In this study, we assessed differences in lifestyles among local residents who did not have experience living in other prefectures (category A), those who had lived in other prefectures (category B), and “migrants” (residents who were living in another prefecture at the end of junior high school, category C). The location was Tsuru City, a non-metropolitan zone around Tokyo. We focused on “the migrant's acceptance of the local lifestyles.” Herein, we compare lifestyles of the three categories quantitatively from the following points: consumption of local dishes, shopping places, interaction between friends and relatives, and participation in social groups, such as jichikai or rotating credit associations. Even taking the lapse of time into consideration, we found differences in lifestyles between at least two categories of residents (between categories A and C and between categories B and C) for the following elements: consumption of local dishes, shopping in and around the Kofu area, interaction with friends living in Tsuru, Yamanashi Prefecture, or other prefectures; interaction with relatives who live in Tsuru, Yamanashi Prefecture, and other prefectures; and participation in rotating credit associations. Findings of the study indicated that acceptance of local lifestyles by migrants was not always quick. Additionally, category B had an “intermediate” character between categories A and C, especially in the pattern of interaction with friends.
