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2021 | Book

Introduction—The Trajectory of the Mountainous Area Research and the Book’s Perspective Read chapter Read first chapter

Depopulation, Aging, and Living Environments

Learning from Social Capital and Mountainous Areas in Japan

Author: Dr. Kenji Tsutsumi

Publisher: Springer Singapore

Book Series : Advances in Geographical and Environmental Sciences

Part of: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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About this book

This book provides perspectives on depopulated areas and regional social capital from positivistic field surveys. Among the developed countries of the world, Japan has a very small amount of national land, with almost 70% of it being in mountainous locations. Concentration of populations and economic capital into large metropolitan areas along with many depopulated and population-aged regions in the mountainous parts can be seen in the country. A very clear regional disparity has arisen in Japan, especially since the era of its high economic growth.
This book also offers critical suggestions for the shrinking societies of the developed world in the era of Society 5.0, the fifth stage of society where economic development is achieved and social issues are resolved by the fusion of cyber and physical space. To begin, the book refers to an outline of depopulation and depopulated areas in Japan. Then, it deals with issues of depopulation, out-migration from a mountainous village, revitalization of local industries, and maintenance of daily living functions in these areas.
This book is suitable for students and scholars of the social sciences, regional planners, staffs of government offices, members of NPOs, general citizens, and the many other people who are interested in sustainability of a region and a community in a shrinking social environment.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter
Chapter 1. Introduction—The Trajectory of the Mountainous Area Research and the Book’s Perspective
Abstract
This chapter is an introduction of the book. At first it overviews a situation of depopulation and its problems. Secondly it refers to several researches of mountainous areas in Japan. At last it shows the perspective and some of the contents of this book.
Kenji Tsutsumi

The Overview of the Depopulation Problem and the Reality of Population Outflow

Frontmatter
Chapter 2. Depopulation as a Regional Problem and Reality of Depopulation
Abstract
This chapter is a tutorial text of the several problems and definition of depopulation. Here depopulation is considered as one of the social changes. To show the real condition of depopulation in Japan, the chapter outlines a history of depopulation and its problems in the country. It makes mention of types of depopulation in the domestic relations and regional differentiation.
Kenji Tsutsumi
Chapter 3. Analysis of Population Migration from the Depopulated Mountain Village—A Case of Kamitsue Village in Oita Prefecture
Abstract
This chapter evaluates an important example of out-migration and depopulation, in the case of a mountain village, Kamitsue Village in Japan. The village locates in mountainous environment and has suffered from severe depopulation since the 1960s. Here the author analyzed individual attributes of out-migrants, the flows, and their surroundings. He has discovered influences of life cycle and family cycle to the migration patterns there, and has recognized a differentiation of mobility patterns among family members. In addition, he has found a tight structure of remoteness consisted of physical, economic and social remoteness from capitals and central places.
Kenji Tsutsumi

The Reality of the Living Environment in Depopulated Mountainous Areas and IT Support for Regional Living Functions

Frontmatter
Chapter 4. Regional Living Functions in Depopulated Settlements in Shimane Prefecture
Abstract
This chapter shifts attention to life structure, living environment and living functions in depopulated areas. At first it marks critical concepts of Grunddaseinsfunktionen (fundamental functions for living) and of social geographical spatial system invented by the Munich School of German Social Geography. Based on such concepts, the author has researched at one of the most depopulated prefectures in Japan, Shimane Prefecture. The result of the research shows that there were few successors in agriculture and private practice, and that people experienced more serious condition in accessibility to shops, schools and hospitals, which become very essential and radical issues in their daily life.
Kenji Tsutsumi
Chapter 5. Regional Living Functions and IT Support
Abstract
This chapter suggests some significant relations between living functions and IT (Information Technology) in depopulated areas. In some cases, IT can be used to support living conditions in depopulated areas. It can cover a loss or decay of living functions and social ties in several point of indoors, purchase, education, tourism, healthcare, emergency, telecommunication, transportation, working and so on. Regional development and diffusion of IT would make digital divide among areas smaller, and IT systems should supplement human behaviors.
Kenji Tsutsumi

