Socio-geographic Research of Depopulated Areas from the Viewpoint of Life Behaviors and Life Cycle

本研究考察了20世纪60年代以来日本农村人口减少过程中出现的问题。随着日本经济的快速增长，我们看到年轻一代的流动，有时整个家庭从山区和偏远岛屿的村庄迁移到大都市地区寻求更高的收入。人口的减少给维持农业、林业和渔业的经济活力造成困难。此外，由于农村人口减少，教育、医疗保健和防火设施等社区服务已无法维持。近年来，尽管与20世纪60年代和70年代上半叶相比，人口减少的幅度没有那么明显，但在人口减少的地区出现了以下几个新问题。人口稀少地区老年人比率的迅速增长尤其引人注目。最近，有一些老年人希望回到他们的家乡度过他们的退休生活。这种趋势加速了老年人口的增长。对九州长崎县一个偏远岛屿的进一步研究表明，岛上人口的减少和老龄化已经影响了捕鱼方法。随着农村青年的大量离开，在一些村庄人们已经注意到，传统节日的时间和内容被打乱了。在岛根县一个人口稀少的山区进行的研究表明，公共巴士服务已经无法生存，市政当局为了居民的福利自行运营巴士服务。

This research has investigated the problems arising in Japanese rural areas through depopulation since 1960s. With the rapid economic growth in Japan, we saw the flow of younger generation and sometimes whole families migrate from villages in mountainous regions and on remote islands to the metropolitan areas seeking higher incomes. The decrease in population caused difficulties in maintaining the economic viability of agriculture, forestry and fishery. Moreover, community services, such as education, medical care and fire prevention facilities have become unviable due to the rural depopulation. In recent years, despite the less remarkable decrease in population compared to that in 1960s and the first half of 1970s, several new problems have arisen in depopulated areas as follows.1. The rapid growth of the rate of aged persons in depopulated areas is especially noticeable.2. Recently there are some aged people who wish to return to their home villages to spend their retirement there. This tendency has been accelerating the growth of the aged population.3. Further research on a remote island in Nagasaki Prefecture, Kyushu, has shown that the decrease in, and aging of population on the island have influenced fishing method.4. With the exodus of rural youth, it has been noticed in some villages that the period and the content of traditional festivals have been disrupted.5. The research in a mountaineous depopulated area of Shimane Prefecture has shown that public bus services became unviable and municipalities operate bus services by themselves for the welfare of residents.