Growth and Change in the Japanese Urban System: the Experience of the 1970's

Data for Japanese Regional Economic Clusters and Standard Consolidated Areas for the period 1970 to 1975 are analyzed with respect to regional growth and metropolitan decentralization and compared to similar data for the 1950s and 1960s. It is found that the Japanese urban system continued to centralize (i.e. metropolitan regions grew faster than non metropolitan regions) and that metropolitan decentralization was slight. The data also reveal more rapid growth among middle-size regions than previously. Analysis of intercensal migration data is also undertaken to show the relative decline in inmigration to large, metropolitan regions. Comparisons are made with migration data for other industrialized nations and similar patterns are shown to exist

The Japanese Urban System During a Period of Rapid Economic Development

This paper reports on research undertaken within the context of the IIASA research task on Human Settlement Systems: Development Processes and Strategies. It is one of a series which examines the nature and the significance of the Japanese urban system in an international context. (See RM-77-39, RM-77-47, RM-77-48, and RM-77-25.

The Management of the Japanese Urban System: Regional Development and Regional Planning in Postwar Japan

The record of Japanese postwar economic growth and growth management through fiscal and monetary policy and national economic planning are reviewed. It is found that national planning did not greatly influence economic development. Regional planning is viewed as a component of national planning. The stages of regional planning goals and strategies and the implementation of regional planning laws are analyzed. It is found that regional planning was not very effectively implemented in the 1960s. A comparison is made with regional planning strategies in other developed countries

Financing the Japanese Urban System: Local Public Finance and Intergovernmental Relations

An empirical investigation into the financing of urban development in Japan is undertaken. Following a description of governmental structure, regression and other analyses are presented based on data for 336 cities and 46 prefectures for 1960-1970. It is found that attempts to achieve vertical financial equity among regions and cities is partially achieved, as poor cities and prefectures benefit from central government tax and subsidy programs

LOCATION OF FOREIGN FIRMS AND NATIONAL BORDER EFFECTS: THE CASE OF POLAND

This paper investigates the importance of border effects for the location of foreign firms within Poland using a regional data set for the 1990s. In contrast to previous studies the border effects are estimated for individual neighbouring countries that belong to two groups: EU member countries and EU non-accessing countries. It is shown that border dummies for three EU non-accessing countries: Belarus, Russia and Ukraine are negative and statistically significant. These results suggest that regions located along the Polish segment of the Eastern frontier of the enlarged European Union are less attractive to foreign investors compared to other Polish regions, having controlled for their economic and social characteristics. This finding has important implications for the conduct of regional policy as public aid or special economic status may be necessary for these disadvantaged regions to prevent uneven regional growth and widening of development disparities within Poland. Copyright (c) 2005 by the Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG.