Japan's Overcrowding and Growing Urban Population

Many imagine that houses and apartments in Japan are small due to lack of space. But actually this happens because most people want to crowd in big cities like Tokyo and Osaka. In Tokyo alone there are 13 million inhabitants, and its expanded region exceeds 36 million (Chiba, Saitama, Kanagawa). What makes multiple people habitem the same location?

While in Japan there are 336 inhabitants per km² in Tokyo there are 6,000 people per km². Despite this, Japan suffers from a great birth problem, where the government seriously needs to encourage the Japanese to have children, otherwise the population will decrease more and more, hindering economic growth and needing more and more manpower.

Some imagine Japan as a cluster of cities, only in reality almost 80% of it is forests and mountains. Even though Japan is a small country, many cities are becoming deserted and abandoned because most of the population from the countryside is migrating to Tokyo. The Japanese government has even offered free land of 300m² to encourage population growth in the Region. The government urgently needs, in addition to solving the problem of lack of children being born, as well as removing most people from Tokyo and encouraging them to spread across the country.

Overcrowding and increasing urban population in Japan

This is not an easy task, as the population of Tokyo and other metropolises increases. That's because Tokyo is the city of opportunities, the desire of many young people and even foreigners. In Tokyo you have access to everything you need, although it is often an illusion, as even small and remote cities you can find everything, including fun and tourism.

Tokyo's Overcrowding Problems

Overcrowded trains and schools, long waiting lists for day care and preschool, etc. Tokyo's mayor has been tackling these problems, developing ties to rural areas and encouraging people to leave the city and start a life in the countryside. While Tokyo faces overcrowding, regional industries are failing and there aren't enough people to farm in the fields.

Overcrowding influences even the low birth rate in the country, as most women in Tokyo have fewer children than in other regions. Although Japanese cities are designed to be free of traffic congestion, this happens on trains, parks, swimming pools, especially on holidays or festivals. Thousands of people gathered in different situations. Even though the Japanese crowd together in an organized way, it can be uncomfortable for many.

Overcrowding and increasing urban population in Japan

The government has done the following things to avoid overcrowding in high-access public places:

  • Tour buses have restricted schedules;
  • Place total capacity limit on sites;
  • Increase operating hours;
  • Higher taxes and entrance fees;
  • Minimum stays;

Japan's Population Density

The fact is that many cities in Japan suffer from overcrowding, while many cities are a wasteland with no residents, no workers, no employees, no students, etc. See a demographic list of Japan with the most populated cities and their density.

City Population Density 1Km² Área km²
Tokyo 13.503.810 6000 2.189
Yokohama 3.555.473 8174 434
Osaka 2.643.805 11.893 222
Nagoya 2.258.804 6.919 326

Although Japan seems to be one of the most crowded countries in the world, with many people per km², there are 17 other countries that are ahead of Japan. Monaco, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vatican, Malta, Taiwan, South Korea, Puerto Rico, Belgium, Lebanon and many others. The difference is that these countries probably do not leave their areas abandoned to cluster in one place, mainly because some are quite small.

Overcrowding and increasing urban population in Japan

Although Tokyo has a high density, with areas that reach 14,000 people per km². This is well below the density of cities like Manhattan (27,000) and Paris (21,000). One of the strategies to avoid overcrowding is to raise the high housing costs of the city of Tokyo. The big problem is that this leads people to spend less by choosing smaller apartment options. That is, like all of Japan, Tokyo still has a lot of housing space, the fact that it is expensive ends up crowding even more people into small spaces.

Why are rent, apartment and houses in Tokyo expensive? The simple fact that most of Tokyo is small buildings and houses, while gigantic skyscrapers are expected. High prices also make people live far from work. many of them still take the train on a very long journey, wasting precious time. If the focus of the Japanese were to create taller buildings, prices would be lower and perhaps even more space.

Building and transforming smart cities

Tokyo will always attract attention, which makes the city need to evolve in a way that makes life easier for those who live in it. This way it avoids some of the problems caused by the overcrowding of people migrating to the city. Japan has been transforming its cities in a smart way, with technologies that reduce energy costs, environmental pollution, etc. But that's not enough, the Japanese government needs to grow other cities and encourage people to live in them.

Overcrowding and increasing urban population in Japan

There is a concept called Smart City, Fujisawa was the first smart city within the concept where the focus is to reduce expenses and create something sustainable. But instead of creating smart cities, Japan has transformed existing cities to make life easier for citizens. There are several factors that make a city smart, such as:

  • Connectivity;
  • Integration;
  • Planning;
  • Accessibility;
  • Economy;
  • Sustainability;
  • Innovation;
  • Quality of life;
  • Interactivity;
  • Efficiency;
  • Intelligence;
  • Mobility;
  • Creativity;

Instead of creating smart cities, it is these factors that Japan needs to think about developing in small cities in order to attract the population. Japan has done this job with its technology, transportation, facility, etc. What do you think about this subject? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments, and your sharing.

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