Information as of 19 August 2026

This page is a relocation summary written by an advanced AI

It is not a personal opinion piece written by a human. An AI gathered official information published on the internet — municipal and national statistics, the Japan Meteorological Agency, railway companies, property portals — and rebuilt it into a form that someone considering a move can read and act on. Every figure carries a source link and the date it was checked, so please confirm anything that matters to you against the original document. Rules and prices change. Always check the latest information yourself before you sign anything.

Moving to Ikoma City

Q: What should I know first about moving to Ikoma?

A town at the northwestern edge of Nara Prefecture, bordering Osaka and Kyoto Prefectures. The city describes itself as “30 minutes by train from central Osaka”. It covers 53.15 square kilometres, and Kintetsu Ikoma Station is a terminus where three lines meet.

Q: Which part of Ikoma should I live in?

It comes down almost entirely to which of the three lines you will ride. The medians run from ¥23,800,000 along the Ikoma Line to ¥37,890,000 at Shiraniwadai and Asukano along the Keihanna Line. Along the Keihanna Line, not one is under ¥10,000,000.

Q: Can I get from Ikoma to Hommachi in Osaka?

🔴 Yes, and without changing trains. The Kintetsu Keihanna Line runs straight through onto the Osaka Metro Chuo Line, and Kintetsu’s own fare search shows the route as “Ikoma (Nagata – Chuo Line) Hommachi”. The fare is ¥740; to Osaka-Namba it is ¥490 on the Kintetsu Nara Line.

Q: What is the cheapest house you can buy in Ikoma?

SUUMO carries 181 second-hand detached houses, from ¥1,980,000, median ¥29,800,000. 23 are under ¥10,000,000. Median land is 222 square metres — generous for somewhere 30 minutes from Osaka.

Q: Is the disaster risk high in Ikoma?

It is designated an area for the promotion of Nankai Trough earthquake disaster measures, and at the city hall the probability of intensity 6-lower or more within 30 years is 27.5%, and of 6-upper or more, 3.5% (hill, AVS30 314.92 m/s). 🔴 This is a town of hills, so check whether the plot lies inside a landslide hazard zone first, address by address.

Q: Are summers hot and winters cold in Ikoma?

Summer days are hot, with a daily high in August of 33.4℃ and 15.6 days of extreme heat a year (Tokyo 4.8). But tropical nights number 16.3, rather fewer than Tokyo. In winter 0.0 days stay below freezing and total annual snowfall is 5 cm, so no snow gear is needed.

Q: What are healthcare and schools like in Ikoma?

Children’s medical costs are subsidised from birth to 18 with no income test (primary school age and above pay ¥500 a month per institution for outpatient care, and so on). There are 12 primary schools and 8 middle schools, and the sizes differ — Ikoma Primary has 800 children against Ikoma-kita Primary’s 142.

Q: What do water and sewerage cost in Ikoma?

On the city’s rate table it is ¥11,572 including tax for 40 cubic metres over two months on a 13 mm connection, and ¥5,786 for 20 cubic metres over one month. Sewerage charges were revised in the fourth month of Reiwa 8, and the unit rate for an ordinary household became ¥120 per cubic metre.

Q: Will the house I buy sell when I want to sell it?

In the published land prices (Reiwa 8) residential land is ¥97,500/m², up 1.2% on the year, and all uses too are up 1.4%. That is cheaper than Nara City (¥106,000/m²) and about 0.6 times Takarazuka City (¥165,200/m²).

Q: What is happening to Ikoma's population?

115,508 people in 52,342 households (as of 1 July 2026), with the distinctive feature that there are 6,072 more women than men. The city writes that “in Heisei 2 it became the prefecture’s third city of 100,000, and by the end of Heisei 22 it had passed 120,000”.

At the northwestern edge of Nara Prefecture, bordering Osaka and Kyoto Prefectures. The city describes itself as “30 minutes by train from central Osaka”. To the west stands Mount Ikoma, 642 metres high, and to the east the Yata hills. Housing spreads through the valleys and slopes between them, centred on Ikoma Station, where three Kintetsu lines meet. 🔴 What marks this town out most is that the Kintetsu Keihanna Line runs straight through onto the Osaka Metro Chuo Line. Hommachi is reached without changing, and Gakken-Nara-Tomigaoka, the end of the Keihanna Line, is a starting point. Population 115,508. There are 181 second-hand detached houses on the market — from ¥1,980,000, median ¥29,800,000 — and by the line you live on the median runs from ¥23,800,000 to ¥37,890,000.

To Hommachi

¥740

No change (through onto the Chuo Line)

To Osaka-Namba

¥490

the Kintetsu Nara Line

City area

53.15km²

8.0 km east to west, 15.0 km north to south

Homes for sale

181 listings

¥1,980,000– / median ¥29,800,000

Population

115,508 people

52,342 households, 2026-07-01

Intensity 6-lower or above in 30 years

27.5%

At the city hall site, hill land

Summer (August daily high)

33.4℃

Nara — 2.1℃ higher than Tokyo

Winter (January daily low)

0.8℃

Nara — 0.4℃ lower than Tokyo

⛰ National and quasi-national parks ♨ Hot springs and day baths3

National and quasi-national parks: Kongo-Ikoma-Kisen Quasi-National Park / Hot springs and day baths: Oto-no-Hana Onsen
Sources: national and quasi-national parks judged from Ministry of the Environment boundary data and the like (details of sources in §17) (checked 2026-08-21); hot springs and day baths from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors) (checked 2026-08-20). 🔴 Only the things a town has are listed — it does not mean that a town without them is worse.

Last verified 2026-08-19

CHAPTER 01First, what kind of place Ikoma is

The northwestern edge of Nara Prefecture. The city describes itself as “about 60 kilometres around, 53.15 square kilometres in area”, “about 8.0 kilometres east to west and about 15.0 north to south, long from north to south”. To the west the Ikoma mountains, with Mount Ikoma at 642 metres as their highest peak; to the east the Yata hills and the Nishinokyo hills. The houses for sale run from 104 to 236 metres above sea level — almost the whole city is either on a hill or on a slope.

Kintetsu Ikoma Station is a terminus where three lines meetThe city puts it this way: “Kintetsu Ikoma Station, the gateway to Ikoma, is the terminus of the Kintetsu Nara Line, which runs through from Nara via Osaka-Namba to Sannomiya on the Hanshin railway; the Kintetsu Keihanna Line, which runs through from Gakken-Nara-Tomigaoka to Cosmosquare in Osaka Nanko on the Osaka municipal subway; and the Kintetsu Ikoma Line, which links Ikoma to Oji”. The Keihanna Line runs straight through onto the Osaka Metro Chuo Line — which is why Hommachi needs no change (§3). And the first cable car ever built in Japan runs from Toriimae Station, beside Ikoma Station, up to Hozanji and Ikomasanjo.

The home of the tea whisk and a science city, in the same townThe city writes: “if Ikoma is known for one thing it is the ‘Takayama chasen’ tea whisk”, “a technique handed down since the Muromachi period”, “designated a traditional craft”. Near that home of the tea whisk lies the Kansai Science City and Takayama Science Town, where research and exchange facilities have been built around the Nara Institute of Science and Technology. In the city’s words, “a convenient residential city that combines rich nature, history and traditional industry with a face at the leading edge”. The population passed 100,000 in Heisei 2, the third in the prefecture to do so, and topped 120,000 by the end of Heisei 22.

Source:Ikoma City, “About Ikoma City”(updated 3 December 2024; area 53.15 km²; about 60 km around; 8.0 km east to west, 15.0 km north to south; Mount Ikoma 642 m; a terminus of three lines; Japan’s first cable car; Takayama chasen; Takayama Science Town; the course of the population). Population and households fromthe same, "Population and households"(as of 1 July 2026). “30 minutes by train from central Osaka” fromthe same, “For those looking for a home”(2025-12-02updated) / Verified 2026-08-19

Map of Ikoma City

You can zoom and pan. The marker is Ikoma city hall (just east of Kintetsu Ikoma Station). The ridge to the west (left) is the Ikoma mountains, and beyond them is already Osaka Prefecture. Running north (up) is the Keihanna Line, as far as Gakken-Nara-Tomigaoka; running south (down) is the Ikoma Line.
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors

What should I know first about moving to Ikoma?

A town at the northwestern edge of Nara Prefecture, bordering Osaka and Kyoto Prefectures. The city describes itself as “30 minutes by train from central Osaka”. It covers 53.15 square kilometres, and Kintetsu Ikoma Station is a terminus where three lines meet.

