Structural Changes of Urban Systems in Japan

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

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.