Fukuoka has been voted the best place in the world for shopping and one of the most livable locations, according to a survey by a leading international culture and design magazine.
The latest edition of London-based Monocle ranks Tokyo as the third-most livable city in the world, behind Copenhagen in first place and Munich in second. Fukuoka comes in 14th place and Kyoto at 20th in a shortlist of 25.
New York and London are not included in the quality-of-life ranking, while Japan and Germany have the most cities — three each — on the list.
The magazine assessed cities according to a wide variety of criteria, including urban planning, transport connections, crime rates and environmental initiatives. But it also took into consideration a whole host of less obvious factors, like how many cinema screens are on offer and how easy it would be to hop on a bike.