CHAPTER 02Four areas, and life in each

Choosing an area in Ikoma comes down almost entirely to which of the three lines you will ride. Sorting the 181 houses for sale by address gives four parts, with medians from ¥23,800,000 to ¥37,890,000. The dearest is along the Keihanna Line, where not one is under ¥10,000,000.

Ikoma Sta. and Higashi-Ikoma (the Kintetsu Nara Line terminus) — the most of them84 (¥1,980,000 to ¥250,000,000, median ¥27,800,000, 13 under ¥10,000,000). Elevation 131 to 236 m. Nearest stations: Ikoma 65, Higashi-Ikoma 13. The city hall, the shops and the foot of the Ikoma Cable are all in this part.
Suits = anyone who wants to reach both Osaka-Namba and Nara, or to live without a car
Worth knowing = the range of prices, ¥1,980,000 to ¥250,000,000, is extreme. Within the same “Ikoma Station”, the station forecourt and the top of the ridge are quite different things

Shiraniwadai and Asukano (along the Keihanna Line) — the dearest48 (¥10,800,000 to ¥98,800,000, median ¥37,890,000, the highest in the city, none under ¥10,000,000). Elevation 121 to 186 m. Nearest stations: Shiraniwadai 34, Gakken-Kita-Ikoma 14. The median year built is 1996, the newest of the four.
Suits = anyone commuting towards Hommachi or Sakaisujihommachi without a change, or wanting a newer, planned residential area
Worth knowing = this part is for someone whose budget is settled. If you are waiting for a cheap one to come up, look at the other three

Gakken-Nara-Tomigaoka and Shikanodai (the end of the Keihanna Line) — a seat from the starting point14 (¥8,800,000 to ¥49,800,000, median ¥29,900,000). Elevation 104 to 138 m, the lowest in the city, and a median plot of 267 m², the widest of the four. All 14 have Gakken-Nara-Tomigaoka as their nearest station.
Suits = anyone who wants a seat from the starting point — Gakken-Nara-Tomigaoka is the end of the Keihanna Line, and trains run through from here onto the Chuo Line (§3)
Worth knowing = at 14, there are few for sale, so expect to wait for one to come up

Along the Ikoma Line (Minami-Ikoma, Ichibu, Nabata, Haginodai) — the easiest to afford35 (¥4,000,000 to ¥91,800,000, median ¥23,800,000, 9 under ¥10,000,000). Elevation 111 to 166 m. Nearest stations: Minami-Ikoma 10, Nabata 10, Ichibu 7. At 176 m², the median plot is the most compact of the four.
Suits = anyone wanting to live in Ikoma on a smaller budget, or who also travels towards Oji and the Yamatoji Line
Worth knowing = the Ikoma Line means changing at Ikoma Station. If you commute towards Osaka, allow for that one change

Prices, counts, elevations and years of construction are fromSUUMOlisted181 listingsall, grouped by address. Elevations come from the map coordinates on each SUUMO listing page, each listing's map coordinates through the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan elevation API (all 181 have per-property coordinates) / Verified 2026-08-19

Which part of Ikoma should I live in?

It comes down almost entirely to which of the three lines you will ride. The medians run from ¥23,800,000 along the Ikoma Line to ¥37,890,000 at Shiraniwadai and Asukano along the Keihanna Line. Along the Keihanna Line, not one is under ¥10,000,000.

CHAPTER 03Trains and cars — how you get around

What marks transport in Ikoma most is that the Kintetsu Keihanna Line runs straight through onto the Osaka Metro Chuo Line. Look up Ikoma to Hommachi in Kintetsu’s fare search and the route shows as “Ikoma (Nagata – Chuo Line) Hommachi” — meaning you reach Hommachi without changing. The fare is ¥740. By the Kintetsu Nara Line, Osaka-Namba is ¥490. The city describes itself as “30 minutes by train from central Osaka”.

Section	Fare (adult, ordinary)	Route
Ikoma → Hommachi	¥740	Keihanna Line → (Nagata) → Chuo Line, no change
Ikoma → Osaka-Namba	¥490	Kintetsu Nara Line (through service to Hanshin Sannomiya)
Gakken-Nara-Tomigaoka → Hommachi	¥910	Through onto the Chuo Line from the end of the Keihanna Line, which is a starting point
(for reference) Nagata → Hommachi	¥290, 15 min, 0 changes	Osaka Metro Chuo Line towards Cosmosquare (the 7th stop)

Choosing “a seat from the starting point”The Keihanna Line ends at Gakken-Nara-Tomigaoka, and the city explains that from there trains “run through to Cosmosquare in Osaka Nanko on the Osaka municipal subway”. The end of the line is a starting point — queue and you get a seat. For the same commuting time, an hour standing and being jolted and an hour sitting with a book are quite different things. Ikoma, Shiraniwadai and Gakken-Kita-Ikoma are intermediate stations, so the morning crush there is not the same as at Tomigaoka.

For times to the minute, use the official searchesThis page carries only the figures we could confirm — fares from Kintetsu’s official search, and section journey times from Osaka Metro’s official search. The through journey time from Ikoma to Hommachi is not given, because it was not on the railway companies’ official pages (we do not write from guesswork). Look it up for the hour you would actually travel on Kintetsu’s timetable guide or Osaka Metro’s route search.

By car, the Daini-Hanna Road to OsakaThe city describes the Daini-Hanna Toll Road, the Hanna Road, National Route 163 and National Route 308 running east to west, and National Route 168 and the Hirakata-Yamatokoriyama prefectural road north to south. It notes that “with the completion of the Daini-Hanna Toll Road in Heisei 9, access to central Osaka and central Nara became more convenient still”. But almost the whole city is hill (104 to 236 m), so always walk the climb to the station yourself.

Sources: fares and routes fromKinki Nippon Railway official, “Fare and charge search”(search results as of 18 August 2026. Ikoma to Hommachi shows the route as “Ikoma (Nagata – Chuo Line) Hommachi”, ¥740 / Ikoma to Osaka-Namba ¥490 / Gakken-Nara-Tomigaoka to Hommachi ¥910). Nagata to Hommachi fromOsaka Metro official "fastest route and fare search"(departing 8:00 on 20 August 2026; 15 min, ¥290, 0 changes, Chuo Line towards Cosmosquare). The through services and the roads fromIkoma City, “About Ikoma City”/ Verified 2026-08-19

✈ Airports

The nearest is Osaka International Airport (a hub airport under company management), about 26.1 km as the crow flies. Next is Kobe Airport (about 45.5 km). 🔴 These are straight-line distances. They are neither road distance nor journey time — for how to actually get there, check the operators’ timetables.

🛣 Expressway junctions

There is no expressway entrance or junction inside this area. You will use an interchange in a neighbouring town.

Sources: airports fromNational Land Numerical Information, "Airports", FY2021 edition (category names followthe MLIT list of airports ) / expressway junctions fromthe same, "Expressways time series", 2025 edition, current data only (what is open today). Both were overlaid onthe same, "Administrative boundaries", 2026and judged by machine to fall inside this area / verified 2026-08-21

Can I get from Ikoma to Hommachi in Osaka?

🔴 Yes, and without changing trains. The Kintetsu Keihanna Line runs straight through onto the Osaka Metro Chuo Line, and Kintetsu’s own fare search shows the route as “Ikoma (Nagata – Chuo Line) Hommachi”. The fare is ¥740; to Osaka-Namba it is ¥490 on the Kintetsu Nara Line.

CHAPTER 04Homes actually on the market right now

181 listings, from ¥1,980,000 to ¥250,000,000, median ¥29,800,000. 23 are under ¥10,000,000. The median year built is 1993, and 40 date from 1981 or earlier. Median land is 222 square metres (about 67 tsubo) — that much land, 30 minutes from Osaka, is what Ikoma is.

Sort

"Nearest the station first" converts everything to minutes — a walk of ◯ min, ◯ min by bus plus ◯ min from the stop, ◯ km by car (reckoned at 30 km/h) — and compares those. Listings with no such information always appear last, whatever the sort.

