bosai Navi hazard map page. The tsunami map is the fiscal 2020 edition, in citywide and district versions, based on the tsunami inundation assumption map prepared in March 2015. The tsunami assumed to cause the greatest damage in the city is from a subduction zone earthquake along the Sagami Trough (western model), and on March 22, 2021 the prefecture designated a tsunami disaster warning zone. When a tsunami warning is issued, designated shelters inside the tsunami hazard area are not opened. The storm surge map is based on the prefecture's inundation assumption for the Sagami Nada coast. Check down to the block level on the city's official maps and the GSI overlay hazard map.
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Detailed Data
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Crime Rate (per 1,000) | 5.55 | 2025 |
| Avg. Land Price (¥/m²) | 229,645 | 2026 |
| Avg. Rent (¥) | 71,074 | 2023 |
| Public Transit Usage (%) | 45.0 | 2020 |
| Retail Establishments | 2,373 | 2021 |
| Retail Establishments (per 1,000) | 5.35 | 2021 |
| Restaurant Establishments | 1,638 | 2021 |
| Restaurant Establishments (per 1,000) | 3.69 | 2021 |
| Residency Rate (%, census ÷ resident register) | 99.8 | 2025 |
| Medical Facilities (per 10,000, hospitals + clinics) | 10.21 | 2023 |
| Hospitals | 16 | 2023 |
| Hospitals (per 10,000) | 0.36 | 2023 |
| Clinics | 437 | 2023 |
| Clinics (per 10,000) | 9.85 | 2023 |
| Schools (elementary + junior high + high) | 78 | 2024 |
| Schools (per 1,000) | 0.176 | 2024 |
| Schools (per habitable km²) | 1.220 | 2024 |
| Taxable Income per Capita (¥) | 4,714,488 | 2025 |
| Net Migration | 1,056 | 2025 |
| Net Migration Rate (%) | 0.24 | 2025 |
| Total Population | 443,726 | 2025 |
| crime_count | 2,463 | 2025 |
| crime_count_pref | 50,059 | 2025 |
| crime_rate_pref_per_1000 | 5 | 2025 |
| habitable_area_km2 | 64 | 2024 |
| resident_registry_population | 444,628 | 2026 |
Data sources
| Indicator | Source | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Population | 2025 Population CensusStatistics Bureau of Japan | 2025 | |
| Crime Rate (per 1,000) | Reported penal code offenses by municipalityKanagawa Prefectural Police | 2025 | Counted where offenses occur; per 1,000 uses the 2025 census population |
| Avg. Land Price (¥/m²) | Official land prices (National Land Numerical Information L01)Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism | 2026 | Residential sites only; simple average of sites |
| Avg. Rent (¥) | 2023 Housing and Land SurveyStatistics Bureau of Japan | 2023 | Monthly rent of rented housing; next survey in 2028 |
| Public Transit Usage (%) | 2020 Population Census (means of commuting)Statistics Bureau of Japan | 2020 | To be updated when the 2025 census commuting tables are published |
| Retail Establishments (per 1,000) | 2021 Economic Census for Business ActivityMIC and METI | 2021 | Next survey in 2026 |
| Restaurant Establishments (per 1,000) | 2021 Economic Census for Business ActivityMIC and METI | 2021 | Next survey in 2026 |
| Medical Facilities (per 10,000, hospitals + clinics) | Survey of Medical Institutions (System of Social and Demographic Statistics)Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare | 2023 | Hospitals and clinics combined |
| Schools (per habitable km²) | School Basic Survey and habitable area (System of Social and Demographic Statistics)MEXT and Statistics Bureau of Japan | 2024 | Elementary, junior high and high schools per habitable km² |
| Taxable Income per Capita (¥) | Survey on municipal tax assessmentMinistry of Internal Affairs and Communications | 2025 | Taxable income per taxpayer |
| Net Migration Rate (%) | Report on Internal MigrationStatistics Bureau of Japan | 2025 | |
| Residency Rate (%, census ÷ resident register) | Census population ÷ resident register populationMinistry of Internal Affairs and Communications | 2025 | Resident register population as of January 1, 2026 |
Sources (27)
- Fujisawa City, overview of cleaning services (city history)
- Fujisawa City, One-Point Indicators FY2025
- Fujisawa City overview (Appendix 3)
- Fujisawa City, industrial promotion materials (research facilities)
- Fujisawa Bosai Navi, hazard maps
- Fujisawa City, tsunami hazard map page
- Fujisawa City, designation of tsunami disaster warning zone
- Kanagawa Prefectural Police, penal code offenses by type and municipality (final, end of December 2025)
- Kanagawa Prefecture, tsunami inundation forecast (Sagami Trough subduction earthquake, western model)
- Kanagawa Prefecture, storm surge inundation assumption maps (Sagami Nada coast)
- Fujisawa City Hospital, published materials (hospital functions)
- Fujisawa City, children's medical expense subsidy
- Fujisawa City public health center materials (child and family center)
- Fujisawa City, vacant house bank
- Fujisawa City urban transport plan
- Fujisawa City urban transport plan, basic policy (draft)
- Wikipedia, Fujisawa (Japanese)
- Shonan Health Innovation Park (Shonan iPark)
- 2025 Population Census, basic tabulation (e-Stat 0004065881)
- Official land prices (National Land Numerical Information L01)
- 2023 Housing and Land Survey (e-Stat 0004021452)
- 2020 Population Census, means of commuting (e-Stat 0003454513)
- 2021 Economic Census for Business Activity (e-Stat 0004005684)
- Survey of Medical Institutions (e-Stat 0000020209)
- School Basic Survey and habitable area (e-Stat 0000020205)
- Survey on municipal tax assessment (MIC)
- Report on Internal Migration (e-Stat 0003419945)
Data years: mainly 2025 (2020–2026 by indicator)
Published 2026-03-08 · Article updated 2026-10-27 · Data updated 2026-10-20