Population declined in 87 municipalities - to attract foreigner settlements by deepening exchanges

Recently Nihon Keizai Shimbun Electronic Edition reported the following:

87市区町村、人口減脱す　交流深め外国人定住

2021年7月16日 21:00 (2021年7月17日 5:07更新) [有料会員限定]

2020年国勢調査で人口が増えた市区町村は324にとどまる。高齢化の進展に加え、若年層の都市部への流出や出生率低迷で多くが人口減にあえぐ。そうした中、外国人や子育て世代に照準を絞った施策などを展開し、新たな住民の呼び込みに成功した地域がある。劣勢に歯止めをかけ5年前の減少から増加に転じた市区町村は87あった。

総務省が6月末に発表した国勢調査速報で都道府県として人口が増えたのは東京圏（東京、神奈川、千葉、埼玉）ほか、愛知、滋賀、大阪、福岡、沖縄の9都府県（15年の前回比）。38道府県は減少し、福島、茨城、群馬、山梨、長野を除きマイナス幅が広がった。

全国1741市区町村のうち人口増の自治体をみると6割が9都府県内。一方、38道府県でも中核となる都市圏を中心に131あった。人口減を脱した市区町村は9都府県が40。38道府県が47だった。

共に過疎に指定される北海道占冠村（8%増）、北海道赤井川村（4%増）は、海外からスキーリゾートとして注目された機を生かして外国人の定着に力を注ぎ、人口減少から脱却した。占冠村は1990年以来、赤井川村は95年以来の人口増となった。

北海道占冠村はスキーリゾート近くのコミュニティセンターにボルダリング設備をつくり、外国人と日本人の交流の場とした

占冠村では2017年、フランス系の「クラブメッド北海道トマム」が開業し、外国人が急増（18年末時点で42カ国・地域393人）した。村は入れ替わりの激しい外国人従業員に土地への愛着を持ってもらおうと愛好者が多いボルダリング設備を開設。無料教室などを通じて住民との交流を深めることに注力した。

利便性を高めるため、役場窓口と診療所に多言語の音声翻訳機も常備。新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大で外国人従業員は減少傾向にあるが、なお200人前後が定住する。赤井川村でも外国人従業員の生活支援に注力し、感染対策などを説明するパンフレットを英語で配布した。

幅広い支援で移住者を呼び込み1985年以来の人口増につなげたのは北海道鶴居村（1%増、過疎）。2017年から酪農家が従業員住宅を建設する場合に1棟当たり100万～150万円を補助する制度を始め29戸を整備した。従業員住宅に入らない移住者にも住宅新築時に最大150万円、空き家購入の場合は最大110万円を補助する。

補助金の総額はこれまで1億4000万円。担当者は「主力産業が活性化した上、増えた従業員も村内で消費を増やす」と効果を強調する。

茨城県阿見町（2%増）、岡山県早島町（2%増）も、それぞれ05年以来、10年以来の人口増に転じた。住宅地開発に合わせ小学校入学を迎える児童へのランドセル贈呈や子育てのしやすさなどを訴え、若い世代を呼び込んだ。

一方、大都市圏以外でも人口が増え続けている自治体もある。山梨県昭和町（7%増）は1971年の町制施行以来、人口増を維持する。2020年には2万人を突破した。

中央自動車道へのアクセスの良さから企業立地が相次いだことを受け、12の区画整理事業を推進。住宅地整備のほか大型商業施設も誘致し、住民を呼び込んだ。担当者は「多額の資金を投じたが、活性化で元はとった」と話す。

東京など限られた地域への人口集中が加速する中、流れにあらがうのは簡単なことではない。それでも機を捉え的確な施策を打ち出せば活力を取り戻せる可能性がある。

Translation

In the 2020 census, there were only 324 cities, wards, towns and villages had an increase in population. In addition to the aging of the population, the outflow of young people to urban areas and a low birth rate were causing many to suffer from a population decline. Under such circumstances, there were some areas that could succeed in attracting new residents by developing measures focusing on foreigners and the child-rearing generation. There were 87 municipalities that stopped the unfavorable situation, and turned from a decrease five years ago into an increase.

