Japan

Question 1

Population dynamics: Estimated population and median age

Answer 1

Japan has an estimated population of 126.9 million people, with a median age of 46.2 years as of 2015. This makes Japan the 10th most populous nation in the world.

Question 2

Population dynamics: Urban areas

Answer 2

93% of Japan’s population live in urban areas, primarily in megacities such as Tokyo and Kyoto. A megacity is one characterised by a population above 10 million people.

Question 3

Population dynamics: Ageing population

Answer 3

Japan is the first country to be officially considered ‘hyper-aged’, defined by the UN as a population whereby more than 20% is above the age of 65.

Question 4

Population dynamics: DTM

Answer 4

Japan sits in stage 5 of the demographic transition, characterised by low birth rates (1.34) and the highest life expectancy of any nation.

Question 5

Population history: Mid 19th century onwards

Answer 5

In the mid 19th century, Japan’s population was reasonably stable at around 30 million. Improvements in healthcare and education lead to a population increase, reaching 60 million by 1926.

Question 6

Population history: WW1

Answer 6

Following WW1, a baby boom caused population to increase to 100 million by 1967. The 1960s-70s showed year on year growth of 1%

Question 7

Population history: Late 20th century to present

Answer 7

Since 1988, death rates have been increasing due to the greater amount of the population being of ‘dying age’.

Question 8

Population change: Birth rate

Answer 8

Birthrate has decreased from 18 births per 1000 people since the early 1970s, to only 8 per 1000 people as of 2015.

Question 9

Population change: 0-14 age group

Answer 9

The 0-14 age group had decreased from 35.5% in 1950, to only 12.7% by 2014.

Question 10

Population change: 65+ age group

Answer 10

The 65+ age group increased from 4.9% in 1950, to 26% by 2014.

Question 11

Population change: Working age population

Answer 11

Working age populous has steadily decreased since 1993, to only 61.3% by 2014.

Question 12

Define ageing population

Answer 12

An ageing population is one whereby elderly people occupy an increasing percentage of a population, defined by the UN as 7-14% of a population.
It is the function of two main processes; decreasing birth rate and increasing life expectancy.

Question 13

4 reasons for Japan’s increasing life expectancy

Answer 13

• Healthy Japanese diet including fish, soy, and minimal sugar
• Culture places great emphasis on hygiene, with people attending regular health checkups
• Post WW2 investment in public heath schemes/ vaccinations/ harmful food reduction in order to irradiate disease
• Elderly people tend to live very active social and physical lives

Question 14

Reasons for decreasing fertility rates: Gender roles

Answer 14

• Social expectation that children only be be born in wedlock; only 2% born outside of marriage
• Japanese men contribute very little to childcare and housework, only 1 hour per day as opposed to USA and Germany with 2-3 hours daily
• Expectation that women will not return to the workforce after having children
• Rising age of marriage of Japanese women (29 years)

Question 15

Reasons for declining fertility rates: Economic

Answer 15

• Long working hours and a work-centred lifestyle
• Increasing cost of childcare services
• Increasing cost of living, especially in major cities
• Increasing amount of young people living with parents until the age of around 30, these ‘parasite singles’ tend to spend more money on themselves than future family responsibilities.

Question 16

Impacts of Japan’s ageing population: Economic

Answer 16

• The size of the workforce is expected to roughly half between 2010 and 2060, from 88.7 million, to around 44.2 million
• The elderly dependancy ratio has increased from there being 7 working people per each elderly person in 1985, to only 2.8 by 2010
• Rapidly ageing population will place a greater tax burden on younger, working people

Question 17

Impacts of Japan’s ageing population: Sociopolitical

Answer 17

• Age shift will result in older generations having greater political clout, potentially leading to intergenerational conflict with regards to budgetary policy decisions
• Household composition showed considerable change with decreasing amounts of nuclear families and rising numbers of single person households.

Question 18

Regional variation in ageing

Answer 18

There is significant regional variation in Japan’s ageing. Whereas the average age of farmers in regional areas has increased by 15 years, the greatest amount of ageing is expected to be in urban areas.

Question 19

National response: What is the Angel plan

Answer 19

• The Angel Plan is a pro-natalist policy administered by the Japanese health ministry in order to increase fertility rates, as well as increasing labour force participation by women

Question 20

National response: Aims of the Angel Plan

Answer 20

• Introduced infrastructure to support duel parenting including the provision of paid maternity leave at 60%
• Planned to construct 50,000 new daycare facilities
• Encourage husband contribution to housework/childcare from 1 hour daily, to 2.5
• Aimed to increase workforce participation of 60-64 year olds from 53% to 60%
• Provision of $100 per month in childcare support

Question 21

National response: Evaluation of the Angel Plan

Answer 21

• Quantity of child payments is quite low thus has little effect
• Resulted in a compulsory premium for all 40+ year olds
• No net change in birth rates of 1.34 between 1990 and 2010
• Steady increase in medical copayments such that 30% of the cost is passed on to the consumer

Question 22

National response: What is Abenomics

Answer 22

Economic policy introduced by prime minister, Shinzo Abe aimed at addressing the issue of a declining population and consequent workforce depletion - particularly by females

Question 23

National response: Aims of Abenomics

Answer 23

• Encouraged increase in female participation rates by aiming to create 40,000 new childcare places by 2018
• Encouraged government and businesses to have at least 30% of supervisory positions occupied by women
• Encouraged (not cumulsory) major Stockmarket corporations to have at least one woman on the board of directors
• Looses immigration laws

Question 24

National response: Evaluation of Abenomics

Answer 24

• Slight rise in female participation rates, projected to hit targets by 2020
• However, plans to introduce 200,000 new economic migrants was met with fierce hostility as a result of widespread cultural homogeneity

Question 25

Local response: Yamatsuri (2006)

Answer 25

• Local government in the town of Yamatsuri aimed to create a sustainable town by maintaining the population
• They focused on childcare, cutting fees and extending hours
• A gift of 1 million Yen ($12,500) given for a third child, and 1.5 million Yen for the fourth ($18,700)

Question 26

Local response: Evaluation of Yamatsuri

Answer 26

• Limited success as, despite an initial rise in birth rates, population fell from 7000 in 2009, to 6000 by 2014
• Somewhat successful as it inspired matchmaking programmes aimed at increasing marriage rates. Well received and government funded in Yamatsuri and surrounding regions such as Kochi

Question 27

Geo-spatial technologies in response: What is GIS (Geographic Information Systems)

Answer 27

GIS capture, manage, and analyse data into comprehensive ‘layers’ in order to utilise geographic information for various applications. It acts as a viable tool for conceptualising spatial data, and helping to build;ld decision support systems for both government and non government organisations.

Question 28

Geo-spatial technologies: HVN

Answer 28

• Public health services compile census data in order to create accessibility indexes for individual Japanese municipalities
• These allow Home Visiting Nurse (HVN) schemes to effectively target areas of low support
• The efficiency of such is ultimately dependant on the quality of the census data