Why MOST Of Japan's Population Live In Just Three Cities: Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya

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  • čas přidán 20. 05. 2024
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    Japan is a fascinating country for a lot of reasons. But chief among them is the fact that well over half the population live in just three metropolitan areas: Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. And for a country that is both larger in population (125 million people) and large in size (145,000 square miles) there should probably be more areas of the country that have more people. So why do so many Japanese live within just three relatively tiny areas?
    Stock footage is acquired from www.storyblocks.com.
    Photo credits:
    Samurai photo by wellcomeimages.org/indexplus/... CC-BY-4.0, CC BY 4.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
    Himeji Castle photo by Niko Kitsakis - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
    Animation support provided by DH Designs (needahittman.com)
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Komentáře • 353

  • @PrepareToTakeoff
    @PrepareToTakeoff Před 7 měsíci +86

    "and as usual, there is a geographic reason behind this" never gets old!

  • @PolecanePC
    @PolecanePC Před 7 měsíci +27

    Just some data.
    Tokyo itself has 14M people
    the whole metropolitan area which is named Greater Tokyo has 37M total

  • @ThatNinjaGuy
    @ThatNinjaGuy Před 7 měsíci +60

    A common misconception people have about Tokyo is that it is a city. In fact it’s NOT a city but Tokyo is actually a prefecture (politically equivalent to state in the us) Tokyo has a governor, and within Tokyo there are multiple cities, towns and villages. What people think of when they think “the city of Tokyo” are the 23 special districts of Tokyo. They each have their own mayor, their own education system, police, fire departments, etc.

    • @ericjohnson8169
      @ericjohnson8169 Před 7 měsíci +9

      how is Los angeles different? Tokyo is a city, just with many overlapping government authorities. NYC itself has over 30 different government authorities. It's common for large cities.

    • @ThatNinjaGuy
      @ThatNinjaGuy Před 7 měsíci +16

      Los Angelas is a city within the STATE of California. Tokyo is a prefecture which is similar to a state. There are many cities within the PREFECTURE of Tokyo just like there are many cities within the STATE of California. For example an address in the U.S you would say “I live in Los Angelas, California” in Japan you could say “I live in Musashino City, Tokyo.”

    • @outsideln
      @outsideln Před 7 měsíci +6

      @@ThatNinjaGuy Agreeing with the other comment.
      There is actually no city named Tokyo, just consider the following address for the Tokyo metro government building.
      Street - 2-8-1 Nishishinjuku
      City/Town - Shinjuku
      State/Prefecture - Tokyo
      Zip - 163-8001
      Country - Japan
      Every address in Tokyo is going to list Tokyo as the state of prefecture, never the town or city.

    • @ThatNinjaGuy
      @ThatNinjaGuy Před 7 měsíci +5

      @@outsideln yes exactly. Shinjuku for example has their own mayor, all the cities in Tokyo have their own mayor like any city in the US and they all report to the Tokyo governor just as the mayors in cities in a US state would report to their state governor. I understand why people who don’t live here think it’s a city, but I if tell anyone who lives in Japan that Tokyo is a “city” they will tell you other wise

    • @socks_cat356
      @socks_cat356 Před 7 měsíci

      During the reconstruction period after World War II, Tokyo's population density had already become too high, causing the so-called donut phenomenon in which surrounding cities became commuter towns.The economic zone for commuting to work and school is now called the Tokyo area. did.

  • @photon434
    @photon434 Před 7 měsíci +3

    Nice video. I like the way you capture so many key aspects of each location. Keep em coming!

