With approximately ** million inhabitants, Tokyo Prefecture was the largest prefecture based on population size in Japan as of 2023. The smallest prefecture in this regard was Tottori Prefecture, which in the same year counted about ******* residents. Rural depopulation Like many industrial economies, Japan is facing the problem of depopulating rural areas. While the birth rate continues to decline, many young people decide to migrate from small towns and villages to large cities like Tokyo or Osaka for higher education and employment. The population of Tokyo Prefecture has shown substantial growth over the past decades and consists largely of working age citizens. Smaller communities are trying to counteract the depopulation process with initiatives meant to invite younger workers and tourists back. Migration to Japan Japan is often described as a very homogenous society, with a low share of foreign residents. Despite the declining birthrate and many businesses experiencing a labor shortage, companies have been hesitant to employ foreign workers, in part due to the strict immigration laws. The Japanese Government has tried to ease immigration restrictions and encourage foreigners to work in Japan. The largest share of foreign workers in Japan, however, is residing in the county with a permanent residence or as the family member of a Japanese national.

In 2020, the population census showed that Tokyo had the highest daytime population among Japanese prefectures, amounting to roughly ***** million. In contrast, Tottori Prefecture had the smallest daytime population, comprising approximately *** thousand people.

Dataset

This dataset was created by leeDataWhiz

Released under Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Contents

Japan Population: Aichi-ken: 35 to 39 Years data was reported at 493.000 Person th in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 506.000 Person th for 2016. Japan Population: Aichi-ken: 35 to 39 Years data is updated yearly, averaging 526.000 Person th from Dec 1996 (Median) to 2017, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 624.000 Person th in 2010 and a record low of 426.000 Person th in 1996. Japan Population: Aichi-ken: 35 to 39 Years data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistical Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.G003: Population: Annual: By Prefecture.

Japan Population: Aichi-ken: 0 to 4 Years data was reported at 323.000 Person th in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 327.000 Person th for 2016. Japan Population: Aichi-ken: 0 to 4 Years data is updated yearly, averaging 351.500 Person th from Dec 1996 (Median) to 2017, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 370.000 Person th in 2002 and a record low of 323.000 Person th in 2017. Japan Population: Aichi-ken: 0 to 4 Years data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistical Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.G003: Population: Annual: By Prefecture.

In 2023, the population in Kyoto amounted to around **** million people, slightly less than in the previous year. Unlike other major Japanese cities like Tokyo or Osaka, Kyoto's population numbers did not seem to be affected by the war years during the 1940s. The prefecture's population listed a continuous growth from **** million people in 1920 to **** million inhabitants in 2010.

Tokyo Prefecture ranked first among Japanese prefectures in 2024 in terms of visiting rates by international tourists, with a visiting rate of **** percent. The second most visited prefecture was Osaka, followed by Chiba, which is neighboring Tokyo Prefecture. Tourism in Japan Inbound tourism strongly increased in the past decade, as the Japanese government actively engaged in projects to boost inbound tourism, setting high goals for the near future. However, the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted everything. Nevertheless, the newest inbound annual figures indicate that inbound tourism fully recovered from the pandemic, continuing its upward trend. Sightseeing in TokyoThe Japanese capital, Tokyo, is the largest city in Japan in terms of population. It consists of ** wards, of which many have a unique appeal for tourists. The most popular destinations in Tokyo for foreign visitors include districts such as Shinjuku, where the headquarters of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government are located, the shopping-district Ginza, and the electronic town Akihabara, which attracts overseas fans of Japanese popular culture. One-day trips to places outside of Tokyo, such as Kamakura, Nikko, or Yokohama, are also a possibility and add to the appeal the city has as a destination for inbound tourists.

Content

The data provides the population of Japan as collected by the official Japanese government from 1920 to 2015. It is given by year, prefecture, age range, and gender.

Inspiration

Can the data be used to answer questions such as the following?

• When and how did mass movement of population occurred from rural to urban areas?
• Which prefectures are rural? Which are urban?
• Were there gender and/or age differences in the movement of population?
• In what manner is the population shifting toward aged people?
• And much more.

