Comparative Study on Human Activity Systems in Japanese and Chinese Cities from the TimeGeography View

本研究旨在从时间-地理角度对中日两国城市的人类活动系统进行比较分析。在分析过程中，我们采用了两种方法。首先，我们根据调查人员和中国同行收集的现有数据对统计材料进行了分析。其次，我们访问了开展活动调查的中国城市，并就人们的就业、消费、育儿、养老等方面对学者、政府组织和各种福利机构进行了访谈。研究结果表明：1)与日本城市相比，中国城市男女在日常活动特征上的差异较小。中日两国人的生活性别状况似乎有很大不同。2)中国城市活动空间的地域特征与日本城市不同。3)在城市交通系统尚未完全发达的中国城市，女性的交通行为与男性相似。4)中国城市的人们生活本质上是以政府组织或私人公司运营的“单位制”为基础的。5)然而，“居委会”也填补了老年人支持的重要作用。6)近年来，社会保障制度在住房方面，女性劳动力和养老金正迅速从以“单位”为基础的旧制度向以市场为导向的新制度转变。7)在中国城市，许多来自农村边缘地区的年轻女性从事家务服务，包括育儿服务，工资相对较低。这些廉价服务的存在，与中国城市家庭主妇的高就业率密不可分。

This study aims to carry out a comparative analysis on human activity systems in Japanese and Chinese cities from the time-geographical view. We took two methods in the analysis process. First, we analyzed the statistical materials based on the existing data collected by the investigators and the counterpart in China. Second, we visited the Chinese cities in which the activity surveys had been carried out, and made some interviews for scholars, governmental organizations and various facilities for welfare concerning people's employment, consuming, childcare, eldercare and so on. As the result, following point were clarified.1) The difference between male and female in the characteristics of daily activities is less in Chinese cities compared with Japanese cities. The conditions of gender in human life are seemed to be considerably dissimilar in the two countries.2) The territorial characteristics of activity spaces in Chinese cities vary from Japanese cities.3) Female's transportation behavior is quit similar with male's in Chinese cities, where urban transportation systems have not been fully developed yet.4) People's life in China cities are essentially based on the "unit system" operated by governmental organizations or by private companies.5) However, "residential area committees" fill also significant role of the support of elders.6) Recently, social security systems on the aspects of housing, female labor and pension are rapidly changing from the old systems based on the "unit" to new market-oriented systems.7) In Chinese cities, numerous young females coming from peripheral rural areas in the country work at housework services including childcare for relatively low wages. The existence of these cheap services are deeply relate to the high employment rate of housewives in China cities.