  • @StrawberryRaine
    @StrawberryRaine Před 7 měsíci +74

    I went to Japan for the first time last week. I wanted to visit a smaller city, rather than the big three, so I went to Kofu. The glimpse I got of Tokyo compared to what I experienced in Kofu was staggering! Tokyo truly looked bustling, people absolutely everywhere. Kofu, on the other hand, was very quiet and peaceful. The area immediately outside the train station was fairly busy, but literally anywhere other than that was very empty. I found I was the only one wondering the streats more than once. I visited Kofu castle, I thought it would be at least a little busy considering it's one of the main tourist attractions in Kofu, but there were only about five other people there, and I think some of them were workers setting up for an upcoming event or something. The time of day I went was also likely a factor, 12pm on a weekday, but even exploring the city on the weekend was very peaceful.
    Sure, Kofu wasn't as convenient as I'm sure Tokyo is. There's not as many tourist spots or things to do, and no one really spoke English, but I'm very happy I went. It was easier to go at my own pace, and it was so nice often being the only one visiting a given location. Just being able to have space to myself, which I hear is much harder to find in Tokyo.
    I'm sure I'll go to Tokyo and Kyoto and such someday, but I recommend that people get out of those main areas more as well!

    • @LavaCreeperPeople
      @LavaCreeperPeople Před 7 měsíci +1

      Ok, i will not move to japan then

    • @kendelion
      @kendelion Před 7 měsíci

      i have a grandma in Tokushima, and I can't believe it was the 10th 100yrs+ ago.
      Now whenever I visit there, it's just green and old people living.

    • @MinasanKonnichiwa777
      @MinasanKonnichiwa777 Před 6 měsíci +1

      I've been to 25+ prefectures in Japan and I share the exact same views. It's strange that tourists just end up visiting Tokyo,kyoto and Osaka only. the other places by no means are boring. every prefecture has lots of hidden gems and rich in history and culture. Yes these areas may not be as English friendly but the locals are even more welcoming to tourists since there aren't that many tourists visiting these places.

    • @edilee5909
      @edilee5909 Před 6 měsíci +1

      Agreed. I spent 10 of 14 days in Tokyo and Osaka-Kyoto area but the other 4 days were the most memorable for me. Saw Nagano (mostly for snow monkeys) and Sapporo and its suburbs. The beauty of modern Japanese cities harmonious with the surrounding nature is unmatched.

    • @StrawberryRaine
      @StrawberryRaine Před 6 měsíci

      @@edilee5909 Ah, I would love to see the snow monkeys some day as well! I completely forgot about them until I read that!

  • @theknowledgeco-operative6997
    @theknowledgeco-operative6997 Před 7 měsíci +34

    Japan has always had a remarkably urban society. For centuries it has had one or more of the world's largest cities.

  • @mnj5826
    @mnj5826 Před 7 měsíci +19

    Thanks for awesome insights!
    8:14 Toyota HQ is not in Greater Tokyo but in Nagoya. Instead, Nissan is located in Yokohama, Greater Tokyo.

  • @user-mk8dv7oo1d
    @user-mk8dv7oo1d Před 6 měsíci +5

    8:19 Toyota's headquarter is located in Toyota city, Aichi prefecture nearby Nagoya city.

  • @itsehsanh
    @itsehsanh Před 7 měsíci +82

    Excellent video. I have traveled to 100 countries and Japan is my number 1 country. It has something for everyone. I have been three times and each time I have felt more at "home." I do plan to move there in the near future!

    • @paypay7362
      @paypay7362 Před 7 měsíci +4

      ようこそ🫡

    • @21Kikoshi
      @21Kikoshi Před 7 měsíci +8

      As a foreigner that lives there now, visiting for holiday and living in a country is different. After the honeymoon phase one can get a better understanding if its for them or not.

    • @socks_cat356
      @socks_cat356 Před 7 měsíci +8

      It's been over a year since pewdiepie, the world's most subscribed CZcamsr, moved to Japan, and he seems to be very comfortable there.

    • @itsehsanh
      @itsehsanh Před 7 měsíci +2

      Thats true for most but I am unlike most who come to visit. I definitely travel local, and stay with locals when the opportunity presents itself. But as long as I continue to have a good paying career, I know I would settle in nicely in Japan.

    • @bb4251
      @bb4251 Před 7 měsíci +2

      @@socks_cat356Because he literally has tens of millions of dollars - the average Japanese middle class has to work extremely long hours

  • @SerbAtheist
    @SerbAtheist Před 7 měsíci +12

    Nagoya is perhaps the largest megacity that people know about but don't realize it's a megacity.

