Construction of new population geography in the age of population stagnation and decline

2003-2005学年的这一研究项目取得了一些显著成果。这些结果将在即将出版的新书中详细介绍，但主要发现的一部分可以列举如下：20世纪70年代中期以来，由于生育率下降导致人口老龄化，2005年日本的总人口开始减少。它的影响被认为对各种事务产生重要影响，但从地理角度来看，以下是值得注意的。关于家庭/住户，直到1970年代中期，核心家庭的趋势一直很明显，但最近的趋势被概括为家庭/住户的多样化。它的空间格局是如此复杂，我们不能简单地描述它之间的三个最大的都市圈和非都市（周边）地区的区别。此外，过去几十年生育率下降对移徙（特别是长途移徙）的影响， ...更多信息 表现为迁移率下降和迁移区域空间缩小。年轻人向周边地区的回移（或所谓的“掉头移徙"）没有显示出有利的进展，这表明很难期望回移有助于解决人口减少时代的各种问题。此外，值得注意的是，婴儿潮一代的大规模退休越来越近，其中一部分人可能返回位于周边地区的家园。从人口地理学的角度来看，这是一个值得关注的问题。此外，对于那些被认为将在弥补多数人口减少方面发挥重要作用的外国移民，对他们的迁移模式进行仔细分析后发现，他们往往倾向于具有竞争力的工业部门的目的地，并且共同伦理和国际婚姻的积累也具有一定的重要性。少

This research project for the period of 2003-2005 academic years has attained a number of notable results. They will be published in a detailed way in the forthcoming book, but a part of major finding can be mentioned as follows.As a consequence of population aging due to fertility decline since the mid-1970s, the total population of Japan began to decrease in 2005. Its influence is considered to produce important influences on various affairs, but, from geographical point-of-view, the followings are noteworthy. Regarding family/household, trend towards nuclear family has been remarkable until the mid-1970s, but the recent movement is summarized as a diversification of family/household. Its spatial pattern is so complicated that we cannot describe it simply like distinction between the three largest metropolitan areas and the non-metropolitan (peripheral) areas. In addition, impact of declining fertility during the past decades on migration (particularly, long-distance migration) has a … More ppeared in the forms of decline of migration rate and spatial shrink of migration areas. Return migration (or, the so-called "U-turn migration) of young adults to peripheral areas has not shown a favorable progress, suggesting a difficulty in having an expectation that the return migration will contribute to solution of various issues therein in the age of depopulation. In addition, it is interesting to note, however, that massive retirement of the baby boomers is drawing nearer and a part of them may return to their homeland situated in the peripheral areas. It deserves s great attention from the perspective of population geography. Furthermore, with regard to immigrants from abroad who are expected to play an important role of compensating for decrease of majority population, a careful analysis focused on their migration pattern reveals that they tend to have a strong orientation to destinations with competitive industrial sectors and accumulation of co-ethics and international marriage also has a certain importance. Less