A Geographical Study on Migration of Working-Age to Resort Areas Located in and around Metropolitan Areas: Focusing on the Viewpoint of Lifestyle Migration

概要

Population migration research in Europe and the United States is increasingly concerned with non-economic
migration by relatively affluent people to improve their quality of life. This type of population movement occurs
in various countries and regions worldwide, especially in developed countries, and is being studied using the
concept of lifestyle migration. The concept of lifestyle migration is important in that it can develop existing
population movement and regional studies. However, the concept of lifestyle migration is rather ambiguous given
the wide variety of population movements included in the concept. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully organize
the concept of lifestyle migration to clarify the issues, focus points, and challenges. Afterward, it is necessary to
examine the actual situation depending on the form of population movement, the destination of migration, and
the country or region under study.
This study examines this issue by focusing on the domestic population movement in Japan. Despite the belief
that migration for non-economic reasons is rare in Japan, recent years have seen migration by people who prefer
a favorable environment. This trend is spreading to the working-age population, which had been considered to
migrate mostly for economic reasons. Notably the working-age population is concentrated especially in the Tokyo
area, but the migration of the working-age population from the Tokyo area is also spreading. Those who prefer a
favorable environment are moving to the Tokyo metropolitan area and its surrounding resort areas. However, the
significance of the migration of working-age residents of the Tokyo metropolitan area to these areas has not been
fully clarified. Therefore, this study clarifies the factors behind the migration of working-age people to the Tokyo
metropolitan area and surrounding resort areas from the perspective of lifestyle migration research. Hence we
discussed new developments in domestic population migration in Japan. Karuizawa Town and Kamakura City
were selected as the study areas.
In Karuizawa, the number of working-age residents from the Tokyo area has been increasing since the opening
of the Karuizawa station of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line in 1997. Population growth was particularly significant
in the Oiwake area, a newly developed villa district in the western part of the town. Some of the study subjects
who moved to Oiwake were engaged in white-collar jobs and commuted to work by Shinkansen or
telecommuted. They chose Karuizawa Town and its surrounding areas for its convenient transportation and good
living environment. They also selected the Oiwake area for its good natural environment, proximity to schools
and train stations, low land prices, and convenience of living. After moving to Oiwake, they improved their quality
of life by skillfully utilizing the various conditions of the residential environment in Karuizawa and the
surrounding area. In Kamakura City, the number of working-age immigrants has been increasing since the late
2000s, especially in the former Kamakura area in the southern part of the city. The study subjects who moved
there were mainly engaged in white-collar jobs, and some of them teleworked. They decided to change their
lifestyles due to anxiety and impatience about their careers and family life in the Tokyo area. The sea in Kamakura
was seen as a particular factor that could change their lifestyles, leading them to choose the place to move to.
Their daily life after moving to the city created proximity to the natural environment and a connection with the
community of Kamakura. This improved their quality of life and eliminated the sense of exhaustion they had felt
in their former home.
The findings of this study are as follows. Many of the subjects in this study were employed in relatively high
occupational classes. ...