Changes in the Urban Pattern

An analysis of the past three population censuses (1955, 1960, 1965) revealed that the population and number of cities in the so-called Pacific Industrial Belt increased substantially. Especially, during the last two censuses, the peripheral areas around the cities of Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya have shown the greater increase. Almost everywhere outside the Belt area, the population decreased, and 237 cities in those areas suffered a loss of population. Prefectural captials, even when they are located in the areas of declining population, have actually gained in population.The changes in the spatial distribution of population and cities resulted in a new urban pattern. That is, the hinterland of these agglomerated cities did not change concomitant with population increase. And a preliminary survey of the data indicates that some cities in the population losing areas enlarged their umland. In addition, other cities, which have lost population, lost some of their central place functions and also their position in the urban hierarchy. So that the urban pattern in the declining area of population becomes a loose pattern.