  • @kosjeyr
    @kosjeyr Před 7 měsíci +11

    While in the military, I spent 3 years on Okinawa from 2009 to 2012. Typhoon parties... earthquakes... all were fun to me.
    The banyan tree...

  • @toomuchdrivetothrive
    @toomuchdrivetothrive Před 7 měsíci +16

    I lived in rural Japan and it was the best time of my life. I lived in Tokyo for 7 years and had fun but would never do it again. Kyushuu is the best place in Asia IMO. It is perfect. Good weather (except for typhoons), nice beaches, low cost of living, really nice people, great food and gorgeous scenery.

    • @edilee5909
      @edilee5909 Před 6 měsíci

      Is it hard to find a job with limited Japanese? I started learning on my own pace and want to move before hitting 30 but idk if it's doable..

  • @baboon500
    @baboon500 Před 7 měsíci +91

    I live in the US my whole life. I visited Japan for the first time back in August. Their public transportation is so impressive and I loved their bullet trains. The distance from Tokyo to Osaka is almost the same as NYC to Buffalo, NY which (about 7 hours by car). Shinkansen takes about of that time. It is sad in the US, I have to drive everywhere to get around.

    • @michelangelobuonarroti4958
      @michelangelobuonarroti4958 Před 7 měsíci +14

      The Shinkansen takes 2,5h for Tokyo-Osaka right?

    • @FederatedStatesofMicronesia
      @FederatedStatesofMicronesia Před 7 měsíci

      L american 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈

    • @abubakrumar
      @abubakrumar Před 7 měsíci +4

      @@michelangelobuonarroti4958 yes

    • @andylucas5770
      @andylucas5770 Před 4 měsíci +2

      Except no one lives in Buffalo, and there’s absolutely no business case for building you a bullet train to get there. If you wanted to make a better point, talk about the distance to Boston, and ask why Acela can’t go 250mph.

    • @twinkjakdoomer
      @twinkjakdoomer Před měsícem

      @@FederatedStatesofMicronesiayou’re nation will be underwater in 30 years.

  • @BrianBaileyedtech
    @BrianBaileyedtech Před 7 měsíci +37

    I am in Japan right now - just outside of metro Tokyo in Tsuchiura. I love Tokyo but the mid-sized cities have a much better quality of life - like Okayama or Takamatsu where I was earlier this week. Okayama has a metro population of 700,000 but it feels much smaller. Takamatsu is at 350,000. These two cities are modern, clean and not nearly as dense as Tokyo, making it easier and more relaxing to get around.

    • @elitealice
      @elitealice Před 6 měsíci +2

      kyushu is the best imo

    • @BrianBaileyedtech
      @BrianBaileyedtech Před 6 měsíci +2

      Yep, I think so too. Really kind people, different vibe than the rest of Japan - plus Aso is awesome!!@@elitealice

  • @SeverityOne
    @SeverityOne Před 7 měsíci +10

    Regarding geography: I'm a bit weird, in the sense that I like to watch train cab ride videos. It's like going on a little adventure, not knowing where you'll end up.
    One of these videos was of a Japanese local, narrow gauge passenger train. It was somewhere in winter. Nothing spectacular, people were wearing winter clothes, but that was about it. At some point, the train entered a tunnel, and when it came out, it was in the middle of a quite serious snowstorm.
    The geography played a _major_ role in how Japan was shaped.

