TOKYO

WWII Onwards

The two or three years surrounding the Pacific War saw a decrease in population to 3 million, caused by air raid evacuations and damage to the city. In 1945 there was intense firebombing of Tokyo, which, like the Kanto earthquake reduced population and demolished much of the city. [1] During WWII years, population had declined by 4 million people. The population was incredibly fast to rebound, and swelled from a low of 2.78 million in 1945 to 3.44 and 3.82 million in 1946 and 1947 respectively. Tokyo reached its pre-war population levels in just 10 years, and stood at 6.96 million in 1955. The industry boom during the Korean War contributed to internal migration to Tokyo in the late 50s. The population continued to grow, and by 1960 it was 8.31 million. The arrivals were returned evacuees, soldiers, Japanese nationals from lost colonies, U.S. personnel and their dependents, but mostly the thousands of desperate job seekers from poor prefectures and devastated cities. [2] There were plans in the late 1950s to limit population growth in urbanized areas, but they all proved to be unsuccessful and it continued to increase. The enormous influx of people put a strain on existing housing and available land including office space, and triggered a steep inflation in real estate prices. New projects were begun to increase density and improve the quality of housing in certain wards. [1]

In the 1960s, Japan experienced major internal migration. In 1965 the population of Tokyo was 8.9 million. Large numbers of people moved into urban areas from the rural countryside and settled into metropolitan suburbs. The migration tapered off in the 1970s, partly because of the oil crisis in 1973-1974 that slowed the residential development boom. The increase in population slowed down considerably. Suburbs now have a larger population of second-generation immigrants who were born and grew up in the suburbs. [6]

In the late 1980s, the population of Tokyo and the three neighboring prefectures was at approximately 30 million. [1] The population growth in Tokyo in the 1980s is linked to its development into a major international financial center. [6] The rate of growth stabilized, but the distribution of the population changed. The greatest decline of population is in central wards of Tokyo, which illustrates that people are moving away from downtown and into the suburbs. In 1994, Tokyo was home to approximately 12 million people, which makes up around 10% of the entire Japanese population. [1]

An Aging Population

The population of Tokyo is aging as a result of declining birth rates and increased longevity. The average age in Tokyo is older than ever, and the demographic shift is more pronounced in certain wards. This issue is not specific to Tokyo alone, but is widespread throughout the entire country of Japan. Many industrialized countries are also experiencing this drastic change in demographics, but the pace of population aging is much faster in Japan than anywhere else. The 65 and older population was about 5% in 1950, 12.5% in 1990 and reached 20.2% in 2005, which represents one in every five people. Projections expect that the elderly population of Japan will reach 30.5% of the population in 2025, and 39.6% in 2050. Japan’s high life expectancy compared to anywhere else in the world is one reason there is such a large elderly population. Additionally, fertility rates are at an all time low, so the amount of younger inhabitants is not increasing to balance the aging. Japan’s dependency ratio (the number of elderly aged 65 and older to population aged between 15 and 65) is increasing dramatically, which will create extra financial burden on younger generations. A higher employment rate and very late retirement ages may compensate a bit for this large dependency ratio. This is one of the most significant demographic challenges that any city faces. There has been much focus on the funding side of this issue, centered on healthcare, pensions and social security, but these discussions do not acknowledge that the elderly in Tokyo do not fit nicely into certain social groups, but are from a diverse set of circumstances that makes tending to their needs even more difficult. Some elderly populations have a strong social network with family and friends, are in good healthy and have a high income, while others do not have access to any of these circumstances. [7] The challenge is to build Tokyo into a more livable city for older populations, whose needs are diverse but include physical accessibility, security, affordability, and an inclusive community. [8]