Migration by Social Class in Japan

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Migration by Social Class in Japan
Liverpool, 20 June 2006

• Satoshi NAKAGAWAKobe University / Free
  University of Berlin

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Introduction

• Problem regional disparity and geography
• One of the hottest issues for social
  scientists in Japan is a widening economic and
  social gap.
• Quite a few number of the young Japanese are
  now labeled as FREE-TER, Free Arbeiter
  (temporary worker) and NEET, Not in
  Employment, Education or Training, their income
  is much less than those with fixed employment.
  Companies regard them as cheap and easy-to-fire
  temporary workers, but necessary if they stay
  within Japan and not go abroad.

Free-ter working in a factory in rural area, from
a TV Program NHK Special on 5 Feb. 2005
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1. Introduction (Cont.)
IT millionaires Mr. Horie and Mr. Mikitani

• On the other hand, some young made extraordinary
  success, such as Mr. Horie and Mr. Mikitani.
• Economists and sociologists mention widening
  disparity, but geographers in Japan do not pay
  sufficient attention on this issue, whether this
  is geographical or not.
• Todays presentation is thereby one attempt to
  grasp the changing regional disparity in human
  resource based on a research of migration between
  Tokyo and the rest of Japan focusing on education
  and gender of migrants

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Why Japanese urban and population geographers are
unconcerned with social class ?

• Housing price rose much faster than income,
  migration cohort, namely age was crucial where
  people live, in particular in Tokyo.
• Income deference among social classes was nearly
  negligible compared with the high housing price.
• But, the housing price became preferable after
  1990s and the income gap is widening.

Average price of newly completed apartment in
Prefecture Tokyo
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Japan is administratively composed by 47
Prefectures. Three major metropolitan areas
of Japan Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. Each MA
includes surrounding Prefectures
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Developments of inter-prefecture net-migration in
Japan (1954-2005)

• The first peak was found around 1960, the period
  of rapid economic growth. Massive rural-to-urban
  migration occurred, mainly propelled by heavy and
  petrochemical industry located in the three major
  MAs and other pacific-side of Japan and male
  workers were preferred by the employers.
• Second peak in the 1980s was found only at the
  Tokyo MA. It was the period of Bubble economy
  and many foreign companies invaded in the
  Japanese market settled down in Tokyo. Numbers of
  male white-collar workers increased.

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Educational background of migrants of Tokyo MA by
Population Census 1990 and 2000

• 1985-90
• Number of In-migrants was
• larger than out-migrants, in
• particular male population.
• 1995-2000
• Difference of in and out migration became
  smaller. The ratio of university graduate rose up
  by the decreasing number of non-university
  graduates.

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Number of net migration for the Tokyo MA MALE
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Net migration gain of Tokyo MA by education and
birth cohort 1) until mid 1970, Tokyo MA
accepted rather blue-collar workers ?
manufacturing dominated during high
economic growth period 2) in 1980s, Tokyo MA
obtained educated males ? becoming
service economy in the bubble period 3)
in late 1990, educated women concentrated
in Tokyo MA ? suitable jobs and living
environments for them can be found only
in Tokyo?
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Conclusion

• 1. Population and job distribution between Tokyo
  and the rest of Japan is not so alienated as
  before, and no substantial net migration is
  observable in recent years
• 2. Many people come to stay within their
  locality, in particular people with moderate
  qualification
• 3. Only those with higher qualification continue
  to migrate and settle down in Tokyo, in
  particular female population
• 4. This trend causes human resource imbalance and
  reinforce a regional disparity between Tokyo and
  the rest of Japan

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Thank you for your attention !
Implications

• 1. Tokyos residential segregation was
  characterized rather by age-specific and
  relatively socially mixed structure
• 2. This residential structure might be formed
  only with rapid socially-mixed in-migration and
  high and fast-rising housing price (and life-time
  employment, traditional one-earner household)
• 3. Since the late 1990s many of these conditions
  have been changing, and focus on social class
  would be matter for future research

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(No Transcript)
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Number of migrants by last school completed and
by sex to/from Tokyo MA, 1985-90 and 1995-2000,
Population Census
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Number of net migration for the Tokyo MA FEMALE
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Inter-prefecture net-migration for three MAs
(1954-2005)
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3. Educational background of migrants 3

• Table 2 University graduates by birth cohort
• 1) until mid 1970, Tokyo MA accepted rather
• blue-collar workers ? manufacturing
• dominated during high economic growth
  period
• 2) in 1980s, Tokyo MA obtained educated males
• ? becoming service economy in bubble
  time
• 3) in late 1990, educated women concentrated
• in Tokyo MA ? ?????

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Educational background of migrants 1

• Educational background as an indicator
• good for longitudinal study
• data reliability?
• Statistics
• School basic survey (annually)
• Population Census (every 10 years)

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Gender gap in net-migration for three MAs
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Sex ratio of the in and out migration of Tokyo MA
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Gender of migrants 1

• male net-migration female net-migration
• economic boom --- male gtgtgt female
• economic bust --- male ltltlt female
• Tokyo ---- sensitive to economic changes
• male migrants / female migrants 100
• economic boom ------ higher sex ratio
• economic bust ------ lower sex ratio

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Gender of migrants 2

• Difference between Fig 1 and Fig 2/3
• after 1995
• no third peak connected change is
  observable
• ? net-mig peak without economic change?

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4. Concluding remarks 1

• First peak 1960s, high economic growth period,
  male blue-collar net migration
• Second peak 1980s, bubble economy period,
• male but white-collar dominated migration
• Third peak after 1995, ????, characterized by
  highly educated female in-migration

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4. Concluding remarks 2

• Further research topics
• 1) gender perspective in connection with
  global
• city and globalization
• 2) opportunity for work and family formation
  for
• females in Tokyo / Non-Tokyo

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Trading value of major stock exchanges (mil us)