  • @Ricky911_
    @Ricky911_ Před 7 měsíci +82

    I think there are certain factors that should be mentioned here, like snow. Japan is the snowiest country in the world. However, most of that snow actually falls in a very specific area. Osaka and Nagoya are only a few kilometres away from getting massive amounts of snow. Tokyo is a bit more shielded though because of the mountains. During the sengoku period, there were certain areas like Hokuriku and Tohoku that had a military advantage thanks to the snow. So, many of those places grew in population. In fact, in 1850, Kanazawa was the 4th most populous city in the country and it is now the 35th most populous. Sapporo, on the other hand, has grown but that's mostly because people who liked snow and wanted to get away from the humid Summers of the South moved there throughout the Meiji and post-Meiji era. It should also be mentioned that Hokkaido was basically uncharted territory at the time. So, lots of people settled there in the same way Americans settled in California during the same time. Of course, these aren't the only factors. Tokushima was the 10th biggest city in 1873 and now it's the 87th. Part of the reason for this has to do with the fact that it's located in Shikoku, the poorest island, which didn't allow much population growth due to the surrounding area. The small amount of space was also an issue for Nagasaki. It's historically been a massive port city but, despite that, Fukuoka is by far the largest city in Kyushu and that's primarily thanks to the landscape. Fukuoka is located on a plain while Nagasaki is squeezed in between the mountains. In fact, if you go to Nagasaki, you'll notice way more people live in apartments than the rest of the country because of the land and despite being a coastal city, some people even live more than 200 metres above sea level. The Kanto region and the plains in Nagoya were desirable and they were sparsely populated, hence why they grew. This how Yokohama went from being a minor city to Japan's second largest city, overtaking Osaka. The prefecture of Kanagawa had massive amounts of flat land that Osaka didn't have.
    Hvaing said that, everything else that you've touched on is correct. I just thought I'd add this as well since I know quite a lot about Japan's history and geography myself.

    • @PurpleMonkeyDishwasher88
      @PurpleMonkeyDishwasher88 Před 7 měsíci +9

      Thanks for the extra info. If I am not mistaken, Sapporo is the snowiest city in the world.

    • @user-uo9yr3oj6m
      @user-uo9yr3oj6m Před 7 měsíci +7

      @@PurpleMonkeyDishwasher88 The city with the most snowfall in the world is Aomori. Sapporo ranks second.

    • @filozofina
      @filozofina Před 7 měsíci +4

      Thank you for all this info. In my mind these details are more interesting and relevant, esp. From a graphical protective than what was presented in the video. I did not learn anything new from the video and most of the arguments presented were more historical and sociological in nature

    • @wilburwood8261
      @wilburwood8261 Před 7 měsíci

      長げえ。。

    • @user-mt2mo1ts3z
      @user-mt2mo1ts3z Před 6 měsíci +2

      Osaka has more plains. Yokohama developed into a huge city because of its geographical proximity to Tokyo. Yokohama is considered by its citizens to have many mountains and not so many plains.

  • @Scorpioking1987
    @Scorpioking1987 Před 7 měsíci +2

    Excellent Job love the video

  • @Itsunobaka
    @Itsunobaka Před 7 měsíci +1

    great video and analysis. thanks for your hard work ^^

  • @PentaroTomohiro
    @PentaroTomohiro Před 7 měsíci +15

    Since when Tokyo is home to Toyota instead of Toyota city in Aichi prefecture?

  • @TheeDavidDee
    @TheeDavidDee Před 7 měsíci +5

    Great video, Geoff! We appreciate you

  • @paul935ctc
    @paul935ctc Před 7 měsíci +7

    The reason is simple. Because the Old capital was Kyoto and the new one is Tokyo. Historical demography shows in 1600AD one third of its people lived in present Kansai region, or "Kyoto and Osaka metropolitan zone". And From the 17th century, the development of Edo/ Tokyo - the Tokugawa shogun's home city and turned to be the true capital from the mid-19th century onwards - caused the population to move from Kansai to Kanto. The two metropolis were separated by the steep Japanese Alps, so the most important route connecting them detours along the southern coast - Tokaido road. The most fertile land along the road was Nagoya.

  • @WarriorsPhoto
    @WarriorsPhoto Před 7 měsíci +8

    I wasn't planning on traveling far East but we did.
    I'm thankful for the history lessons that lead up to modern times.
    Excited to see where you'll take us next Geoff. 😊

  • @halohat2286
    @halohat2286 Před 7 měsíci +3

    That's one heck of an island 😊

  • @PrepareToTakeoff
    @PrepareToTakeoff Před 7 měsíci +21

    Hey Geoff, I love your videos! You explain concepts in such a fun and interesting way and gave me lots of Geography knowledge! Keep up the great work!

  • @laurat7232
    @laurat7232 Před 7 měsíci +2

    I like the way you explain the declining population issue, could you do the same for Bulgaria?

