“We’re Just Living Normally” — Ashiya’s Affluent Residents Discuss Money and Lifestyle

Ashiya City in Hyogo Prefecture overlooks the Rokko mountain range to the north and Osaka Bay to the south. Located less than 15 minutes by train from the centers of Osaka and Kobe, this city is widely known as one of Japan’s premier celebrity towns, home to major entertainers and professional baseball players, with Rokurokuso Town—where the heads of famous companies reside—at its pinnacle.

At the same time, the lifestyles of the billionaire residents remain shrouded in secrecy.

This time, “FRIDAY” invited three Ashiya celebrities to a roundtable discussion: Eri, who runs a cosmetics company; Yumiko, a former reader model; and Yasuko, who is reputed among those around her as a madam on a completely different level.

With nonfiction writer Kei Kato—author of “The Truth About Ashiya That Nobody Knows: What Kind of People Live in Japan’s Finest Residential District” (Kodansha)—serving as interviewer, they gave a lesson on how super-rich people really spend money.

[Click here for Part 1] “We’ll teach you how real money is spent (laughs)” — Roundtable discussion with Ashiya madams from one of Japan’s premier celebrity towns

 

Criticism of fake celebrities

— Even in such a celebrity town, more people from overseas and other prefectures have been moving in recently. Among the Hanshin area of Hyogo Prefecture, which is known for its many upscale residential neighborhoods like Kobe and Nishinomiya, Ashiya is regarded as one of the most elite. What makes it different from other areas?

Eri: There are a lot of people who naturally wear colorful clothes like pink, red, and blue. In other towns they might stand out, but in Ashiya they don’t look out of place. Everyone wears them so naturally. Also, there’s no one here who goes to a convenience store in sweatpants.

Yumiko: People who come to Ashiya from elsewhere are often surprised by how many foreign cars there are.

Eri: Recently there are even young couples in their 20s driving Ferraris and Rolls-Royces.

— Even among Japanese cars, there seems to be a lot of high-grade vehicles like Lexus.

Yasuko: It’s true that many people drive luxury cars like Ferraris and Mercedes-Benzes, but they never flaunt them to others.

Yumiko: Some people have several Ferraris in their garage, but drive Japanese cars on formal occasions. They understand those subtle aspects of human behavior.

Eri: Because of my work, I use social media a lot, but I don’t go out of my way to post what I bought. The same goes for dining—people who say things like it has to be expensive wine aren’t true celebrities.

Yasuko: If it tastes good, we’ll drink wine that costs just a few thousand yen, and we go to ordinary izakaya too. We’re not particular about price. However, there are people who open restaurants in Ashiya with the mindset that expensive means good, and they’re seen through immediately. Everyone here has eaten plenty of good food over the years.

Eri: I’ve also heard that among the newer residents, there are cliques.

Yasuko: I don’t really pay attention to that. People say all sorts of things about bad manners and such, but I never felt unpleasant about it. Rather, it felt more like, “Wow, there’s a world like this,” and I found it entertaining.

Eri: Still, people who’ve lived in Ashiya for a long time don’t live in a way that causes trouble.

Yumiko: When I see people posting their lifestyles on social media, I wonder, “Who are they fighting against?” (laughs)

Eri: We’re just living our lives normally.

Though they live glamorous lives, they never boast about it. The real celebrities continue spending their extraordinary days quietly, away from public notice.

From the April 17/24, 2026 issue of “FRIDAY”