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These are the world’s most ‘anxiety-inducing’ cities, apparently

A new study has analysed 31 indicators to decipher where in the world stresses us out the most

Liv Kelly
Written by
Liv Kelly
Contributing Writer
Shibuya Scramble Crossing, Tokyo
Photograph: Shutterstock
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Getting away to kick back and relax is often the main reason behind a holiday, but some destinations can leave you feeling more stressed than before you even arrived. 

Why? Well, the main reasons are overcrowding, confusing public transport, and places feeling ‘busy’ and ‘overwhelming’, according to people surveyed about their experience in a new study by Radical Storage

The luggage storage platform evaluated 97,409 reviews of tourist attractions in the world’s 100 most visited cities across 31 different indicators of anxiety. What’s the most stressful city, you ask? Well, apparently it’s (drum roll, please) Tokyo!

25.2 percent of reviews about the Japanese capital mentioned words and phrases related to anxiety, and 60 percent of these were related to crowds – but that’s hardly surprising given its the most populated city in the world. Imagine the Shibuya Crossing without people!

In second place it was Osaka, and in third place it was Kyoto, meaning Japan is home to the three most stressful cities on earth. Six of the top 10 places are claimed by destinations in Asia (thanks to the inclusion of Shanghai, Beijing and Phuket). 

These are the world’s 10 most ‘anxiety-inducing’ cities, apparently 

  1. Tokyo
  2. Osaka
  3. Kyoto
  4. London
  5. Shanghai
  6. Beijing
  7. Phuket
  8. New York
  9. Prague
  10. Paris

Take a deep breath and take a look at the world’s most relaxing places to get away

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