  • @farikalsayid5654
    @farikalsayid5654 Před 7 měsíci +6

    Traveling on a train in Japan you can see urban jungle for mikes them forested mountains and small towns. You can also see large lakes and the ocean depending on your route. It’s a beautiful country although at times I feel that the cities are too crowded.
    I was on vacation whilst my poor wife was on work trip there. I miss it although it’s only been two weeks since returning home.
    Strange/ironic feeling: although I was staying in a train station hotel that had thousands of people commuting through it each day, I never felt uneasy and in danger. Where’s here I go shopping or to a restaurant I’m constantly on guard…thanks, America.
    My wife and I are now planning a job transfer for her so we can live there. I’m retired so I’m good to go either way. My peace of mind is in a smaller city-hub train station south of Tokyo. ❤

  • @thechairman74
    @thechairman74 Před 7 měsíci +5

    My family and I went to Hokkaido this summer and yeah there's parts of it where you don't see a soul for miles. It's beautiful and cooler than Honshu but of course it gets buried in snow in winter.

  • @dboygreenz
    @dboygreenz Před 7 měsíci

    Also history by Geoff 👍 awesome

  • @21Kyzix12
    @21Kyzix12 Před 7 měsíci +15

    Great video. It's always interesting when a channel I watch comes out with a video about where I live. Though one mistake I noticed is that Toyota is actually based out of the Nagoya area (specifically the city of Toyota right next to Nagoya city proper) not Tokyo.

  • @sapphirexwind
    @sapphirexwind Před 7 měsíci +2

    I've been to Japan 3-4 times - mainly during/after the time I was teaching English in Korea, twice to Tokyo, once to Osaka, Twice to Fukuoka, and I think once to Nagoya....and Also once to Okinawa and Nagasaki. I really prefer areas that aren't so populated and are warmer than most of the large cities in Japan. I spent Xmas and NYE in Fukyoka with a friend from there and her family, then went down to Okinawa and stayed in a mostly empty hostel outside of the city, then took a ferry to an island to stay the night. I've been to many islands that are only accessible by boat and even found a museum in the woods, which was a Dutch painter's house at one time, and a field of flowers overlooking the water. Yes, I became interested in Japan in my 20s as a doll collector and once upon a time an anime / gaming / music fan... but now that I'm 40, those hobbies have subsided and I am just in awe of the beautiful countryside and rural temples. I will retire there someday....Kyushu or Okinawa...

  • @hanojo6098
    @hanojo6098 Před 7 měsíci

    I liked the videos that start with (why ppl dont live here) i learned to which city to avoid moving to

  • @keeganbrown9967
    @keeganbrown9967 Před 7 měsíci +6

    I really want to visit Japan one day 😊

  • @BryanTarinLozaMusic
    @BryanTarinLozaMusic Před 7 měsíci

    Love your videos bro

  • @caseclosed9342
    @caseclosed9342 Před 7 měsíci +4

    My grandfather and father have been to Japan. Someday I will visit.

  • @jeremiahallyn4603
    @jeremiahallyn4603 Před 7 měsíci +8

    I never noticed until this video, but Japan kind of looks like a dragon. Considering how dragons play such a role in Japanese culture, that's pretty interesting, at least to me. This was a really good video, Geoff 🙌🙂

  • @Fools_Requiem
    @Fools_Requiem Před 7 měsíci +6

    It's geography is pretty much a major reason I'd want to move there. As much as I love cities, Japan's cities are far too packed. But the rest of the country is fucking gorgeous. It actually wouldn't be that much of a disadvantage to live in the rural areas simply because of the short distance you'd need to travel to get to places. It's not like living in rural Wyoming. It's more like living in rural New England (Northern Maine excluded). Sure, its rural, but you're not hundreds of miles away from civilization.