Method of Editing and Translation

The following script written by the dataset owner was used:

import pandas as pd
import numpy as np
import re

japan_census = pd.read_csv('~/Downloads/c03.csv', encoding = 'SJIS')
# Eliminate a note
japan_census = japan_census.iloc[:-1]
# Eliminate the sums across prefectures
japan_census = japan_census[japan_census['年齢5歳階級'] != '総数']

def prefecture(japanese):
 return {
  '北海道': 'Hokkaido',
  '青森県': 'Aomori Prefecture',
  '岩手県': 'Iwate Prefecture',
  '宮城県': 'Miyagi Prefecture',
  '秋田県': 'Akita Prefecture',
  '山形県': 'Yamagata Prefecture',
  '福島県': 'Fukushima Prefecture',
  '茨城県': 'Ibaraki Prefecture',
  '栃木県': 'Tochigi Prefecture',
  '群馬県': 'Gunma Prefecture',
  '埼玉県': 'Saitama Prefecture',
  '千葉県': 'Chiba Prefecture',
  '東京都': 'Tokyo Metropolis',
  '神奈川県': 'Kanagawa Prefecture',
  '新潟県': 'Niigata Prefecture',
  '富山県': 'Toyama Prefecture',
  '石川県': 'Ishikawa Prefecture',
  '福井県': 'Fukui Prefecture',
  '山梨県': 'Yamanashi Prefecture',
  '長野県': 'Nagano Prefecture',
  '岐阜県': 'Gifu Prefecture',
  '静岡県': 'Shizuoka Prefecture',
  '愛知県': 'Aichi Prefecture',
  '三重県': 'Mie Prefecture',
  '滋賀県': 'Shiga Prefecture',
  '京都府': 'Kyoto Prefecture',
  '大阪府': 'Osaka Prefecture',
  '兵庫県': 'Hyogo Prefecture',
  '奈良県': 'Nara Prefecture',
  '和歌山県': 'Wakayama Prefecture',
  '鳥取県': 'Tottori Prefecture',
  '島根県': 'Shimane Prefecture',
  '岡山県': 'Okayama Prefecture',
  '広島県': 'Hiroshima Prefecture',
  '山口県': 'Yamaguchi Prefecture',
  '徳島県': 'Tokushima Prefecture',
  '香川県': 'Kagawa Prefecture',
  '愛媛県': 'Ehime Prefecture',
  '高知県': 'Kochi Prefecture',
  '福岡県': 'Fukui Prefecture',
  '佐賀県': 'Saga Prefecture',
  '長崎県': 'Nagasaki Prefecture',
  '熊本県': 'Kumamoto Prefecture',
  '大分県': 'Oita Prefecture',
  '宮崎県': 'Miyazaki Prefecture',
  '鹿児島県': 'Kagoshima Prefecture',
  '沖縄県': 'Okinawa Prefecture',
 }.get(japanese)

japan_census_translated = pd.DataFrame()
japan_census_translated['Year'] = japan_census['西暦（年）'].astype('int')
japan_census_translated['Prefecture'] = japan_census['都道府県名'].map(lambda x: prefecture(x))
japan_census_translated[['Age Lower Bound', 'Age Upper Bound']] = [
 [m.group(1), m.group(2)] for m in japan_census['年齢5歳階級'].map(lambda x: re.search('(\d+)\D+(\d+)?', x))
]
japan_census_translated = pd.DataFrame(
 np.repeat(japan_census_translated.values, 2, axis = 0),
 columns = japan_census_translated.columns
)
japan_census_translated[['Gender', 'Population']] = [
 x for _, row in japan_census.iterrows() for x in [
  ['Male', int(row.loc['人口（男）'])],
  ['Female', int(row.loc['人口（女）'])],
 ]
]
print(japan_census_translated)
japan_census_translated.to_csv('japanese_census.csv')

Population: Aichi-ken: Male: 5 to 9 Years data was reported at 176.000 Person th in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 177.000 Person th for 2016. Population: Aichi-ken: Male: 5 to 9 Years data is updated yearly, averaging 181.000 Person th from Dec 1996 (Median) to 2017, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 190.000 Person th in 2007 and a record low of 175.000 Person th in 2014. Population: Aichi-ken: Male: 5 to 9 Years data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistical Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.G003: Population: Annual: By Prefecture.

This dataset summarizes the inter-prefecture migration of Japanese citizens only in 2024, excluding foreign nationals from the original data collected by the Statistics Bureau of Japan. It includes migration counts between each of the 47 prefectures (ken), enabling analysis of top migration flows for any given prefecture in terms of both in-migrants and out-migrants.

• In-migrants: Individuals who moved into a new prefecture.
• Out-migrants: Individuals who moved out of a prefecture to a new location.

Although the original data contains information on major cities and migrant demographics such as gender, this dataset includes data only for the 47 prefectures. Therefore, city-level data is excluded from geographic visualisations like maps.

