Which Prefecture is the Best to Live?: Regional Characteristics of Preferred Prefecture in Japan

In this paper we analyze the relation between the preferred prefecture to live and their regional characteristics in Japan using the data of questionnaire survey conducted by GCOE program of Osaka University in 2009 and 2010. We found: 1) Most people are satisfied with the current residential prefecture and they are unwilling to leave there. 2) Okinawa is the most popular prefecture in Japan when we normalize population size. 3) Multinomial logit regression reveals that the natural environment, home prefecture bias, and the convenience of daily life greatly determine the preferred prefecture.