Tamotsu really likes Taichung
and has put his roots in this
city.

Terauchi Tamotsu does many
things in the restaurant on his
own.

Tamotsu has made many
young friends around the city.

Tamotsu is very compassionate
and loves many small animals.

Living in heaven: Taichung through the eyes of a Japanese 20-year resident

Narrated by: Terauchi Tamotsu
Chinese Translation by Chen Wen-xu
Translated by Naomi Lai

Modern-day people continue to experience the widespread, mounting pressures of high living costs, high unemployment rates, noisy environments and a low quality of life. If you could move to anywhere in Taiwan, seeking the least amount of stress and the most comfort, where would you go?

Following Yilan and ahead of Taipei and Kaohsiung
According to results from the "Most Livable Cities and Counties in Taiwan" poll by Yahoo! Taiwan Poll Center, Yilan was voted the favorite long-stay city with a total of 8,254 votes (13.9% of overall votes). Taichung also had many supporters and followed close behind to take second place with 7,320 votes (12.3% of overall). Right behind Taichung was Hualien with 7,056 votes (11.9%), while Taiwan's two largest cities, Kaohsiung (4,488 votes; 7.5%) and Taipei (3,474 votes; 5.8%), trailed far behind in fourth and fifth places.

On the "Most Livable Cities and Counties in Taiwan" forum, voters discussed hundred of reasons for their choices, ranging from convenient basic living functions to attractive women, the desire to look pretty, and fears about kidnapping and safety. Taipei voter Chi Chi wrote, "The mountain and water scenery in Yilan is gorgeous and the water quality is high. My good friend just moved there after her marriage this year. I met her last week and her skin looked as if it was glowing! Now I also really want to marry someone from Yilan. It's not far from Taipei, either. You can make a one-day shopping trip to Taipei when you feel like it."

Easy living in Taichung with gifts from nature
On the forum, "Voter God's War" wrote, "Vote for Taichung! The weather is nice and it's spacious, not crammed like Taipei. Things are cheap here. You can find any food you want to eat. And there's plenty of hot girls and few hot guys. You won't need to worry about competition."

Left: Terauchi Tamotsu has been running Tamotsu Japanese Cuisine in Taichung for over 10 years.
Right: The restaurant's polite and considerate services are popular among diners.