Japan population | Golden Skate

Japan population

Interspectator

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 25, 2012
As a Rural Japanese person (moved there by choice) I can attest to this shrinkage.
In the prefecture of Akita, away from the coast and in the mountainous towns along the Nairiku-sen, if you have a prior connection to the area or relative to vouch for you, it's not hard to get a house and plot of land for free or very, very cheap.
Show willingness to stay, and love for the land and people may give you a house. (Though it will need repair)

And I know it's a terrible problem, and Japan needs to find better solutions, but in the meanwhile, I LOVE the solitude of these little towns. :drama: I don't want them to disappear either.

Maybe the answer is to advertise to more independent contractors who do most of their work online to move to the country for their health? ;)
 
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sabinfire

Doing the needful
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 30, 2014
Sounds like the American Dream, right in Japan!

The solitude sounds nice, but I wonder if it's realistic for working folks to live there. Are there any local jobs? What's the commute like to get to a larger city?
 

Interspectator

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 25, 2012
I'm just talking about my area mind you, I can't speak for everywhere.
Japan is very mountainous but not actually a huge country. So with the rail system and the busses, you can get just about anywhere. If you don't move too far out into the sticks, and settle near a train station you can get to Tokyo overnight. --Within 10 hours drive, 10 hours normal train, 3 hours on the bullet train, 1.5 hours by airplane. --All of which I've tried over the years.

Local jobs are seasonal, or the local retirement home. ;) There is a shortage of workers in Japan as well, so even in the countryside you can find work, but mostly physical work. Landscaping, forrestry, etc.
 
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CoyoteChris

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 4, 2004
I'm just talking about my area mind you, I can't speak for everywhere.
Japan is very mountainous but not actually a huge country. So with the rail system and the busses, you can get just about anywhere. If you don't move too far out into the sticks, and settle near a train station you can get to Tokyo overnight. --Within 10 hours drive, 10 hours normal train, 3 hours on the bullet train, 1.5 hours by airplane. --All of which I've tried over the years.

Local jobs are seasonal, or the local retirement home. ;) There is a shortage of workers in Japan as well, so even in the countryside you can find work, but mostly physical work. Landscaping, forrestry, etc.

Thanks for your input! I have heard it said that many of the Doctors in Japan come from other places to meet the shortage. The trick is to have a stable population for sustainability and how that is done I havent a clue....
How do the Japanese get their figure skating coverage on the television? Streaming service? Over the air broadcast? Cable channel?
 

CoyoteChris

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 4, 2004
Sounds like the American Dream, right in Japan!

The solitude sounds nice, but I wonder if it's realistic for working folks to live there. Are there any local jobs? What's the commute like to get to a larger city?

Yeah, I wondered about the job situation also.....or if you were a doc from say Australia willing to work at the local rural hospital..

What about US retirees? I am all set! I am already retired. Can I bring a pair of tree trimmers with me? :laugh2:
 

Ducky

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 14, 2018
I offer this without any environmental comments but as an ecologist, this story facinates me...
Certain cities in Japan are giving away homes if you live in them for 15 years....

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/one-shrinking-japanese-towns-plan-give-away-houses-for-free/

Sounds like how you could buy a home in Detroit for like 500 dollars if you promised to invest at $10,000 to make it livable. Which come to think about it that's less than what I pay in rent per year.
 

CoyoteChris

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 4, 2004
Sounds like how you could buy a home in Detroit for like 500 dollars if you promised to invest at $10,000 to make it livable. Which come to think about it that's less than what I pay in rent per year.

Interesting comparo! There are more empty buildings in Detroit than there are full ones in Paris, IIRC. Personally, I would like to live in Japan than Detroit but might have some answers for homeless shelters. I think the Japanese have tried some economic incentives to have kids but kids are so expensive in the long run, not many are taking the gov up on the offer.
 
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