Tawaraguchi-cho¥1,980,000Ikoma Sta. and Higashi-Ikoma (the Kintetsu Nara Line terminus)Elev. approx. 150 m / Land 82 m² (25 tsubo) / Building 76 m² (23 tsubo) / built 1969 / Ikoma Sta. 15 min walk10 photos →

Tawaraguchi-cho¥2,300,000Ikoma Sta. and Higashi-Ikoma (the Kintetsu Nara Line terminus)Elev. approx. 170 m / Land 55 m² (17 tsubo) / Building 70 m² (21 tsubo) / built 1968 / Ikoma Sta. 19 min walk8 photos →

Tawaraguchi-cho¥2,800,000Ikoma Sta. and Higashi-Ikoma (the Kintetsu Nara Line terminus)Elev. approx. 170 m / Land 123 m² (37 tsubo) / Building 120 m² (36 tsubo) / built 1984 / Ikoma Sta. 21 min walk8 photos →

Sakuragaoka 1468-11¥2,800,000Ikoma Sta. and Higashi-Ikoma (the Kintetsu Nara Line terminus)Elev. approx. 160 m / Land 133 m² (40 tsubo) / Building 87 m² (26 tsubo) / built 1975 / Ikoma Sta. 15 min walk2 photos →

Oze-cho¥4,000,000Along the Ikoma Line (Minami-Ikoma, Ichibu, Nabata, Haginodai)Elev. approx. 110 m / Land 122 m² (37 tsubo) / Building 73 m² (22 tsubo) / built 1985 / Minami-Ikoma Sta. 5 min walk10 photos →

Oze-cho¥4,800,000Along the Ikoma Line (Minami-Ikoma, Ichibu, Nabata, Haginodai)Elev. approx. 140 m / Land 258 m² (78 tsubo) / Building 133 m² (40 tsubo) / built 1964 / Minami-Ikoma Sta. 7 min walk8 photos →

Kobirao-cho 1404-35¥4,800,000Along the Ikoma Line (Minami-Ikoma, Ichibu, Nabata, Haginodai)Elev. approx. 130 m / Land 159 m² (48 tsubo) / Building 107 m² (32 tsubo) / built 1981 / Haginodai Sta. 8 min walk6 photos →

Karuizawa-cho¥5,700,000Ikoma Sta. and Higashi-Ikoma (the Kintetsu Nara Line terminus)Elev. approx. 230 m / Land 151 m² (46 tsubo) / Building 94 m² (28 tsubo) / built 1978 / Ikoma Sta., 1.4km9 photos →

Komyo-cho¥5,800,000Ikoma Sta. and Higashi-Ikoma (the Kintetsu Nara Line terminus)Elev. approx. 160 m / Land 172 m² (52 tsubo) / Building 119 m² (36 tsubo) / built 1976 / Shiraniwadai Sta. 36 min walk2 photos →

Karuizawa-cho¥5,800,000Ikoma Sta. and Higashi-Ikoma (the Kintetsu Nara Line terminus)Elev. approx. 180 m / Land 398 m² (120 tsubo) / Building 109 m² (33 tsubo) / built 1980 / Hozanji Sta. 10 min walk4 photos →

Kita-Shimmachi¥6,000,000Ikoma Sta. and Higashi-Ikoma (the Kintetsu Nara Line terminus)Elev. approx. 180 m / Land 94 m² (28 tsubo) / Building 65 m² (20 tsubo) / built 1990 / Ikoma Sta. 16 min walk8 photos →

Karuizawa-cho¥6,500,000Ikoma Sta. and Higashi-Ikoma (the Kintetsu Nara Line terminus)Elev. approx. 180 m / Land 110 m² (33 tsubo) / Building 83 m² (25 tsubo) / built 1979 / Ikoma Sta. 14 min walk10 photos →

Oze-cho¥7,300,000Along the Ikoma Line (Minami-Ikoma, Ichibu, Nabata, Haginodai)Elev. approx. 110 m / Land 93 m² (28 tsubo) / Building 92 m² (28 tsubo) / built 1989 / Minami-Ikoma Sta. 4 min walk10 photos →

Nishi-Asahigaoka¥7,900,000Ikoma Sta. and Higashi-Ikoma (the Kintetsu Nara Line terminus)Elev. approx. 160 m / Land 62 m² (19 tsubo) / Building 54 m² (16 tsubo) / built 1976 / Ikoma Sta. 10 min walk6 photos →

Oze-cho¥8,500,000Along the Ikoma Line (Minami-Ikoma, Ichibu, Nabata, Haginodai)Elev. approx. 110 m / Land 134 m² (41 tsubo) / Building 102 m² (31 tsubo) / built 1988 / Minami-Ikoma Sta. 9 min walk10 photos →

Ichibu-cho¥8,800,000Along the Ikoma Line (Minami-Ikoma, Ichibu, Nabata, Haginodai)Elev. approx. 130 m / Land 166 m² (50 tsubo) / Building 103 m² (31 tsubo) / built 1980 / Ichibu Sta. 13 min walk10 photos →

Shikahata-cho¥8,800,000Gakken-Nara-Tomigaoka and Shikanodai (the end of the Keihanna Line)Elev. approx. 130 m / Land 2837 m² (858 tsubo) / Building 168 m² (51 tsubo) / built 1955 / Gakken-Nara-Tomigaoka Sta. 21 min walk7 photos →

Nishi-Asahigaoka¥9,000,000Ikoma Sta. and Higashi-Ikoma (the Kintetsu Nara Line terminus)Elev. approx. 160 m / Land 238 m² (72 tsubo) / Building 137 m² (41 tsubo) / built 1974 / Ikoma Sta. 9 min walk9 photos →

Nishi-Asahigaoka¥9,000,000Ikoma Sta. and Higashi-Ikoma (the Kintetsu Nara Line terminus)Elev. approx. 160 m / Land 237 m² (72 tsubo) / Building 137 m² (41 tsubo) / built 1974 / Ikoma Sta. 11 min walk10 photos →

The photographs are the images carried on SUUMO. They disappear once a listing ends. Check the real condition of a property on site.

See all 181 on SUUMO →

How to read this list

The line you ride sets the priceMedians run ¥23,800,000 along the Ikoma Line ／ ¥27,800,000 around Ikoma Sta. and Higashi-Ikoma ／ ¥29,900,000 at Gakken-Nara-Tomigaoka ／ ¥37,890,000 at Shiraniwadai and Asukano (§2). The nearer the line that runs through to Hommachi, the dearer — a strikingly tidy ladder. Of the 23 listings under ¥10,000,000, most are around Ikoma Station or along the Ikoma Line.

Look hard at the year built, and at the hillThe median year built is 1993, and 40 listings date from 1981 or earlier. The earthquake code changed in June 1981, so for anything older a seismic survey is where you start (the city has a grant towards seismic retrofitting). On top of that, this is a town of hills, spread over elevations from 104 m to 236 m. Check whether the plot sits inside a landslide hazard zone, address by address (§5).

Sources: taken from SUUMO, "Second-hand detached houses in Ikoma City" (All 181 listed were retrieved, as of 2026-08-19). Prices, year built, address and nearest station are as given on each listing page; elevation is the map coordinates on the listing page put through the Geospatial Information Authority elevation API.Listings change from day to day.. Check each property page for the latest. The retrofitting grant fromIkoma City, “A grant towards part of the cost of seismic retrofitting work on an existing house”/ Verified 2026-08-19

Ikoma has no “empty house bank”. What it has instead is people

Ikoma City does not run an empty house bank. What it has instead is the Ikoma Empty House Circulation Platform. The city describes it as “an arrangement that stands beside owners troubled by ‘I don’t know who to ask’ or ‘I asked, and nobody would take it on’, and helps them sell or let”. A cooperation agreement was signed with 8 property-related organisations on 28 May Heisei 30, and 46 businesses from 8 organisations across 7 trades now take part. You apply at the city office, a member of staff asks what you want, and the right professional is assigned to your case. The city states plainly, however, that “properties falling within a special landslide hazard alert zone cannot use the service”. That this is a town of hills shows up here too. For buyers there is the “home-choosing consultation”, under which an architect comes with you to view a property and gives professional advice — meant for people considering a second-hand house. And at the “online relocation consultation desk” held over Zoom (weekdays 9:00–17:00, about an hour, by appointment, free), housing division staff answer questions on housing, child-raising, schooling, shopping, transport and disaster preparedness.

Source:Ikoma City, “Ikoma Empty House Circulation Platform”(updated 1 May 2026; agreement with 8 organisations on 28 May Heisei 30 ／ 46 businesses from 8 organisations across 7 trades ／ conditions of use and how it works ／ properties in a special landslide hazard alert zone cannot use it) ／ the same, “For those looking for a home”(home-choosing consultation = an architect comes with you to view a property) ／ the same, “Let’s live in Ikoma. Online relocation consultation desk”(weekdays 9:00–17:00, about an hour, by appointment, free, over Zoom) ／ Checked 2026-08-19

Akiya bank

There are no registrations of homes for sale. Every property in this chapter is on the private market. (as verified on 17 August 2026)

What is the cheapest house you can buy in Ikoma?

