PART II
Aging in Sub-national Populations
Atsushi OTOMO
Professor
Department of Studies on Contemporary Society Japan Women's University
1. Population Aging in Different Prefectures
Population aging is much more serious in remote sub-national areas, or local areas, than for the whole nation. According to the 1995 national population census returns, the prefecture of Shimane, locating in the western part of Honshu island, showed the highest (21.7%) in the percentage of the total population in the elderly ages of 65 and over, of which national average was 14.8%, among 47 prefectures. Also, the prefecture of Kochi, in the southernmost part of Shikoku island, indicated the second highest (20.6%). Also, Yamagata and Akita, the prefectures located at the northern part of Honshu island, as well as the prefecture of Kagoshima situating in the southernmost of Kyushu island indicated slightly less than 20 percent, although the most remote island prefecture of Okinawa presented rather low percentage (11.7%). On the other hand, prefectures constituting a part of a metropolitan area presented a rather low percentage in the population at the elderly ages. Saitama, Kanagawa, Chiba and Tokyo, those which prefectures constituted the Tokyo metropolitan area, showed 10% to 13%, whereas Aichi and Osaka, other metropolitan prefectures showed 11.9% respectively. (Table 1)