The dataset was created to study and visualise migration patterns within Japan, particularly focusing on rural depopulation and the emergence of “ghost villages.”

In 2023, the total population in Japan's capital Tokyo Prefecture amounted to approximately **** million inhabitants. Tokyo's population rebounded after it declined for the first time post-WWII in ****.

Japan Population: Shimane-ken: Male: 0 to 4 Years data was reported at 14.000 Person th in 2017. This stayed constant from the previous number of 14.000 Person th for 2016. Japan Population: Shimane-ken: Male: 0 to 4 Years data is updated yearly, averaging 15.000 Person th from Dec 1996 (Median) to 2017, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 18.000 Person th in 1997 and a record low of 14.000 Person th in 2017. Japan Population: Shimane-ken: Male: 0 to 4 Years data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistical Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.G003: Population: Annual: By Prefecture.

Japan Population: Yamagata-ken: Female: 15 to 19 Years data was reported at 25.000 Person th in 2017. This stayed constant from the previous number of 25.000 Person th for 2016. Japan Population: Yamagata-ken: Female: 15 to 19 Years data is updated yearly, averaging 30.500 Person th from Dec 1996 (Median) to 2017, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 39.000 Person th in 1997 and a record low of 25.000 Person th in 2017. Japan Population: Yamagata-ken: Female: 15 to 19 Years data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistical Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.G003: Population: Annual: By Prefecture.

In 2023, around 137,240 deaths were recorded in Tokyo, Japan, decreasing slightly compared to the previous year. In 2023, the number of deaths reported in the Japanese metropolis was the highest among all 47 prefectures.

Population: Aichi-ken: Female: 70 to 74 Years data was reported at 227.000 Person th in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 220.000 Person th for 2016. Population: Aichi-ken: Female: 70 to 74 Years data is updated yearly, averaging 183.000 Person th from Dec 1996 (Median) to 2017, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 233.000 Person th in 2014 and a record low of 127.000 Person th in 1996. Population: Aichi-ken: Female: 70 to 74 Years data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistical Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.G003: Population: Annual: By Prefecture.

Population: Aichi-ken: Male: Over 80 Years data was reported at 193.000 Person th in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 181.000 Person th for 2016. Population: Aichi-ken: Male: Over 80 Years data is updated yearly, averaging 102.000 Person th from Dec 1996 (Median) to 2017, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 193.000 Person th in 2017 and a record low of 60.000 Person th in 1996. Population: Aichi-ken: Male: Over 80 Years data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistical Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.G003: Population: Annual: By Prefecture.

Population: Akita-ken: Female: 65 to 69 Years data was reported at 49.000 Person th in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 50.000 Person th for 2016. Population: Akita-ken: Female: 65 to 69 Years data is updated yearly, averaging 46.000 Person th from Dec 1996 (Median) to 2017, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 50.000 Person th in 2016 and a record low of 36.000 Person th in 2011. Population: Akita-ken: Female: 65 to 69 Years data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistical Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.G003: Population: Annual: By Prefecture.

Japan Population: Aichi-ken: 20 to 24 Years data was reported at 409.000 Person th in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 401.000 Person th for 2016. Japan Population: Aichi-ken: 20 to 24 Years data is updated yearly, averaging 448.000 Person th from Dec 1996 (Median) to 2017, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 605.000 Person th in 1996 and a record low of 391.000 Person th in 2015. Japan Population: Aichi-ken: 20 to 24 Years data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistical Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.G003: Population: Annual: By Prefecture.

Population: Aichi-ken: Female: 80 to 84 Years data was reported at 156.000 Person th in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 150.000 Person th for 2016. Population: Aichi-ken: Female: 80 to 84 Years data is updated yearly, averaging 129.000 Person th from Dec 2007 (Median) to 2017, with 11 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 156.000 Person th in 2017 and a record low of 105.000 Person th in 2007. Population: Aichi-ken: Female: 80 to 84 Years data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistical Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.G003: Population: Annual: By Prefecture.

Japan Population: Kyoto-fu: Male: 30 to 34 Years data was reported at 69.000 Person th in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 70.000 Person th for 2016. Japan Population: Kyoto-fu: Male: 30 to 34 Years data is updated yearly, averaging 86.500 Person th from Dec 1996 (Median) to 2017, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 102.000 Person th in 2004 and a record low of 69.000 Person th in 2017. Japan Population: Kyoto-fu: Male: 30 to 34 Years data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistical Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.G003: Population: Annual: By Prefecture.