URBANIZATION OF JAPAN: PRESENT AND FUTURE-WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE METHODOLOGY OF GEOGRAPHY

Abstract

The primary object of this study is to examine generally the geographical status of Japanese urbanization, which is a critical problem both in Japanese society and our geographical studies, by taking account of the more orthodox methodology of geography. It is a well-known fact that most of the geographical studies on urban affairs are so intimately related to such disciplines as urban sociology, urban demography, and space and land economics. Through these interdisciplinary approaches, a number of substantial results have been obtained and the geographical study on cities and towns has been much enriched and better systematized. In Japan, a new trend in urban studies is to try to establish a new science toshigaku (urban science) with the joint efforts of geographers, sociologists, economists, engineers, and jurisprudents interested in urban affairs. But here is a problem: is this new trend the only way to promote urban studies from the geographical viewpoint and would it be possible to find other methods to proceed our science without getting out of the framework of geography methodologically confirmed? In this study, Japanese urbanization is treated from the following three viewpoints: 1) utilization pattern of physical environment and the attitude to consider other aspects of geography than of urban geography, 2) international comparison of urban phenomena and the foreign study which is one of the major tasks of geography, and 3) presentation of urban geographical phenomena by maps and photographs. Analysis of Japanese urbanization is based on the following three premises: 1) Everincreasing urban population will need much more land for urban purposes, 2) agricultural land should be reserved for its own use to the utmost degree, because self-sufficiency of food is desirable, and 3) per-capita national income of Japan will reach the present level of western Europe in the near future. Traditionally Japanese urbanization tended to be found on alluvial lowland, but this nature recently changed to use diluvial upland as the better site for residences. After the Second world war, even hilly areas and mountain lands began to be used for urban homes and other establishments prominently, especially around great metropolises. As of Oct. 1, 1965, 6.5% of the total agricultural land of Japan was already found in the densely inhabited districts with a population density of 4, 000 or more per square kilometer. As of the same date, 4.5% of the all flat lands in Japan was found in the densely inhabited districts (M. Saito). This is a strikingly serious problem for such a country having very small arable flat lands per-capitawise and having not reached self-sufficiency of food. Fig. 6 shows the urbanized areas of Greater Tokyo in relation to surface configuration and railroads. It shows well that the degree of urbanization differs from place to place. Less urbanized areas are to be found on the Tama Hills despite its relative proximity to the center of Tokyo. Sprawling expansion is more conspicuous in the western suburbs on the Musashino Upland where construction of houses is easier because of physical conditions. Such physical conditions as alluvial lowland, hilly areas, and shallow-sea areas will progressively need more expenditure and a higher degree of engineering technology in order to build more urban establishments. Areal size comparison of the built-up areas in various countries in the world (Tab. 1 and Figs. 7, 8, 9) shows that there is a noticeable correlation, at least superficially, between population density of built-up areas and per-capita national income of each country. English New Towns are good examples of new urban development of today. In Japan also, there have been planned several large-scale urban residential developments. Senri New Town 10 to 15km. north of Osaka is now half completed (Figs. 10, 11, 12) and planned to house 150, 000 persons within an area of 12km2.