Demographics and Lifestyle of Japan

Japan is an island country in the northwest Pacific ocean. Japan is in the Pacific Ring of Fire and is an archipelgo consisting of 6,852 islands. Japan is the 11th most populous country in the world, as well as one of the most densly populated and urban.

The four largest islands from north to south are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. Using the map below, explore information about each island as well as one of the major tourists attractions.

Japan is one of the most densely populated countries in the world with 337 people per square kilometer (899 people per square mile). Analysis of the map below will show that most of the island prefectures have less than the average, while urban areas like Tokyo exceed the average.

The largest island of Honshu is also the most densily populated with northernmost island of Hokkaido being the least densely populated with an average of 65 people per square mile.

Japan has been experiencing the issue of population. More than 20 percent of Japan’s population is over 65 years old, the highest proportion in the world. It is estimated that by 2030, one in every three people will be 65 or older, and one in five people 75-plus years old. 

The decline in Japan’s fertility rate has been attributed to several factors including: changing lifestyles, people marrying later in life or not marrying at all, and the economic insecurity of younger generation. Increasing life expectancy is another driving force behind the aging trend.

The island of Hokkaido, when of the least populated also has the oldest population. On the island of Honshu, the youngest populations can be found in the more densly populated urban regions of the island.

Another factor along with the aging population of Japan, is the decreased family size. Again due to the factors discussed earlier. Larger family sizes are found on the largest island of Honshu especially along the northern coast. Urban areas surrounding Tokyo the average household size stays at 2.0.

Japan is a highly developed free market economy with the third largest GDP in the world.

In 2019, 72% of the population worked in the service industry, 24% in industry and just over 3% in agriculture.  https://www.statista.com/statistics/270161/economic-sector-distribution-of-the-workforce-in-japan/#:~:text=In%202019%2C%203.42%20percent%20of,and%2072.31%20percent%20in%20services.&text=Japan's%20economy%20is%20one%20of,of%20living%20is%20eminently%20high. 

As the map of the Average Savings per Household in Japan is analyzed connections can be made between population density, age, and income. In the urban areas of Honshu, people are younger, have smaller families, and save more money.

On the smallest island of Kyushu, it is less densly populated, with an aging population, slighlty larger families who do not save as much as the rest of the nation.