  • @allezvenga7617
    @allezvenga7617 Před 7 měsíci

    Thanks for your sharing

  • @fjp3305
    @fjp3305 Před 7 měsíci +1

    Very interesting

  • @user-hc5em2ru3u
    @user-hc5em2ru3u Před 7 měsíci +9

    From Japan
    This video is well done, but unfortunately there are some mistakes and not enough explanation.
    Tokyo Metroplex → Greater Tokyo Area ( Tokyo Metropolis and the prefectures of Chiba, Gunma, Ibaraki, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Tochigi)
    Osaka Metroplex → Kinki Major Metropolitan Area (Osaka Prefecture and parts of Hyogo, Kyoto, Nara, Shiga, Wakayama, Mie Prefectures)
    Nagoya Metroplex → Chūkyō metropolitan area (Aichi, Gifu, Mie Prefectures)
    Population of each prefecture
    Tokyo Metropolis 14 million
    Osaka Prefecture 8.8 million
    Aichi Prefecture 7.5 million
    TOYOTA is located in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture.
    You can find out the rest on your own.

  • @liongkienfai104
    @liongkienfai104 Před 7 měsíci +20

    Hey Geoff. When comparing the different states across East Asia, you portrayed the ones in China and Korea as splintered, while the ones in Japan as unified. I think it would've been a good opportunity to bring up the Ryukyu Kingdom (today part of Okinawa and Kagoshima prefectures) that was a proper state, and annexed by the Japanese Empire as late as 1879.

    • @guyman1570
      @guyman1570 Před 7 měsíci +5

      And the infamous Sengoku Era where Japan was divided between shoguns.

    • @dr.woozie7500
      @dr.woozie7500 Před 7 měsíci +10

      Japan literally had a warring states period, I'm not sure why he thinks Japan was always unified.

    • @andrewdelrusso4951
      @andrewdelrusso4951 Před 7 měsíci +10

      yea, this guy often misrepresents stuff. He doesn't seem that knowledgeable tbh

    • @tomatodo375
      @tomatodo375 Před 7 měsíci +19

      Japan always have been a single state even in the warring(Sengoku) period, because those battles were fought among feudal lords but they are all belongs Japan under the emperor technically.
      I'm Japanese FYI.

    • @jeff__w
      @jeff__w Před 7 měsíci

      @@tomatodo375 Well, Japan might have been a single state under an emperor but it seems like the Three Unifiers (Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Tokugawa Ieyasu) were probably unifying, well, _something._ Meanwhile, Korea had unified eight centuries earlier and didn't have warring factions. I guess you _could_ say that Japan unified under an emperor before Korea unified in 936 but it’s still odd to characterize Korea as “splintered” in contrast to Japan when the latter having civil wars and the former had been, for centuries, peaceful and stable.

  • @arifshahabuddin8888
    @arifshahabuddin8888 Před 7 měsíci +22

    Japan indeed is a fascinating country. Three countries: Japan, Germany and the UK (in the past) were able to turn their relatively small countries with limited resources into powerhouses. Indeed, Japan and Germany are the third and fourth wealthiest countries in the world, respectively.
    One way to learn more about Japan is to watch the classic films of directors such as Akira Kurosawa, Yasujiro Ozu and Kenji Mizoguchi. The films of the jidaigeki genre (period films ("jidai" is where George Lucas got the word "jedi")) was a specialty of Mizoguchi. His classic films include "Sansho the Bailiff" which takes place in the Heian period (~1000 AD), "Ugetsu" which takes place in Sengoku period (~ 1550 AD), "The Life of Oharu" which takes place in the Edo period (~ 1650 AD) and "The Last Chrysanthemum" which takes place at the turn of the 20th century. Ozu's films focused more on the contemporary period (gendaigeki). His classic films include "Late Spring", "Tokyo Story" and "An Autumn Afternoon." Each of these films depict the transformation of Japanese life in the post-war period. Finally, Kurosawa, who may well be the greatest director that ever lived, directed films about both the past and present. The jidaigeki genre includes "Rashomon", "Seven Samurai", "Kagemusha" and "Ran." His gendaigeki films include "Stray Dog", "Ikiru" and "High and Low."
    This was a limited list of films and there were other great Japanese directors. Each of the films mentioned, however, were classics with "Tokyo Story" sometimes ranking as the greatest film ever made. These films give a great appreciation for Japanese history and culture.

