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Japan Population Density
Japan had an average of 327 persons per square
kilometer in
1990, high compared with China (119) or the United States
(twentyseven ), but lower than in some other Asian countries, such
as the
Republic of Korea (South Korea), which had 432 people per
square
kilometer.
Japan's population density has helped promote extremely
high
land prices. Between 1955 and 1989, land prices in the six
largest
cities increased 15,456 percent. Urban land prices
generally
increased 40 percent from 1980 to 1987; in the six largest
cities,
the price of land doubled over that period. For many
families, this
trend put housing in central cities out of reach. The
result was
lengthy commutes for many workers; daily commutes of up to
two
hours each way are not uncommon in the Tokyo area. Despite
the
large amount of forested land in Japan, parks in cities
are smaller
and scarcer than in major European or United States
cities, which
average ten times the amount of parkland per inhabitant.
However,
despite the high cost of urban housing, more people are
likely to
move back into central city areas, especially as the price
of
transportation and commuting time increases. National and
regional
governments devote resources to making regional cities and
rural
areas more attractive by developing transportation
networks, social
services, industry, and education institutions in attempts
to
decentralize settlement and improve the quality of life.
Nevertheless, major cities, especially Tokyo, remain
attractive to
young people seeking education and jobs.
Data as of January 1994
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