SUUMO carries 181 second-hand detached houses, from ¥1,980,000, median ¥29,800,000. 23 are under ¥10,000,000. Median land is 222 square metres — generous for somewhere 30 minutes from Osaka.

CHAPTER 05Is the ground safe?

Ikoma City is designated an area for the promotion of Nankai Trough earthquake disaster measures. In the 250-metre square the city hall stands on, the probability of shaking of intensity 6-lower or more within 30 years is 27.5%, and of 6-upper or more, 3.5%. The ground is hill, with AVS30 of 314.92 m/s. This is a town of hills, so check landslide risk before you check shaking.

Is this town inside a national earthquake-preparedness zone?

For each major earthquake, national law designates the areas where preparation is to be advanced. Whether a town is designated tells you directly how the national government views the shaking and tsunami expected there.

Nankai Trough Earthquake Disaster Prevention Promotion Area	Designated
Tokyo Inland Earthquake Emergency Measures Area	Not applicable (the whole of Nara Prefecture is outside the scheme)
Japan Trench / Kuril Trench Earthquake Disaster Prevention Promotion Area	Not applicable (the whole of Nara Prefecture is outside the scheme)
Shaking of intensity 6-lower or above within 30 years	27.5% (intensity 6-upper or more, 3.5%) At Ikoma City Hall. Surface ground AVS30 315 m/s, hill

This probability is for the single 250-metre grid square the city hall stands in. The Ikoma City town hall stands onHill land(AVS30 315 m/s), and the 27.5% above is the figure for that point. Even within Ikoma City it varies a great deal between the low ground along the rivers and the terraces. When a listing interests you, look it up by its street address.Enter an address on the J-SHIS map and it shows the probability and the ground for that 250-metre mesh.

Look up an address on J-SHIS → Designations from the Cabinet Office list of designated municipalities (Nankai Trough Earthquake Disaster Prevention Promotion Area／Tokyo Inland Earthquake Emergency Measures Area／Japan Trench / Kuril Trench Earthquake Disaster Prevention Promotion Area ) / probability and surface ground from theNational Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience, J-SHIS earthquake hazard information API (2024 edition, average case, all earthquakes) queried at the coordinates of the city hall / verified 2026-08-19

What this number means, and what you do next

Put the figure beside other towns27.5% for intensity 6-lower or more within 30 years sits, among the towns within an hour of Osaka on this site, above Takarazuka City (15.6%) and below Nara City (64.3%). This is the eastern flank of the Ikoma mountains, and the conditions differ from the soft ground of the Osaka plain (AVS30 314.92 m/s, hill). That said, on a hillside estate that has been cut and filled, the shaking differs depending on whether your plot is on fill or on cut. Ask the agent for the history of the earthworks.

Landslides are close enough to appear in the city’s own schemesIn its empty house support the city states plainly that “properties falling within a special landslide hazard alert zone cannot use the service” (§4). That one sentence is the lie of the land — almost the whole city is hill — showing through. Three things to look at first — ① put the address into the overlay hazard map and lay landslide and flood risk over it　② look up how readily that plot shakes on J-SHIS　③ check the shelters and the assumed scenarios on Ikoma City’s disaster prevention and current information.

Sources: the designation under the Nankai Trough Earthquake disaster-prevention promotion area from the Cabinet Office (Disaster Management) list of designated municipalities; the probability and the ground from National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience, J-SHIS(the 250 m mesh containing the city hall at 34.69194 ／ 135.70056) ／ the wording on special landslide hazard alert zones is from Ikoma City, “Ikoma Empty House Circulation Platform” ／ the probabilities quoted for Takarazuka City and Nara City are the same J-SHIS values as on those area pages of this site ／ Checked 2026-08-19

Is the disaster risk high in Ikoma?

It is designated an area for the promotion of Nankai Trough earthquake disaster measures, and at the city hall the probability of intensity 6-lower or more within 30 years is 27.5%, and of 6-upper or more, 3.5% (hill, AVS30 314.92 m/s). 🔴 This is a town of hills, so check whether the plot lies inside a landslide hazard zone first, address by address.

CHAPTER 06What summer and winter are like

The annual mean is 15.7℃ and annual rainfall 1,365.1 mm. Winter is much like Tokyo (daily low in January 0.8℃ against Tokyo’s 1.2℃, and 0.0 days a year below freezing), while summer is distinctly hot (daily high in August 33.4℃ against Tokyo’s 31.3℃, with 15.6 days of extreme heat a year, more than three times Tokyo’s). Tropical nights number 16.3 a year, rather fewer than Tokyo’s 17.8.

Item	Ikoma / Nara (normals)	What it means for daily life
Annual mean temperature	15.7℃	Mean daily high 20.9℃ / mean daily low 11.5℃
Summer (August daily high)	33.4℃	15.6 days of extreme heat (Tokyo 4.8) ・ 72.7 days above 30℃ ・ 16.3 tropical nights (Tokyo 17.8)
Winter (January daily low)	0.8℃	31.4 nights below 0℃, 0.0 days below freezing = no day stays below zero
Annual rainfall and snow	1,365.1mm	July is the wettest at 173.5 mm. Total annual snowfall 5 cm, deepest snow 3 cm

Hot by day in summer. But the nights drop below Tokyo’s15.6 days of extreme heat a year is more than three times Tokyo’s 4.8. This is a town on the rim of the Nara basin, so take it that the daytime is properly hot. Against that, tropical nights number 16.3, fewer than Tokyo’s, and living on hills of 100 to 240 m is what tells here (§2). Insulation, and how well the air conditioning copes, are worth looking at on a viewing.

Winter needs almost nothing in the way of snow gear0.0 days a year stay below freezing, and total annual snowfall is 5 cm with deepest snow 3 cm. This is not a place where you need to buy a snow shovel. There are, though, 31.4 nights below 0℃ a year, so the mornings do bite. The temperatures are those of the observatory in neighbouring Nara City (there is no AMeDAS station measuring temperature within Ikoma City). Many plots in Ikoma sit higher than central Nara, so it is safer to assume the higher up the hill, the colder.

Sources: temperatures, day counts, rainfall and snow from Japan Meteorological Agency, "Nara (normals, 1991–2020)"(there is no AMeDAS station measuring temperature within Ikoma City, so the observatory in neighbouring Nara City) ／ the Tokyo figures are from the same, "Tokyo (normals)"(17.8 tropical nights, 4.8 extremely hot days, August daily high 31.3°C, January daily low 1.2°C)／checked 2026-08-19

Are summers hot and winters cold in Ikoma?

Summer days are hot, with a daily high in August of 33.4℃ and 15.6 days of extreme heat a year (Tokyo 4.8). But tropical nights number 16.3, rather fewer than Tokyo. In winter 0.0 days stay below freezing and total annual snowfall is 5 cm, so no snow gear is needed.

CHAPTER 07Shops, hospitals, schools

Children’s medical costs are subsidised from birth to 18 (the equivalent of the third year of high school), with no income test. At night and at weekends there is the Ikoma Medical Center holiday and night emergency clinic (internal medicine and paediatrics) and a rota of 5 hospitals. There are 12 primary schools and 8 middle schools, and against Ikoma Primary School’s 800 children, Ikoma-kita Primary has 142.

Children’s medical costs are covered to age 18, with no income limit

Ikoma City’s children’s medical subsidy covers from birth to 18 (until the first 31 March on or after the eighteenth birthday), and there is no income test. What you pay yourself is, for primary school age and above, ¥500 a month per medical institution (per claim) for outpatient care (nothing at the dispensing pharmacy), and ¥1,000 a month per institution for inpatient care (¥500 a month for stays of under 14 days). From the eighth month of Reiwa 6, primary school age and above moved to payment in kind, so showing the certificate at the desk is now enough.

Source:Ikoma City, “Children’s medical subsidy scheme”(birth to 18 ／ no income test ／ contribution for primary school age and above: outpatient ¥500 a month per institution, nothing at the pharmacy, inpatient ¥1,000 a month ／ ¥500 a month for stays under 14 days ／ payment in kind from the eighth month of Reiwa 6) ／ Checked 2026-08-19

How to use emergency care

Internal medicine and paediatrics go to the emergency clinicBy the city’s guidance, emergency care in internal medicine and paediatrics is at the Ikoma Medical Center holiday and night emergency clinic (Higashi-Shimmachi 1-3, Sera-bee Ikoma ／ 0743-75-0111). It opens weekdays 22:00 to 06:00, Saturdays 16:00 to 06:00, and Sundays and public holidays 10:00 to 06:00 (reception closes at 05:30 ／ 29 December to 3 January is treated as Sunday and public holiday). The city asks that you always telephone before going.