    • @anu1776
      @anu1776 Před 7 měsíci +2

      Breaks my heart as a dutch person to not see my country in the "small country turned into a powerhouse" list :(

    • @gytan2221
      @gytan2221 Před 7 měsíci

      @@anu1776 because it’s too small

    • @anu1776
      @anu1776 Před 7 měsíci

      @@gytan2221 what that makes no sense at all? the netherlands ran a full on empire (the dutch empire) for two hundred years while being above the french and english during that period.

    • @gytan2221
      @gytan2221 Před 7 měsíci

      @@anu1776 I mean now

    • @anu1776
      @anu1776 Před 7 měsíci

      @@gytan2221 explain

  • @harmonj3
    @harmonj3 Před 7 měsíci

    This was another good video, thanks! Where do you get all the great clips/footage you use in these videos?

  • @Humancompassion1234
    @Humancompassion1234 Před 7 měsíci

    Thank you

  • @Humancompassion1234
    @Humancompassion1234 Před 7 měsíci

    Enjoyed

  • @classic.cameras
    @classic.cameras Před 7 měsíci +5

    Now I shall never look at "Edo Japan" the same. Didnt know Edo was Tokyo's original name. Thanks Geoff.

    • @jeremiahallyn4603
      @jeremiahallyn4603 Před 7 měsíci +1

      Neither did I. It's always fun to learn new things 👏

  • @CoryAlbrecht
    @CoryAlbrecht Před 7 měsíci

    I find that your last few videos have suffered from horrible audio sync issues to the point that it's painful to look at the screen during the parts showing yourself talking.😢

  • @history_leisure
    @history_leisure Před 7 měsíci

    You need to change the “new podcast every Wednesday bug”

  • @keboonplumeria5266
    @keboonplumeria5266 Před 6 měsíci +2

    Nonetheless, it is still nice insights. He just pointing out how dense the population on those 3 areas - some parts are a bit exergerated but not hold so much differents; considering he do not elaborating it to exact detail

  • @herschelwright4663
    @herschelwright4663 Před 7 měsíci +4

    No mention of Sapporo?😢

  • @jeffsnow7749
    @jeffsnow7749 Před 7 měsíci

    Excellent video! ✌👏

  • @stuartrollings602
    @stuartrollings602 Před 7 měsíci

    Thanks…very interesting…have you done China as well?

  • @bnthern
    @bnthern Před 7 měsíci

    very good

  • @johnegan5967
    @johnegan5967 Před 7 měsíci

    At 3:31, you misspelled "business"

  • @filozofina
    @filozofina Před 7 měsíci

    Thank you for the video.
    It was ok but the information within it was very general and widely known to the audience already interested in Japan.
    I did not learn anything new from the video and most of the arguments presented were more historical and sociological in nature rather than truly geographical

  • @geidai1017
    @geidai1017 Před 7 měsíci +5

    昔は米の生産量=人口だったので、江戸時代〜明治時代には新潟が人口1位だった時期もありますね。

  • @X1GenKaneShiroX
    @X1GenKaneShiroX Před 7 měsíci +89

    Part of the reason is that Japan has one of the largest urban populations. Japan’s urban population percentage is 92%. Obviously, economic opportunities play a big role in this too. Japan is currently suffering from a GDP decline.

    • @lgbo_nigga
      @lgbo_nigga Před 7 měsíci

      X1 Iame whlteboy

    • @zeitgeistx5239
      @zeitgeistx5239 Před 7 měsíci +7

      Not to mention population decline.

    • @St0ckwell
      @St0ckwell Před 7 měsíci

      Fuck the GDP. GDP is just an excuse for bringing in unsustainable numbers of people who don't belong and permanently destroy culture. Populations naturally rise and fall. It has always been that way and it's okay. The graph line can't just keep going up forever

    • @tfroyal8143
      @tfroyal8143 Před 7 měsíci +27

      GDP減少はしてないぞ

    • @4a6977
      @4a6977 Před 7 měsíci +15

      外国人さん、わざわざ他国である日本の心配をしてくれてありがとう。✋
      でも大丈夫です、われわれは移民を望んでいません。
      「多文化主義」に破壊されたフランスのようになることを日本人は望んでいません。

