## The Flow of People to Rural Areas (Residential Population) such as Migration to Rural Areas

(1) The Current State of Rural Migration and Rural Return

(Statistical View of the Rural Return)

As seen in Chapter 1, in recent years the tendency for population drain from the Rural Areas Note $ ^{18} $ to the Metropolitan Areas is on the rise again Note $ ^{19} $ . The information from Basic Resident Register Demographic Shift Note $ ^{20} $ for the five-year period from 2010 to 2014 shows that the demographic shift to the urban areas is continuing (Figure 2-1-1, Figure 2-1-2). Shifting the focus a little to compare the municipalities of the Depopulated Areas Note $ ^{21} $ and the municipalities of the other areas, the tendency towards population shift to the Metropolitan Areas is unchanged (Figure 2-1-3). However, looking at the ratio of municipalities that have achieved a population increase by social factor, it can be interpreted that there is a slightly increasing trend of municipalities that have achieved a population increase by social factor in the Depopulated Areas (Figure 2-1-4).

Figure 2-1-1

Changes in Population Growth (Increase/Decrease) by Social Factor (The 3 Major Metropolitan Areas and Areas Outside of the 3 Major Metropolitan Areas)

Source) Developed by MLIT from "Basic Resident Register Demographic Shift Report" by MIC.

Figure 2-1-2

Source) Developed by MLIT from “Basic Resident Register Demographic Shift Report” by MIC.

Source) Developed by MLIT from "Basic Resident Register Demographic Shift Report" by MIC.

Changes in Number of Municipalities with Population Growth (Increase/Decrease) by Social Factor (Areas other than Depopulated Areas and Depopulated Areas)

Note 18 In this section, the 3 Major Metropolitan Areas will be referred to as Metropolitan Areas and the other areas will be referred to as Rural Areas.

Note 19 Refer to Figure 1-1-5 in Chapter 1, Section 1 (1).

Note 20 - Yamatsuri-machi (Fukushima Prefecture) is not connected to the Basic Resident Registration Network System so there are no numbers of Out-migrants and Excess In-migrants that are listed in the Basic Resident Register Demographic Shift Report but for this summary, the numbers listed as In-migrants were applied to Excess In-migrant numbers.

- Kunitachi City (Tokyo) is not connected to the Basic Resident Registration Network System so there are no numbers of Out-migrants and Excess In-migrants that are listed in the Basic Resident Register Demographic Shift Report (2010 and 2011) but for this summary, the numbers listed as In-migrants were applied to Excess In-migrants numbers.

- Kunitachi City (Tokyo) has been connected to the Basic Resident Registration Network System since February, 2012. Therefore, the number of In-migrants are the results from February 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012. The number of Excess In-migrants is not listed because the periods for In-migrants and Out-migrants are different, but in this summary, the above-mentioned In-migrants and Out-migrants were included in the Excess In-migrants numbers (2012).

Note 21 Depopulated Areas refers to the municipal regions that are considered depopulated areas as defined in Article 2 Paragraph 1 and Article 33 Paragraph 1 of Act on Special Measures for Promotion for Independence for Underpopulated Areas.