Surgical cases, and hours outside the clinic’s, go to a rota of 5 hospitalsEmergency surgical care, and internal medicine outside the emergency clinic’s opening hours, are covered by a rota of 5 hospitals. You check which hospital is on duty that day on an automated telephone announcement (0743-74-5600), and the arrangement is that you must ring that hospital before going. Surgical hours are weekdays 20:00 to 09:00, Saturdays 13:00 to 09:00, and Sundays and public holidays 09:00 to 09:00.

Source:Ikoma City, “Holiday and night emergency care”(updated 21 October 2024; Ikoma Medical Center holiday and night emergency clinic = Higashi-Shimmachi 1-3, Sera-bee Ikoma, 0743-75-0111 ／ opening hours ／ surgical cases and internal medicine outside those hours are on a rota of 5 hospitals, automated announcement 0743-74-5600) ／ Checked 2026-08-19

Schools — 12 primary schools, and a fivefold difference in size

There are 12 municipal primary schools (5,909 children) and 8 middle schools (2,913 pupils) (as of 1 May Reiwa 8). The largest primary school is Ikoma Primary with 800 children, followed by Ikomadai Primary 729, Ichibu Primary 684, Asukano Primary 635 and Sakuragaoka Primary 608. The smallest, Ikoma-kita Primary, has 142, and Ikoma-minami Second Primary 187 — a difference of more than fivefold within one city. Among the middle schools, against Kami Middle 617, Ikoma Middle 511, Oze Middle 502 and Midorigaoka Middle 482, Ikoma-kita Middle has 75. “How many classmates do you want your child to have?” changes which district you live in. Before you view a property, check the catchment for that address on the city’s list.

Source:Ikoma City, “Numbers of children and pupils at Ikoma municipal primary and middle schools”ofReiwa 8 (2026), 5/1as of (PDF)(12 primary schools, 5,909 children ／ 8 middle schools, 2,913 pupils ／ Ikoma Primary 800, Ikomadai Primary 729, Ichibu Primary 684, Asukano Primary 635, Sakuragaoka Primary 608, Ikoma-kita Primary 142, Ikoma-minami Second Primary 187 ／ Kami Middle 617, Ikoma Middle 511, Oze Middle 502, Midorigaoka Middle 482, Ikoma-kita Middle 75) ／ catchments are from the same, “Catchment areas of Ikoma municipal primary and middle schools”/ Verified 2026-08-19

What are healthcare and schools like in Ikoma?

Children’s medical costs are subsidised from birth to 18 with no income test (primary school age and above pay ¥500 a month per institution for outpatient care, and so on). There are 12 primary schools and 8 middle schools, and the sizes differ — Ikoma Primary has 800 children against Ikoma-kita Primary’s 142.

CHAPTER 08What it costs you every year after you buy

For water and sewerage, the city’s rate table gives ¥11,572 including tax for 40 cubic metres over two months on a 13 mm connection (water ¥5,962 plus sewerage ¥5,610). For 20 cubic metres over one month it is ¥5,786. Sewerage charges were revised in the fourth month of Reiwa 8, and the unit rate for an ordinary household became ¥120 per cubic metre (before tax).

Usage	Water (13 mm)	Sewerage	Total (tax included)
20 m³ over 1 month	¥2,981	¥2,805	¥5,786
40 m³ over 2 months	¥5,962	¥5,610	¥11,572
30 m³ over 2 months	¥4,345	¥4,290	¥8,635

These are the relevant rows of the city’s published water and sewerage rate table (revised in the fourth month of Reiwa 8, ordinary use, consumption tax included), exactly as they stand. From the fourth month of Reiwa 7 the water charges follow the tariff structure of the Nara Prefecture Wide-Area Water Supply Enterprise Group.

Budget for the slopes, and for getting to the stationListings sit at elevations of 104 to 236 m (§2). Almost the whole of Ikoma is hill, so “◯ minutes on foot to the station” comes with a climb on top. Check on the viewing, on the ground, whether a bicycle is usable and how often the buses run. On the higher plots along the Keihanna and Ikoma lines in particular, having a car or not changes your cost of living.

With an older house, budget for the seismic workOf the 181 listings, 40 date from 1981 or earlier (§4). Ikoma City’s probability of intensity 6-lower or more within 30 years is 27.5% (§5). The city has a grant towards seismic retrofitting of existing houses and a grant towards demolition of existing houses. If you choose a pre-1981 house, the realistic thing is to allow for the survey and the works from the outset.

Source:Ikoma City, “Sewerage charges”(updated 20 January 2026; from the fourth month of Reiwa 8, ordinary discharge (other) ¥120 per m³ ／ water charges follow the tariff structure of the Nara Prefecture Wide-Area Water Supply Enterprise Group), and the water and sewerage rate table (from the fourth month of Reiwa 8, PDF) placed there ／ the seismic and demolition grants are from the same, “A grant towards part of the cost of seismic retrofitting work on an existing house”,the same, “A grant towards part of the cost of demolishing an existing house”/ Verified 2026-08-19

What do water and sewerage cost in Ikoma?

On the city’s rate table it is ¥11,572 including tax for 40 cubic metres over two months on a 13 mm connection, and ¥5,786 for 20 cubic metres over one month. Sewerage charges were revised in the fourth month of Reiwa 8, and the unit rate for an ordinary household became ¥120 per cubic metre.

CHAPTER 09What happens when you want to sell

In the published land prices (Reiwa 8), residential land in Ikoma City averages ¥97,500/m², up 1.2% on the year. Commercial land is ¥220,600/m² (+1.6%), industrial land ¥78,400/m² (+4.3%), and all uses together ¥114,500/m² (+1.4%). All four are rising.

Use	Average price	Year-on-year change
Residential	¥97,500/m²	+1.2%
Commercial land	¥220,600/m²	+1.6%
Industrial land	¥78,400/m²	+4.3%
All uses	¥114,500/m²	+1.4%

Cheaper than Nara City, and cheaper than TakarazukaThe residential average of ¥97,500/m² is about 0.9 times Nara City’s (¥106,000/m²) and about 0.6 times Takarazuka City’s (¥165,200/m²). For 100 tsubo (330 m²) of land that comes to about ¥32,200,000. The reason the listings have a median plot of 222 m² (about 67 tsubo) (§4) is this land price.

Land that is rising is land you can read the way out ofResidential land +1.2%, all uses +1.4%. What holds these prices up is the condition of no change of train to Hommachi (§3) and the backdrop of the Kansai Science City (§1). But the districts differ widely, with medians running from ¥23,800,000 (along the Ikoma Line) to ¥37,890,000 (along the Keihanna Line) (§2). The conditions that told when you bought will tell in just the same way when you sell.

Source:Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, official land price survey (Reiwa 8), average prices and year-on-year change by municipality (PDF) the Ikoma City row (compiled by the Land Information Center) ／ the Nara City and Takarazuka City land prices compared are the rows for those cities in the same PDF ／ the medians are the same aggregate of 181 SUUMO listings as in §2 ／ Checked 2026-08-19

Will the house I buy sell when I want to sell it?

In the published land prices (Reiwa 8) residential land is ¥97,500/m², up 1.2% on the year, and all uses too are up 1.4%. That is cheaper than Nara City (¥106,000/m²) and about 0.6 times Takarazuka City (¥165,200/m²).

CHAPTER 10Who lives here, and how many

115,508 people in 52,342 households (as of 1 July 2026). That is 2.21 people per household. There are 6,072 more women than men (54,718 men, 60,790 women). The city writes of how its population grew: “In Heisei 2 it became the prefecture’s third city of 100,000, and by the end of Heisei 22 it had passed 120,000.”

Population

115,508 people

2026-07-01as of

Households

52,342 households

1 households 2.21 people

Men and women

54,718／60,790

Men / women

City area

53.15km²

About 2,173 people per km²

A town that grew, then came back a littleThe city writes that “the population grew, thanks to the quality of the natural surroundings and the convenience of the transport”, and records passing 120,000 at the end of Heisei 22. Today it is 115,508 — a little back from that peak. Even so, a density of about 2,173 people per km² is among the higher figures of the places covered on this site. It is what lies behind the 12 primary and 8 middle schools (§7) and the 181 listings (§4).

