Changing Japan

In Japan, Rural Economies Wane as Cities Thrive - New York Times

This article about the economic changes in Japan from the point of view of how it is affecting different regions makes for interesting reading.

It is true, as the article notes, that many smaller towns in Japan have old town centres which are stuggling due to new shopping malls in the nearby suburbs.

The thing is, Australian and other Western cities saw this same change from about the 1960's. But, over the years, many of the older small shop precincts have adapted and are again pleasant places to be.

In Japan, they are not so used to letting the market sort out such things.

The other point to make about the article is that it seems peculiar when talking about the decline of Japanese small towns to ignore the really fundamental issue for the future of the country: its rapidly aging population that is failing to reproduce or to accept reasonable levels of migration.