Structural Changes of Urban Systems in Japan

本研究的目的是阐明日本国家、区域和日常城市系统中各阶城市的近期变化。通过分析人口的变化和城市的迁移，日本无法认识到20世纪70年代发生在西方国家的逆城市化现象，虽然其原因并没有被揭示出来。1985年以后和之前的时期一样，人口和高阶城市功能向东京都市圈的集中仍在继续。城市等级制度日益发展。东京都市圈的排名在三个都市圈中依次上升。特别是在商业服务功能方面，城市规模的差异更加明显。在对东北地区和北海道分公司分布的研究中，确认了仙台和札幌正在以分公司集聚为基础加强其作为地区首都的地位。与此同时，通过在仙台总部设立分支机构，县首府与仙台的联系更加紧密。城市系统的结构变化也表现为非都市圈通勤区域的扩大和重叠。因此，在广岛市附近也可以看到山村的巨大变化。产业结构调整体现在大都市的区域结构上。名古屋城市结构的新趋势明显。在大阪市圈，人们注意到郊区的新节点正在独立于中心城市发展。

The aim of this study is to clarify the recent changes of cities of each order in national, regional and daily urban systems of Japan. The counterurbanization which occurred in the 1970's in Western countries cannot be recognized in Japan by analyzing the population changes and migration of cities, although the causes are not brought light. The concentration of population and urban functions of higher order to Tokyo metropolitan area also continues still after 1985 as well as the previous period. The urban hierarchy is more and more developing. And the order of Tokyo metropolitan area becomes higher in three metropolitan areas. Especially in the function of business services the disparity of city size has become more evident. In the studies of the distribution of branch offices in Tohoku district and Hokkaido it was affirmed that Sendai as well as Sapporo are strengthening their position as a regional capital based on the agglomeration of branch offices. At the same time, prefectural capitals become more clothly connected with Sendai by the advance of branch offices from head offices in Sendai. The structural changes of urban systems also are in apperance as the expanding and overlapping commuting areas in nonmetropolitan regions. As a result the great changes of mountain villages can be seen in the vicinity of Hiroshima city as well. The restructuring of industries is reflected in the regional structure of metropolitan cities. In Nagoya the new tendency of urban structure has been found evidently. In Osaka metropolitan area it is noticed that new nodal points in suburban areas are developing independently from the central city.