What the city has laid on is people rather than grantsIkoma City has no empty house bank (§4). What it has instead is a platform with 46 businesses taking part, a home-choosing consultation where an architect comes with you, and a Zoom relocation consultation answered by city staff — relocation supported by people rather than by schemes. For anyone who puts weight on “is there a desk that will actually listen first?”, this is a town that suits (§14).

Source:Ikoma City "Population, Households"(as of 1 July 2026; 54,718 men ／ 60,790 women ／ 115,508 people in total ／ 52,342 households, updated in the first days of each month) ／ the account of the population and the area are from the same, “About Ikoma City”/ Verified 2026-08-19

Share of foreign residents

1.48%national average 3.26%

Of the 116,171 people living in Ikoma City, 1,719 are foreign residents. That is below the national average (3.26%).

Source: calculated by this site from the municipality-level tables of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, "Population, population change and households based on the Basic Resident Register" (as of 1 January Reiwa 8, published 2026-07-29). The ministry's publication page / verified 2026-08-17

What is happening to Ikoma's population?

115,508 people in 52,342 households (as of 1 July 2026), with the distinctive feature that there are 6,072 more women than men. The city writes that “in Heisei 2 it became the prefecture’s third city of 100,000, and by the end of Heisei 22 it had passed 120,000”.

CHAPTER 11Community life and the year's events

A year in Ikoma turns on the Ikoma Dondoko Festival in summer, the Ikoma Mantoe in September, and the fire festival at Ikoma Taisha in October. All of them are either within walking distance of Ikoma Station or complete within the city.

When	Event	Where
Summer	The Ikoma Dondoko Festival (the 25th in 2026). The centre of the city becomes the venue for a whole day — the car park east of the city hall, たけまるホール, ベルテラスいこま, the shopping streets — and it ends with 15 minutes of evening fireworks from 20:00	Around Ikoma Station
month 9	The Ikoma Mantoe. About 1,000 lanterns and 10,000 candles are set out at Hozanji, with the “Sando Festival” along the approach. Paper lanterns line the stations of the Ikoma Cable	Hozanji and along the Ikoma Cable
month 10	The grand festival of Ikoma Taisha, the “fire festival”. The “fire-taking rite”, held by tradition since the Muromachi period (designated a cultural property by Nara Prefecture), takes place on the day before Sports Day	Ikoma Taisha (Ichibu-cho)
All year	Ikomasanjo Amusement Park and the night view from the summit ／ Hozanji (Shoten-san) ／ the stone paving of Kuragari-toge, walked by Basho ／ Kurondo Pond in the north	Various places in the city

A town where the festivals are close byThe Dondoko Festival is around Ikoma Station, the Mantoe along the Ikoma Cable, the fire festival at Ikoma Taisha in Ichibu-cho — all of them complete within the city. The city is compact, 8 km east to west and 15 km north to south (§1), so whichever district you live in these are festivals you can get to. Which also means the area around Ikoma Station is crowded on festival days.

Each hill has its own residents’ associationIkoma’s residential districts are a collection of developed estates called “◯◯ga-oka” and “◯◯dai” (§2). The association fee and how heavy the duty roster is differ from hill to hill, so the sure way is to ask an officer of that district directly before you sign. For questions before you move, the city’s online relocation consultation desk lists “community activity (residents’ associations and the like)” among the topics it will take (§4).

Source:Ikoma City, “The 25th Ikoma Dondoko Festival”(updated 10 August 2026; venues and times, evening fireworks 20:00–20:15) ／ the Mantoe is from Ikoma City, Koho Ikomachi (PDF; the Mantoe at Hozanji = about 1,000 lanterns and 10,000 candles, the Sando Festival along the approach) ／ the fire festival is from Ikoma City Digital Museum, “The fire-taking rite of Ikoma Taisha”(designated a cultural property by Nara Prefecture, held since the Muromachi period, the grand festival on the day before Sports Day) ／ Kuragari-toge, Kurondo Pond and Ikomasanjo are from the same, “About Ikoma City”/ Verified 2026-08-19

What events does Ikoma have?

The year turns on the Ikoma Dondoko Festival in summer (15 minutes of evening fireworks from 20:00), the Ikoma Mantoe in September (about 1,000 lanterns and 10,000 candles at Hozanji), and the fire festival at Ikoma Taisha in October (the day before Sports Day; a fire-taking rite designated a cultural property by Nara Prefecture).

CHAPTER 12Things nearby that move land prices

Three things set Ikoma’s prices: ① a line that reaches Hommachi without a change ② the Kansai Science City ③ being on a hill. Residential land averages ¥97,500/m² (+1.2%) — within reach for somewhere an hour from Osaka, and still rising.

① “No change of train” is the price, in so many wordsBecause the Keihanna Line runs through onto the Chuo Line (§3), there is no change to make to reach Hommachi. Along that line, Shiraniwadai and Asukano have the city’s highest median at ¥37,890,000, with nothing under ¥10,000,000 (§2). Along the Ikoma Line, where you must change at Ikoma Station, the median is ¥23,800,000. One change of train comes out as a difference of ¥14,000,000.

② The science city holds up the northIn the north of the city are the Kansai Science City and Takayama Science Town, where research and exchange facilities have been built up around the Nara Institute of Science and Technology (§1). That is why the Keihanna Line stations carry “Gakken” in their names. Having somewhere to work within the city too creates demand that is not purely about commuting out.

③ Being on a hill cuts both waysListings sit at elevations of 104 to 236 m. A median plot of 222 m², 30 minutes from Osaka (§4) does not happen on flat ground. What comes with it is the slopes, and the landslide check (§5). The city’s own empty house support excludes properties in a special landslide hazard alert zone. Look at the slope and the hazard for that address before you look at the budget.

Sources: land prices are the same published land prices (Reiwa 8) as in §9 ／ the lines and the science city are from Ikoma City, “About Ikoma City” ／ fares and routes are the same as in §3, Kintetsu, official fare and charge search ／ elevations and medians are the same aggregate of 181 SUUMO listings as in §2 ／ Checked 2026-08-19

What this land earns from

Ikoma is a residential city that grew as commuter country for Osaka. The city itself writes of “a residential city of high convenience”. Two other strands run through it. One is Takayama chasen, the tea whisk — the city describes it as “a technique handed down since the Muromachi period” and “designated a traditional craft”, and says that the making of bamboo goods such as tea utensils and knitting needles is a thriving trade. The other is the Kansai Science City and Takayama Science Town, a concentration of research built around the Nara Institute of Science and Technology. Muromachi-period bamboo work and the most advanced research institutes, inside the same city — in the city’s own words, a town “with the appeal of rich nature, history and traditional industry, and the face of the cutting edge”.

Source:Ikoma City, “About Ikoma City”(Takayama chasen, traditional craft, bamboo goods ／ Takayama Science Town, the Nara Institute of Science and Technology ／ a residential city of high convenience) ／ Checked 2026-08-19

What decides land prices in Ikoma?

① a line that reaches Hommachi without a change, ② the Kansai Science City, and ③ being on a hill. The difference of one change of train comes out as the gap between ¥37,890,000 along the Keihanna Line and ¥23,800,000 along the Ikoma Line.

CHAPTER 13What this place makes

What a place earns its living from shows up both at your dinner table and in your work once you live there. The amount raised through the hometown tax scheme is a rough measure of how many products a place has that people all over Japan choose.

¥171,830,000

Hometown tax donations received in the Reiwa 7 financial year (11,042 gifts).
1052nd of the 1,788 municipalities in the country, and 8th within Nara Prefecture

What this town names as its own products

What Ikoma City calls “a speciality of Ikoma City” is Takayama chasen, the bamboo tea whisk.

Source:Ikoma City, “Sending out the appeal of Takayama chasen, a speciality of Ikoma City, by video”/ Verified 2026-08-20

You can support a town without living there

Even if a move is still some way off, you can be involved from today through the hometown tax scheme. Your donation goes straight to the municipality, and you choose what it is spent on. A way to give something back to a place you got to know here.

Support Ikoma City through hometown tax →

Source:Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, "Survey on the state of the hometown tax scheme (conducted FY Reiwa 8)", the table of amounts and numbers received (provisional FY Reiwa 7 settlement), tallied by this site. The rank is out of all 1,788 municipalities in that table / verified 2026-08-14

What does Ikoma earn its living from?

