Current Situation of Urbanization in Japan

June 4, 2013

Masateru HINO（ Tohoku Univ.)

1.　 Basic information on Urbanization of Japan

1) Population： 128 million people (2010)

2) Area: 3780,000 square kilometers

3) Percentage of population of densely inhabited district（ DID)： 67% in 2010 Percentage of population of cities: 91% in 2010

4) Population growth of national population during from 2000 to 2010: 0.9%

5) Population growth of DID’s population: 4.0%

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 190

1,000,000

2,000,000

3,000,000

4,000,000

5,000,000

6,000,000

7,000,000

8,000,000

9,000,000Tokyo

Yokohama

OsakaNagoya

Sapporo

Figure 2 Rank-size distribution of major cities　　　　　　 in 2005

( Source: Japanese Population Census of 2005)

2.1　 Background of current situation of Japanese 　　

　　　 urbanization： Demographic changes

( Source: Office for policies on cohesive society, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan)

1950 ‘60 ‘70 ‘80 ‘90 2000 ‘10 ‘20 ‘30 ‘40 ‘50 ‘60

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

0

(Million) (%)50

40

30

20

10

~ 19 20 ~ 64 65 ~

Actual population Estimated population

Ratio of population by 65 years old or more

Figure 3 Change of population and age composition in Japan

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 20101.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

Figure 4　 Changes in total fertility rate of Japan( Source: “Vital Statistics” Statistics and Information Department, Minister's Secretariat, MHLW )

2.2　Multinationalization of Japanese firms : Excess of investment overseas

2001 2005 201020

25

30

35(%)

Figure 5 Transition in foreign productionratio of Japanese manufactures

(Source: Japan Bank for International Cooperation,Research report, 2012)

3. From expansion to compactness: The case of Tokyo Metropolitan Areas

Shinjyuku, 2009( Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/)

Marunouchi( Source: http://image.search.yahoo.co.jp/)

１）　 Stopping the expansion of commuting　 area　 of Tokyo　　　 central area :　 Area with 10 or more percent　 of　　　　 commuter ratio is limited to the sphere of a radius of 60 km.

1985 2005

Percentage of commuter for Tokyo 23 wards(Source: Japanese Population Census)

東京圏における老年人口比率（2005年）

2) Spatial pattern of aging in Tokyo Metropolitan Area: Rapid proceeding in the suburb residential area

Percentage of people by 65 years old or more

1990 2005

(Source: Japanese Population Census)

Housing in Suburb Housing in Inner Area3) Housing Types

40

30

20

10

0

-10

（％）

0～10ｋｍ 10～30ｋｍ 30～50ｋｍ第6図　 東京50ｋｍ圏における距離帯別人口増加率

（出所：江崎（2006））Population growth rate by distance belt in the sphere of radius of 50 km from Tokyo

(source: Ezaki(2006))

4) Rehabitation in the inner area

4

3

2

1

01990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

(万戸） （％）

第9図　 都心部における分譲マンションによる　 　 　 　 　 住宅供給戸数の推移

（出所：江崎（2006）による。）

5) Rapid growth of supplying of houses by condominium in the inner area

Number of houses supplied

(10,000)

Share of the inner area

Transition of number of houses newly supplied by condominium in Tokyo Metropolitan Area

( Source: Ezaki(2006))

Sendai

4. Forwarding to a compact city: The case of Sendai City, the regional central city of Tohoku Region

1) Landscape of CBD of Sendai City

2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035800

900

1,000

1, 100

1,200

1, 300

1,400

1, 500

1,600(千人）

仙台都市圏

仙台都市圏の将来人口（出所：仙台市）

仙台市

Sendai Metropolitan Area

Sendai City

((Thousand)

Anticipated population change in Sendai

2) Trend of future population in Sendai

人口増減率

5%<=,<10%2.5%<=,<5%

10%<=

0%<=,<2.5%-2.5%<=,<0%

<-5%-5%<=,<-2.5%

第10図　 仙台市の人口増減の空間パターン(1995-2005年）

0 5 10

仙台駅都心商業地

km

3) Population changes by small areal unit in Sendai from 1995 to 2005

Population growth

StationCommercial Center

Spatial pattern of population change by 1 km mesh in Sendai

( Source: Japanese Population Census)

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

160,000

180,000

200,000

1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 2006

Sapporo

Sendai

Hiroshima

Fukuoka

( Person)

4) Shrinking in agglomeration of branch offices in regional central cities

Changes in employees working at branch offices in four regional central cities (Source: Japanese Eetablishment Census)

5) Office buildings looking for tenants in Sendai’ CBD

199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820090

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

Sapporo

Sendai

Hiroshima

Fukuoka

（ %）

6) Increase of vacant rooms at office buildings in CBD of four regional central cities

Changes in vacancy factor of office buildings in four regional central cities

( Source: CB Richard Ellis : Japan Office Market View)

Intensive land use plan based on rail-way centered transportation network

( Source: Sendai Municipality, 2008)

7) Spatial strategy in the master plan of Sendai City

Types of linkages between citiesTypes of linkages between cities(source :Hino(2009))

5. Urban network for the sustainable vitality

Tohoku University Campus

Katahira Campus

Faculty of Science （ Aobayama Campus)

Kawauchi Campus

Botanic Garden