For the eighth consecutive year, Clean Electric Supply has conducted its Urban Wellbeing Survey — a comprehensive study of how people living in Japanese cities experience their daily lives. This year's findings are, in many ways, more nuanced than ever before.
Executive Summary
Overall wellbeing scores rose by 3.4 points compared to 2025, driven largely by improvements in work-life balance and community belonging. However, financial anxiety remains elevated, and concerns about digital overstimulation have appeared as a significant new category for the first time.
Wellbeing by Category
Respondents rated six key life domains on a 10-point scale. The results reveal a society that feels increasingly connected and purposeful, but financially stretched and digitally overwhelmed.
Average Scores by Life Domain (Scale of 10)
The Digital Tension
For the first time in this survey's eight-year history, "digital overwhelm" has emerged as a distinct, measurable concern. 61% of respondents aged 25–44 reported feeling that their smartphone use negatively affected their mood at least three times per week — up from 44% in 2023.
"The phone is not the enemy. But we have not yet learned how to live well alongside it. That is the defining challenge of this decade."
Key Findings
- 1
Community belonging scores reached their highest level since the survey began, with neighbourhood activity as the primary driver.
- 2
Financial anxiety is most acute among adults aged 30–45 managing household costs in major urban centres.
- 3
Regular outdoor activity (3+ times per week) correlates strongly with overall wellbeing scores above 7.5.
- 4
Remote and hybrid workers score 0.8 points higher on work satisfaction than full office-based employees.