99
(Cabinet Office of Japan 2016). However, because of the continual migration of
youth population from other prefectures, Tokyo retains its lower rate of older people
in its population. In the past, the size of rural-to-urban migration was largest during
the country’s rapid economic growth in late 1950s to early 1970s. Some 7.15 million people migrated to Japan’s three major metropolitan areas of Tokyo, Osaka,
and Nagoya in the 30 years from 1954 to 1974. Even today Japan continues to
observe a similar pattern of migration to the Tokyo metropolitan area, and the high
population concentration is raised as the main cause of economic declines in rural
regions (Nihon Sousei Kaigi 2014).
5.1.2 Discussing Sustainability in an Aging and Shrinking
Phase of Society
Owing to the continuous aging and shrinking of population, Japan’s rural regions
are facing numerous challenges including those related to living conditions of individual residents (e.g. less accessibility to medical care, infrequent public transportation, loneliness of residents) and the other challenges at the regional societies and
communities (e.g. regional economic decline, lack of human resources to assume
resource management, community vitality decline). The fact that these challenges
are being observed is a sign of social transition from the past phase in which the
current economic, social, and political structures were designed to a new phase
which requires new social designs. Subsequently, the transition of rural society to an
aging and shrinking population phase requires us to re-examine the meaning of
sustainability which differs from the topics and scope of sustainability discussed in
earlier sustainability science literature.
Since its emergence in the early 2000s, the main focus of sustainability science
has been challenges caused by the expansion of human activities such as climate
change, land degradation, and energy and resource scarcity. Seminal works of sustainability science state that sustainability science aims to advance our understanding of complex interactions between the ecological system and the human system
(Clark 2007; Kates et al. 2001; Komiyama and Takeuchi 2006). Other scholars
explain the role of sustainability science in contributing scientific knowledge to
sustainable development (Dasgupta 2007; Martens 2006). Aside from these original
scopes of the field, sustainability science has the potential of accommodating
broader discussions on the normative dimension of the sustainability concept.
Aging and shrinking population poses a question on the way the sustainability
concept is understood because the types of challenges these demographic changes
deliver are not based on the expansion of human activities. Instead, aging and
shrinking of population denote a series of declines in a wide range of social and
economic activities. Given the fact that aging and shrinking population will likely
remain as a demographic trend of Japanese society in the decades to come, what to
sustain becomes unclear.
5 Framing in Placemaking When Envisioning a Sustainable Rural Community…
(Cabinet Office of Japan 2016). However, because of the continual migration of
youth population from other prefectures, Tokyo retains its lower rate of older people
in its population. In the past, the size of rural-to-urban migration was largest during
the country’s rapid economic growth in late 1950s to early 1970s. Some 7.15 million people migrated to Japan’s three major metropolitan areas of Tokyo, Osaka,
and Nagoya in the 30 years from 1954 to 1974. Even today Japan continues to
observe a similar pattern of migration to the Tokyo metropolitan area, and the high
population concentration is raised as the main cause of economic declines in rural
regions (Nihon Sousei Kaigi 2014).
5.1.2 Discussing Sustainability in an Aging and Shrinking
Phase of Society
Owing to the continuous aging and shrinking of population, Japan’s rural regions
are facing numerous challenges including those related to living conditions of individual residents (e.g. less accessibility to medical care, infrequent public transportation, loneliness of residents) and the other challenges at the regional societies and
communities (e.g. regional economic decline, lack of human resources to assume
resource management, community vitality decline). The fact that these challenges
are being observed is a sign of social transition from the past phase in which the
current economic, social, and political structures were designed to a new phase
which requires new social designs. Subsequently, the transition of rural society to an
aging and shrinking population phase requires us to re-examine the meaning of
sustainability which differs from the topics and scope of sustainability discussed in
earlier sustainability science literature.
Since its emergence in the early 2000s, the main focus of sustainability science
has been challenges caused by the expansion of human activities such as climate
change, land degradation, and energy and resource scarcity. Seminal works of sustainability science state that sustainability science aims to advance our understanding of complex interactions between the ecological system and the human system
(Clark 2007; Kates et al. 2001; Komiyama and Takeuchi 2006). Other scholars
explain the role of sustainability science in contributing scientific knowledge to
sustainable development (Dasgupta 2007; Martens 2006). Aside from these original
scopes of the field, sustainability science has the potential of accommodating
broader discussions on the normative dimension of the sustainability concept.
Aging and shrinking population poses a question on the way the sustainability
concept is understood because the types of challenges these demographic changes
deliver are not based on the expansion of human activities. Instead, aging and
shrinking of population denote a series of declines in a wide range of social and
economic activities. Given the fact that aging and shrinking population will likely
remain as a demographic trend of Japanese society in the decades to come, what to
sustain becomes unclear.
5 Framing in Placemaking When Envisioning a Sustainable Rural Community…