According to the National Census Bulletin released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications at the end of June, population had increased in prefectures in the Tokyo area (Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama), as well as nine prefectures in Aichi, Shiga, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Okinawa (compared with last time in 2015). 38 prefectures had a decrease, and the dropping range widened except only for Fukushima, Ibaraki, Gunma, Yamanashi, and Nagano.

Looking at the population-increasing local governments, out of 1741 municipalities nationwide, 60% were in 9 prefectures. On the other hand, there were 131 in 38 prefectures, mainly around metropolitan area that became the core. The number of wards, towns and villages that avoided a population decline was 40 in 9 administrative regions  (to, fu and ken), and 47 in 38 administrative regions (do, fu and ken).

Shimukappu Village in Hokkaido (up 8%) and Akaigawa Village in Hokkaido (up 4%), both of which were pointed out as depopulated previously, had taken advantage of the opportunity to attract overseas attention as a ski resort and focused on retaining foreigners and thus escaped from the population decline. The population of Shimukappu Village increased since 1990, and Akaigawa Village had an increase since 1995.

Shimukappu Village in Hokkaido built a bouldering facility in a community center near a ski resort and used it as a place for foreigners and Japanese to interact.

In 2017, the French-affiliated “Club Med Hokkaido Tomamu” was opened in Shimukappu Village, and the number of foreigners increased rapidly (393 from 42 countries and regions as of the end of 2018). The village opened a bouldering facility with many enthusiasts in order to encourage foreign employees, who were constantly changing, to have an attachment to the land. It focused on deepening exchanges with residents through free classes etc.

Multilingual voice translators were always available at the city office and clinics to improve convenience. The number of foreign employees was decreasing due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection, still about 200 people settled down. Akaigawa Village also focused on supporting the living of foreign employees and distributed pamphlets in English to explain infection control measures.

It was Tsurui Village in Hokkaido (1% increase, de-populated) that attracted migrants with a wide range of support and led to the increase in population since 1985. From 2017, 29 housing units had been erected, including a system to subsidize 1 million to 1.5 million yen per building when a dairy-farmer built employee housing. For migrants who did not move into the employee housing, a maximum of 1.5 million yen would be subsidized when building a new house, and a maximum of 1.1 million yen could be subsidized when purchasing a vacant house.

The total amount of subsidies was 140 million yen so far. The person in charge emphasized the effect, saying that "In addition to revitalizing the main industry, the increase employees will also increase consumption in the village."

Ami Town in Ibaraki Prefecture (up 2%) and Hayashima Town in Okayama Prefecture (up 2%) had also respectively changed into population growth respectively since 2005 and since 2010. In line with the development of the residential area, school bags were given out to children entering elementary school, and the easiness in raising children were highlighted so as to draw attention and invite the younger generation.

On the other hand, some local governments continued to grow in population outside of metropolitan areas. Showa Town in Yamanashi Prefecture (up 7%) had maintained its population growth since the town system came into effect in 1971. In 2020, the number exceeded 20,000.

In response to a succession of company start-ups in various locations attracted by the good access afforded by the Central Expressway, readjustment projects were promoted in 12 districts. In addition to residential area development, the districts also attracted large-scale commercial facilities and appealed to residents. The person in charge said, " While we have invested a lot of money, we get back the base by revitalizing it."

With an accelerating population concentration in limited areas such as Tokyo, it would be not easy to stand against the flow. Even so, there was a possibility to regain vitality in taking the opportunity by using the right measures.

So, we see how Japan is addressing its regional population imbalance. In addition to the aging of the population, the outflow of young people to urban areas and a low birth rate are causing many regions to suffer from a population decline. Population decline is also a social problem in China now.

Note:  都道府県 (Todōfuken) are administrative divisions of Japan. The divisions include: Tokyo-to, Osaka-fu, Kyoto-fu, Hokkaido, and the rest are prefectures. Tokyo is to都, Hokkaido is do道, Osaka and Kyoto are fu府, the rest are ken県.