地方都市在住高齢者の「食」を巡る生活環境の悪化とフードデザート問題―茨城県水戸市を事例として―

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the local residential environment of the elderly in Japanese cities, and to provide an introduction to ‘food deserts’. The case-study city is Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. Food desert issues represent a social exclusion problem. These issues include access to food for low-income households in low-income neighborhoods, particularly to food that is integral to a healthy diet. These issues are openly discussed outside Japan, especially in European countries. Food deserts are defined as, “those areas where car-less residents, unable to reach out-of-town supermarkets, depend on the corner shop, where prices are high, products are processed and fresh fruit and vegetables are poor or non-existent.” It has further been stated that, “the increasing tendency toward out-of-town supermarkets has led to the creation of ‘food deserts’, where cheap and varied food is accessible only to those who have private transport or are able to pay the costs of public transport if it is available.” In the UK, fatal diseases such as cerebrovascular disease and breast and lung cancer have been linked to poor nutrition, which in turn is linked to food deserts. In addition, these social exclusion issues often lead to crime, violence, and terrorism.