Social Capital, Living Environment, and Regional Living Functions of Communities

Frontmatter
Chapter 6. Social Capital and Living Environment of Rural Villages
Abstract
In this chapter the author examines definitions of “social capital” and traces a history of researches on social capital. There is a long history of rural sociology in Japan, and through it “social ties” have been in the meaningful position. In the age of depopulation, regional social capital and social ties are indispensable to maintain living functions in a settlement and in an area. Modernization has brought partly urbanization, but partly depopulation, so social capital in depopulated areas becomes more and more significant year by year. In the chapter the author analyzes 133 cases of movements for settlement maintenance against depopulation.
Kenji Tsutsumi
Chapter 7. Reformation of a Settlement Forced to Move for the Construction of a Dam—The Case of Tsukinoya, a Settlement in Kisuki Town, Un’nan City, Shimane Prefecture
Abstract
In many cases of submerged and relocated settlement by dam construction, revitalization of the community used to fail and further depopulation used to develop. This chapter shows a rare case of regional revitalization of a mountainous settlement which was forced to relocate because of construction of a dam. That is, after the relocation caused by dam construction, the settlement Tsukinoya was renewed and revitalized by some key figure persons (agents) in their local community. They established two vital organizations; a NPO for sustain daily living functions and an agricultural cooperative corporation for production of rice, vegetables and processed products. It is very small settlement with about 40 households, but owing to the two organizations their local life and agriculture have been sustained and it led to very smaller depopulation after the relocation. Their regional social ties and social capital are very strong, and they are strengthened by daily face-to-face activities including traditional event of kagura.
Kenji Tsutsumi
Chapter 8. Formation of a Community by Hometown Organizations that Promote Interactions among Residents in Urban and Rural Areas—Activities by Furusato Chikara, a NPO Created by Residents in the Kinki Region and the Case of the Miyoshi Region in Tokushima Prefecture
Abstract
This chapter treats some type of rural–urban relations. A newly developed rural residential settlement Yururi locates in a rural depopulated area in Tokushima Prefecture. Residents there are from urban areas. The settlement was planned and constructed by a NPO which has a character of hometown organization whose core members are from Tokushima Prefecture but now live in Osaka Metropolitan Area. The residents, of new comers, in Yururi have established their new community within the settlement, and in addition, they gradually have established a newer relation with local native people. We can see there in this case both types of social capital, bonding and bridging.
Kenji Tsutsumi
Chapter 9. Social Movements and Social Capital in Senri New Town
Abstract
This chapter offers a case of not rural but urban one; Senri New Town (SNT). SNT is the first big new town in Japan. It locates in the northern part of Osaka Prefecture and was constructed and opened in 1962. The originally planned population there was 150,000 but in vain, and the area has experienced rapid aging of population. They said that the new town has become “Senri Old Town.” Because of financial difficulties, public sectors related to SNT have sold their real estates to private sectors or developers, which has promoted redevelopment of the area. Then original urban mosaic structure there has been partly broken and sometimes there occurred social conflicts between original residents and new comers or new developers. Within this situation of aging of population, deterioration of facilities, and conflict among residents, a new private organization, the Senri Civic Forum was established to revitalize the area and to construct new organization among the residents and the stakeholders there. It forms a new type of regional social capital in an aged urban society.
Kenji Tsutsumi
Chapter 10. Peripheral Regions in the Era of Regional Crisis, Society 5.0, the Postpandemic and the Posturban—A Concluding and Additional Chapter for the English Edition
Abstract
This last chapter is a concluding and additional one for the English edition of this book. It treats depopulated areas as peripheralized spaces. On the stage of strong development of capitalism, some depopulated areas would be left alone and may decay further. It means that some or many of the depopulated areas would face to their regional crisis. In the era of knowledge economy, Society 5.0, and posturban, depopulated areas should strongly try to survive, and would maintain their residents’ lives and local industries. Here the author offers some unique ideas; balanced combination, dual diversity and trinovation. The ideas with regional social capital would be reliable tools for the survival of depopulated areas with regional social capital.
Kenji Tsutsumi
Backmatter
Metadata
Title
Depopulation, Aging, and Living Environments
Author
Dr. Kenji Tsutsumi
Copyright Year
2021
Publisher
Springer Singapore
Electronic ISBN
978-981-15-9042-9
Print ISBN
978-981-15-9041-2
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-9042-9