Recovery and changes in the socioeconomic composition of population in the central area of Tokyo during the period from 1995 to 2000: Analysis of small-area census data

Abstract

Population recovery in the central area of major Japanese cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka has become marked since the mid-1990s. Although this phenomenon has been verified through quantitative analysis, there have been very few studies on small-area changes in population characteristics in central areas. Clarifying the characteristics of the residents contributing to this recovery and their residential differentiation is expected to brighten the prospects of geographic studies on the recent restructuring of urban society. This article has, therefore, two purposes: 1) to analyze changes in population composition in central areas of Tokyo from 1995 to 2000 based on small-area census data; and 2) to examine the characteristics and residential differentiation of residents who have contributed to the population recovery. The results are summarized as follows. During the late 1990s, the population largely increased from southeast to southwest in the central Tokyo. The areas that experienced a population increase of 10% or greater were characterized by 1) prime location based on the quality of the neighborhood and housing, 2) prevailing nonresidential land use in the mid-1990s, and 3) increased proximity to the nearest station through the opening of a new railroad line. A substantial increase in the number of owner-occupiers of apartments, one-person households, married couples without children in their 30s, and college-educated white-collar workers was noted. However, there was also an increase in the number of households living in rented apartments and two-generation families. The amount of increase for the combination of lower white-collar workers, such as clerical workers, and gray-collar workers, such as sales and service workers, was greater than the amount of increase for upper white-collar workers such as professional and technical workers. The residents who contributed to the population recovery of the central area of Tokyo were not limited to a specific group. Rather, their residential areas and housing were differentiated along economic power and lifestyle lines. The migrants to the areas in the Koto area that experienced a population increase, which are characterized by a large supply of new and relatively modestly priced condominiums and easy access to the central area of Tokyo, mainly consist of households living in condominiums, are headed by fathers in their 30s and with children aged under 10 years, and belong to relatively lower job classes. Most of the households living in public-sector housing are similar in terms of household categories. In contrast, the migrants to the areas along the right bank of the Sumida River and the Jonan-Josei areas that experienced population increases and are characterized by relatively higher housing costs include many one-person households and DINKs (Double Income No Kids) in their 20s to early 40s, living in owned or rented apartments, and employed in relatively higher job classes. In addition, people in their 50s and 60s have migrated to the right bank areas of the Sumida River, attracted by the accessibility of central areas and the fine landscapes of the bay area. In the late 1990s, due to the supply of a diversified range of housing in terms of affordability, residents in the central area of Tokyo were not limited to a specific group. Residential differentiation linked to economic power and lifestyles occurred, leading to an increase in the differentiation of population characteristics in the central area of Tokyo during the recent population recovery process. The various phenomena and social issues that have arisen owing to this increase in residential differentiation will be topics of interest for future studies.