Population of world’s most populous city fell in 2021 for first time in more than 25 years, thanks in part to the pandemic

When Kazuya Kobayashi decided to leave Tokyo to pursue his dream of running his own ramen restaurant, Sano was an obvious choice. As well as being the spiritual home of Japanese cricket, the town in Tochigi prefecture is famed for its ramen shops, many of which are struggling to find successors.

“The coronavirus came along, and my wife is medically vulnerable, so it seemed like the right time to move,” said Kobayashi, who hopes to open his own restaurant next year.