As the city writes, it is “a residential city of high convenience”: commuter country for Osaka is the foundation, and onto that are laid Takayama chasen (a technique from the Muromachi period, designated a traditional craft) and the Kansai Science City and Takayama Science Town (the Nara Institute of Science and Technology).

CHAPTER 14A message from Ikoma City

Ikoma City’s relocation support takes the form of people rather than of handing out money. Instead of an empty house bank there is a platform with 46 businesses taking part, a consultation where an architect comes with you to view a property, and a Zoom desk answered by city staff — a design leaning towards taking on “I don’t know who to ask”.

How the city introduces itself

The city puts it like this — “Ikoma City is 30 minutes by train from central Osaka. It is drawing attention for the breadth of choice in where to live, from quiet farming country to a convenient station front to a peaceful residential street. Why not begin a new life here in Ikoma?”

What is there for people moving in

Scheme	What it is
The Ikoma Empty House Circulation Platform	An arrangement under which a professional is assigned to the owner of an empty house to help them sell or let it. A cooperation agreement was signed with 8 property-related organisations on 28 May Heisei 30, and 46 businesses from 8 organisations across 7 trades now take part. Properties in a special landslide hazard alert zone are excluded
The home-choosing consultation	A scheme under which an architect comes with you to view a property and gives professional advice. Meant for people considering a second-hand house
The online relocation consultation desk, “Let’s live in Ikoma.”	Housing division staff answer over Zoom. About an hour within weekdays 09:00–17:00, by appointment, free. You can ask about housing, child-raising, schooling, work, shopping, transport, welfare and medical care, hazard maps, residents’ association activity and even places to play
The Ikoma City grant for converting an empty house	For work converting an empty house into a “community contribution facility”, half the cost of the conversion (up to ¥1,000,000). Applications close as soon as the budget is used up
Koibumi Fudosan	A project that carries the hopes of people who want to rent an empty house to the owner, and matches them up. In Reiwa 5 a pair of sisters who proposed a guest house in a house more than 80 years old were chosen, and have been open since the fourth month of Reiwa 7
Seismic retrofitting and demolition grants	A grant towards seismic retrofitting of an existing house and a grant towards demolishing an existing house. 40 of the listings date from 1981 or earlier (§4), so if you are considering a pre-1981 house, check these first
Grant for children’s medical costs	Birth to 18, with no income test (§7)

Source:Ikoma City, “Ikoma Empty House Circulation Platform”／the same, “For those looking for a home”(the city’s own words, the residential area leaflet, the home-choosing consultation) ／ the same, “Let’s live in Ikoma. Online relocation consultation desk”／the same, “Ikoma City grant for converting an empty house”(updated 1 May 2026; half the cost of the conversion, up to ¥1,000,000) ／ the same, “‘Koibumi Fudosan’, joining the hopes of those who want to let and those who want to rent”(2026-03-27updated) /the same, “A grant towards part of the cost of seismic retrofitting work on an existing house”,the same, “A grant towards part of the cost of demolishing an existing house”/ Verified 2026-08-19

Does Ikoma take in people moving here? Is there any help?

🔴 There is no empty house bank. What there is instead is a platform with 46 businesses taking part, a home-choosing consultation where an architect comes with you to view a property, and a Zoom relocation consultation desk. For converting an empty house into a community contribution facility, half the cost of the work, up to ¥1,000,000.

CHAPTER 15A year in Ikoma

Last, a plan of the year as it is lived. The figures are from the primary sources used on this page.

Month	Ikoma that month
1–month 2	The mean daily low is 0.8℃ and there are 31.4 nights below 0℃ a year. 0.0 days stay below freezing and total annual snowfall is 5 cm, so you need no snow-clearing kit. On plots up the hill, just watch for ice on the slopes in the morning
3–month 4	New green on the Ikoma mountains and the approach to Hozanji. The grant for converting an empty house closes as soon as the budget is used up, so it pays to ask early in the financial year
5–month 6	The rain picks up. This is a town of hills, so walk the ground once in the rain and you will see the slopes and the way the water runs
7–month 8	July is the wettest month at 173.5 mm, the daily high in August is 33.4℃ and there are 15.6 days of extreme heat a year. But tropical nights number 16.3, rather fewer than Tokyo. The Ikoma Dondoko Festival, and the evening fireworks from 20:00
9–month 10	September brings the Ikoma Mantoe (about 1,000 lanterns and 10,000 candles at Hozanji). October brings the fire festival at Ikoma Taisha — the day before Sports Day, a fire-taking rite held since the Muromachi period
11–month 12	The time of year when the night view from the top of Mount Ikoma is at its best. The population figures are updated in the first days of each month

Sources: the climate is as in §6, the festivals as in §11, the grant conditions as in §14, and the population update as in §10 — the same primary sources ／ Checked 2026-08-19

The information on this site is gathered by an AI that visits primary sources — municipalities, the Japan Meteorological Agency, national statistics — on a regular cycle, and it is updated with a source and a date of verification attached.

What is a year in Ikoma like?

In winter 0.0 days stay below freezing so there is no snow to clear, and while summer is hot with 15.6 days of extreme heat, tropical nights number 16.3. The year turns on the Dondoko Festival in summer, the Mantoe in September and the fire festival in October. The grants close as soon as the budget is used up, so it pays to ask early in the financial year.

CHAPTER 16The people who run this city

When you are thinking of moving, who is running this town, and where they are trying to take it is, I think, something a future resident wants to know even more than a current one. This chapter sets out, with its sources, only what Ikoma City publishes itself. 🔴 As of 2 September 2026, following the official site, I (an AI) was able to find 6 of the 6 below. The mayor of Ikoma City is Komurasaki Masashi (confirmed on Ikoma City’s introduction page).

What is published	Published	What you can read
About the mayor	WEB Mayor’s Office	Name, career, greeting
Policy address	Reiwa 8 policy statement	What they say they will do this year
List of council members	List of members by group	Who the members are, and their groupings
Council broadcasts and recordings	Live broadcast	Whether you can watch the council in session
Searchable minutes	Minutes search (full sessions and committees)	Whether you can search past debates by wording
Master plan	Comprehensive plan	How many years ahead this town has decided

The mayor of Ikoma CityKomurasaki Masashi.

🔴 The pages of Ikoma City Council sit apart from the city’s own site, at /gikai/. That is where the list of members by group, the live broadcast, the recorded broadcasts and the minutes search are published, and the links in the table above are those /gikai/ pages. 🔴 The mayor is Komurasaki Masashi. On the city’s “WEB Mayor’s Office” it reads: “I am Komurasaki Masashi, mayor of Ikoma City. … I have been entrusted with a third term of office.”Source:Ikoma City, “WEB Mayor’s Office” (the mayor’s greeting carries the name and “a third term”) ／ the council pages are the same site’s “Ikoma City Council” https://www.city.ikoma.lg.jp/gikai/ — the list of members by group, the live broadcast, the recorded broadcasts and the minutes search (all HTTP 200) ／ the reading of the name is from the Japanese Wikipedia article “小紫雅史” (Komurasaki Masashi; the date of birth, 25 March 1974, matches the city’s “Profile” page https://www.city.ikoma.lg.jp/0000003457.html)/ Verified 2026-09-02
🔴 Age and gender have not been guessed from the name.Only what is published is reproduced here, as published.Ikoma City introduction page →

How much of the council can you see?A list of members, live or recorded broadcasts of full sessions, and searchable minutes — where these three are published, you can read a town's debates for yourself before you ever move there.
🔴 The names, photographs and social media of individual council members are not carried on this site. We point you to where you can read them.
Once you have moved, when your own turn to decide comes round is something those three will tell you.

How many years ahead has been decidedIn Ikoma City,Comprehensive plan. A master plan usually sets outwhat the town has decided to do and by whenand ,where it intends to halt its population decline. 🔴 The period and the population target are not copied out on this site — plans get revised, and a misreading changes the meaning.Please check the official text from the link below.Comprehensive plan →

🔴 What I do not do in this chapter① I do not guess at gender or age from a name. Only what is published goes in. ② I write no judgement of good or bad. Only what is being put forward, and the source for it. ③ I do not compare election candidates.
🔴 And heads of local government change. This site always states the date it was checked (2 September 2026), and opens the original page again each time to confirm by machine that the name is still there. If you notice that something has nonetheless gone out of date, please let us know.

Source: allofficial site (Ikoma City) on 2 September 2026. What this site counted is only only whether something is published or not, and it makes no judgement of the content ／ Checked 2026-09-02

Who runs Ikoma City now?

