A number that Toshima Ward has greatly improved after giving up the stigma of being “at risk of disappearing” 10 years since it became “the only one of Tokyo’s 23 wards”: Tokyo Shimbun TOKYO Web

◆Nikko City and Hakone Town also have a “possibility of extinction”

The Population Strategy Council, a private organization made up of business community volunteers, announced on the 24th that 744 local governments, or more than 40% of all municipalities nationwide, are experiencing a serious population decline and are at risk of disappearing in the future. A report was published.

The report found 91 municipalities in the Tokyo metropolitan area and six prefectures to be at risk of extinction. There are 46 municipalities in the three prefectures of Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Chiba. It also includes some of Japan’s leading tourist destinations, such as Nikko City in Tochigi Prefecture and Hakone Town in Kanagawa Prefecture.

Two towns and villages were cited in Tokyo. All 23 wards, including Toshima Ward, which was the only one to qualify last time, were out. However, the “black hole type” where the birth rate is low and depends on the inflow of population from other areas is Shinjuku, Bunkyo, Taito, Sumida, Shinagawa, Meguro, Ota, Setagaya, Shibuya, Nakano, Suginami, Toshima, Kita, Arakawa, Itabashi, It has reached the 16th ward of Nerima. This accounted for over 60% of the 25 local governments nationwide that fell into the same category.

In Chiba, 22 municipalities were designated as “municipalities at risk of extinction”, accounting for approximately 40% of the total 54 municipalities. Saitama has 16 municipalities, one quarter of the total 63 municipalities, and Kanagawa has six municipalities, just under 20% of the total 33 municipalities.

On the other hand, Hachijo Town in Tokyo, Hayama Town and Kaisei Town in Kanagawa, Namekawa Town in Saitama, and Nagareyama City and Inzai City in Chiba were classified as “independent and sustainable local governments.” (Masashi Hara)

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◆ Promoting its appeal as a sacred place for women, child-rearing support, and subculture

Toshima Ward, which was the only Tokyo 23 ward rated as “at risk of extinction” in the previous report 10 years ago, has significantly improved its young female population decline rate from 50.8% in the previous report to 2.8% this time, making it “at risk of extinction”. I got out of the sexual crisis. On the evening of the 24th, Mayor Miyuki Takagiwa expressed relief, telling reporters, “I’m relieved.”

At the time of the release of the previous report, Mayor Yukio Takano (who has since passed away) called the situation “shocking”, and has since stepped up efforts to improve the environment for raising children, including by establishing a “Women-Friendly Town Development Division”. She has focused her efforts on the development of daycare centers, and has made school lunches free of charge at elementary and junior high schools in the ward since September last year. We have also promoted urban development centered on culture, and have worked to improve the city’s appeal by holding events as a sacred place for manga and anime.

Perhaps due to these efforts, the number of young women in 2050 was estimated at approximately 50,000, a slight decrease from the approximately 52,000 in 2020. As a result, it seems that they have escaped the “possibility of extinction”. A 39-year-old female office worker who is raising a 7-year-old and a 3-year-old child in the ward said, “I’m satisfied that the city has escaped the status of a city at risk of disappearing.”

◆But the birth rate is 7th worst in the nation

However, this time, the young female population is also estimated, excluding inflows from other regions. According to this report, by 2050, the number had fallen to about 17,000. For this reason, it has been classified as a “black hole type” that relies on inflows to maintain its population. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare announced on the 19th that Toshima Ward was ranked 7th worst in the country for the total fertility rate by municipality for 2018-2022.

Mayor Takagiwa said, “I want to do everything I can to make sure that the wishes of those who want to have a child and continue to live while raising a child come true, without getting excited or depressed.” (Yuko Nagatake, Noji Yamaguchi)