Description:
Word War second left Japan crippled, affecting its economy, governance, demography, settlements, social well-being, and others. However, Japan used this as an opportunity to restructure itself to become a progressive, balanced, and well-rounded country. Spatial or territorial development is critical to national economic transformation. It is supported by and simultaneously impacts economic, social, demographic, institutional, and administrative reforms. Based on lessons from a wide range of international experiences, three key agendas arise as key to effective territorial development: (a) concentration: create generic capital for an uncertain future economy, (b) connectivity: connect markets nationally and internationally, and (c) convergence: ensure decent living standards everywhere. Japan has followed a virtuous path of quite intense concentration, with early investment in strong connectivity between places, and in high living standards and human capital investments everywhere. At present, Japan is entering an era of substantial decline and aging of the population, which requires reexamining of all the plans and policies for reconstructing the society. Looking forward, Japan’s declining, and aging population, in fact raises the importance of allowing concentration in a few dynamic, high-amenity, places that can be serviced efficiently, rather than trying to spread a dwindling population across the country