The mayor of Ikoma City is Komurasaki Masashi (confirmed on Ikoma City’s introduction page on 2 September 2026). What this site looks at is the six items the head’s introduction, the policy statement, the list of council members, live and recorded broadcasts of the council, the minutes search, and the comprehensive plan. 🔴 No judgement of good or bad is made here. Only whether something is published or not.

CHAPTER 17Where to go on a day off

What never shows up in the numbers of a house search, yet tells directly on how content you are once you have moved, is the days off. This chapter counts, by the same measure across every area, the places you can go on a day off in Ikoma and the places family and friends can stay when they visit. This is a town with Kongo-Ikoma-Kisen Quasi-National Park. The area currently has 3 hot spring and day bath facilities and 2 amusement parks, zoos or aquariums. 🔴 All the counts are the numbers registered in the map data (OpenStreetMap) — in reality there may well be more.

What	Number counted, and names
⛰ National and quasi-national parks	Kongo-Ikoma-Kisen Quasi-National Park
♨ Hot springs and day baths	Otonohana Onsen and 3 in all
🏯 Castles and castle sites	Not found in the map data
🎡 Amusement parks, zoos and aquariums	Ikomasanjo Amusement Park and Card Meiro Gururimori Daiboken (2 places)
🖼 Museums, galleries and memorial halls	the Ikoma Furusato Museum
⛩ Shrines and temples	9 shrines and 33 temples. Those with a Wikipedia article are Chokyuji, Ikoma Taisha, Chofukuji, Chikurinji, Takayama Hachimangu, Hodoji and Hozanji
🚗 Roadside stations	Not found in the map data
🐕 Dog runs	Not found in the map data
🛣 Expressway service and parking areas	No expressway service or parking area was found in this area

Somewhere to stay — for family and friends, and for your own travels

What	Number counted
🏨 Hotels and ryokan	Not found in the map data
🏠 Guesthouses and hostels	13
⛺ Campsites and auto-campsites	Not found in the map data
🏕 Glamping	Not found among the campsite or hotel names
🚐 RV parks (overnight in your vehicle)	Not found in the map data

This table is the result of me (an AI) putting the same question to the map data for every area (areas are retrieved in batches, so the verification date on some pages is a day apart). Facilities not registered on the map are not counted. "Not found" does not mean "there are none" — nor that the town is any the lesser for it.

Sources: the counts and names of facilities fromOpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL) / RV parks fromJapan RV Association, list of certified "Kuruma-tabi" RV parks / roadside stations fromMinistry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, list of "michi-no-eki" roadside stations / national parks judged from the boundary data of the Ministry of the Environment Biodiversity Center overlaid on National Land Numerical Information (administrative boundaries); for quasi-national parks the municipalities concerned were confirmed at the link behind the park name / verified 2026-08-20

What I (an AI) was able to find on this town's official site

This site reads the official websites of every area it covers against the same 30 items, out of 100, and measures how quickly someone thinking of moving can reach the information they need. We measured the official site of Ikoma City, and the total was 58 (measured 20 August 2026).

"Not found" does not mean "there is none." It means I followed the official site and could not find it. Tell us the published page and the next measurement will reflect it.

Area	Score	What was found
Getting started with a move	10 / 20	There is a relocation and settlement page; a contact point (department, telephone, opening hours); support schemes state amounts and conditions
Housing	0 / 15	Not found
The money side of living here	10 / 15	Water and sewerage charges are readable from a rate table; child-raising support is specific about amounts and scope; there are explanations of national health insurance tax and fixed asset tax
Disaster information	18 / 20	Hazard maps are published by district; flood, landslide and earthquake are all covered; the year the assumptions were last reviewed is stated; and 2 more
Industry and local produce	8 / 10	A list of local speciality products is on the official site; hometown tax results are published year by year; there are support schemes for businesses and industry
Transport	9 / 10	There is a community bus timetable; fares are stated; the date of the last revision is given
Can an AI read it?	3 / 10	Every page carries an updated date; statistics are published as Excel or CSV; open data is published

See all 30 items and the pages used to judge them

3 / 3　There is a relocation and settlement page
Let’s live in Ikoma. Online relocation consultation desk　Go and see → 0 / 3　There is a dedicated relocation site
Only pages within the official site 2 / 3　A contact point (department, telephone, opening hours)
2 of the department, phone number and opening hours were given　Go and see → 5 / 5　Support schemes state amounts and conditions
Both amounts and conditions　Go and see → 0 / 3　There is trial housing or a trial-stay scheme
Not found 0 / 3　Vacancies in trial housing are published
Not found 0 / 4　There is an akiya bank
Not found 0 / 4　Listings carry photographs, price, year built and floor area
There is no property data this site can take in 0 / 4　Completed deals are organised
As above 0 / 3　The conditions of use are stated
Not found 4 / 5　Water and sewerage charges are readable from a rate table
The charges are given as figures in the text　Go and see → 5 / 5　Child-raising support is specific about amounts and scope
The scope of free and subsidised care is stated down to the age　Go and see → 1 / 3　There are explanations of national health insurance tax and fixed asset tax
There is a tax page　Go and see → 0 / 2　Tie-ups with banks for mortgages and the like
Not found 5 / 5　Hazard maps are published by district
166 documents by district　Go and see → 5 / 5　Flood, landslide and earthquake are all covered
Flood / landslide / earthquake　Go and see → 3 / 3　The year the assumptions were last reviewed is stated
adopted in the third month of Heisei 27　Go and see → 2 / 4　Is it machine-readable (a map system or a text PDF)?
It appears to be a scanned-image PDF　Go and see → 3 / 3　Disasters are announced through more than one channel
Disaster email / social media / disaster radio / TV and radio　Go and see → 5 / 5　A list of local speciality products is on the official site
1 item (the city's official site)　Go and see → 1 / 3　Hometown tax results are published year by year
Not found　Go and see → 2 / 2　There are support schemes for businesses and industry
Industry promotion　Go and see → 4 / 4　There is a community bus timetable
　Go and see → 2 / 3　Fares are stated
There is material on fares, but the amounts could not be read from the text of the page　Go and see → 3 / 3　The date of the last revision is given
Municipal cycle parking charges revised from the fourth month of Reiwa 8　Go and see → 1 / 3　Every page carries an updated date
2 of the 20 pages read　Go and see → 0 / 2　There is a sitemap.xml
Not found 0 / 2　Site search runs on the server side
It was a Google custom search　Go and see → 1 / 2　Statistics are published as Excel or CSV
There is a statistics page　Go and see → 1 / 1　Open data is published
　Go and see →

Compare with other towns → 　For municipalities and local organisations (get in touch here) →

Measurement by this site. The URL of each official site was taken from the municipal information published by Furusato Choice. The score is a score for publishing information, not a score for how good the place is to live / verified 2026-08-20

Are there places to go on a day off, and places to stay?

This is a town with Kongo-Ikoma-Kisen Quasi-National Park. Counting from the map data (OpenStreetMap) and the lists kept by the RV association and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, we found 3 hot spring and day bath facilities and 2 amusement parks, zoos or aquariums. Facilities that are not on the map are not counted, so in reality there may well be more (see §17 for details).

Compare with other areas

Every page has the same 17 chapters in the same order. Move between them and you can compare the same line.

Areas in Kinki

Takarazuka (revue and hot springs, 28 min to Osaka)Takarazuka City, Hyogolistings507 listings / ¥1,990,000–Kameoka (the Kyoto basin)Kameoka City, Kyotolistings85 listings / ¥1,800,000–NaraNara Nara Citylistings442 listings / ¥1,800,000–Himeji (the World Heritage Himeji Castle; 28 minutes to Shin-Osaka by shinkansen)Hyogo Prefecture, Himeji Citylistings618 listings / ¥1,800,000–

Places you could look at for a similar price

Gifu (26 min to Nagoya, Mt. Kinka and the Nagara River)Gifu City, Gifulistings339 listings / ¥1,980,000–Utsunomiya (53 min from Tokyo by shinkansen, a town with a brand-new LRT line)Utsunomiya City, Tochigilistings618 listings / ¥1,980,000–Takarazuka (revue and hot springs, 28 min to Osaka)Takarazuka City, Hyogolistings507 listings / ¥1,990,000–Akita (the Kanto festival and the port, on the Sea of Japan side of Tohoku)Akita City, Akitalistings259 listings / ¥2,000,000–

Compare areas by budget and region →

Is there a mistake on this page?

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Anything you report is checked by me (an AI) against the primary source before it is corrected. When it is corrected, the "Last verified" date on this page changes.

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