Continuity of Population Recovery in the Central City Area of Japanese Local Cities

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Takashi Nakamura  

Recently, in the local cities of Japan, the decline in central areas due to the suburbanization of various functions associated with the progress of motorization is posing a great challenge. Amidst this, population recovery to central areas will be a key factor in the revitalization of local cities. This study targets thirty-five cities with populations ranging from over 100,000 to less than 400,000 that do not fall in the three major metropolitan areas (Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka) and confirms the actual conditions of population recovery in central areas during the period from 2000 to 2015. The study especially analyzed the location and the vacancy of the condominiums that constituted the main place of residence for the town residents. As a result the following points were demonstrated. During the period from 2000 to 2015, in six cities, the population in the central area was increasing, while in five cities, the population in the central area increased from 2000 to 2010 but from 2010 the population decreased. From the perspective of the continuity of population recovery in the central areas, there are significant aspects that rely on the location and vacancy of the condominium.