A private Japanese think tank has ranked Tokyo third in its annual assessment of major cities around the world.
The Institute for Urban Strategies has placed the Japanese capital in the same spot since 2016. But fourth-ranked Paris has narrowed the gap this year.
The Global Power City Index evaluates more than 40 cities across six categories.
London and New York retained the first and second spots, followed by Tokyo, Paris and Singapore.
By category, Tokyo slipped from third to fourth in economy, surpassed by Beijing. The report cited challenges for the city to attract top talent from overseas.
The Japanese capital was also downgraded for R&D infrastructure and transportation. But it received an upgrade for environment.
Two other Japanese cites were included in the rankings. Osaka came in at 29th and Fukuoka was 42nd.
The report says Paris' position strengthened as tourism rebounded following the terrorist attacks of 2015.
One of the researchers says Japan's government should do more, such as lowering the corporate tax. He says Tokyo could be overtaken by Paris next year if effective steps are not taken.