  • @alexaa928
    @alexaa928 Před 7 měsíci +3

    0:00: 🇯🇵 Japan's population is highly concentrated in the Tokyo Metropolitan region and to a lesser degree Osaka and Nagoya due to geographic reasons.
    3:04: 🏙 The video discusses the urban development of Edo, which later became Tokyo, and its transformation into a global city during the Meiji Restoration.
    5:47: 🌋 Japan's location in the Pacific Ring of Fire brings both risks and benefits, including frequent earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and cultural hot springs.
    8:37: 🏙 Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya are major cities in Japan known for their strong economies, educational resources, and cultural significance.
    11:34: 📉 Japan is facing a declining population due to low birth rates, economic pressures, and changing social norms, leading to a strained workforce and increased welfare expenditures.
    Recap by Tammy AI

    • @user-hf8nb9mb4e
      @user-hf8nb9mb4e Před 7 měsíci

      aging society is a temporarely problem but needed to level off the excessive amount of people to a sustainable level. In the samurai period Japan had 30 now 125 million people.

  • @status101-danielho6
    @status101-danielho6 Před 7 měsíci +2

    Wow, Japan follows the Rank Size Rule of cities almost perfectly. (Where smaller population centers are 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/5, … the size of the biggest city)

  • @leeswecho
    @leeswecho Před 7 měsíci

    FYI the equivalent number for the US (i.e. the number of Metropolitan Statistical Areas you have to add up before you have the majority of the US population) -- is roughly 30.

  • @Skyfire-x
    @Skyfire-x Před 10 dny

    These 3 cities also have very large bays that serve shipping.

  • @kehaar3641
    @kehaar3641 Před 7 měsíci

    7:25 Don't you mean evergreen in the north and deciduous in the south?

  • @YTstudio-customize-kihon
    @YTstudio-customize-kihon Před 4 měsíci

    8:18
    TOYOTA's head office is not in Tokyo but in Toyota City (near Nagoya)

  • @Yamamotoseto
    @Yamamotoseto Před 7 měsíci +1

    Can you do one on Taiwan

  • @compromisedssh
    @compromisedssh Před 7 měsíci

    Having spent two years in Colombia as a digital nomad from the US, I'm wondering what possible criteria Geoff could have for a "rich country" lol

  • @coolpiraterapstar
    @coolpiraterapstar Před 7 měsíci +2

    Woooo he mentioned Nova Scotia!

  • @fire_tower
    @fire_tower Před 7 měsíci +3

    Here before someone comments about two other Japanese cities.

  • @masami248
    @masami248 Před 7 měsíci +2

    同時に100万人都市が札幌、仙台、福岡、広島、京都、川崎など地方にも多いです

  • @SteveStar3000
    @SteveStar3000 Před 7 měsíci +6

    Used to be 10th Largest in Population Mexico recently Surpassed Japan

  • @ChromeStrand
    @ChromeStrand Před 7 měsíci +6

    May-ji, not Ma-ee-ji

  • @bharath2508
    @bharath2508 Před 7 měsíci

    😮
    Osaka or Nagoya might be my next destination.

  • @PotionSeller721
    @PotionSeller721 Před 7 měsíci +13

    I think Japan is doing the right thing. Even though its population will shrink, at least it will remain Japanese. The same can not be said for western European countries if things continue as is.

    • @dev6923-yd1tg
      @dev6923-yd1tg Před 7 měsíci

      another right wing

    • @soundscape26
      @soundscape26 Před 7 měsíci +1

      Shrink and get extremely old... not exactly doing the right thing.

    • @advancedprototype_3328
      @advancedprototype_3328 Před 7 měsíci

      So you’re saying diversity is a bad thing? You have to be a troll because there is no way. 💀💀💀

    • @soundscape26
      @soundscape26 Před 7 měsíci +1

      @@advancedprototype_3328 Diversity is not a bad thing, otherwise countries like the US would be quite poor and countries like Chad quite rich. It all depends on the circumstances.

    • @advancedprototype_3328
      @advancedprototype_3328 Před 7 měsíci

      @@soundscape26 Ik and that’s what im saying, but this guy is saying it’s a good thing for Japan to remain pure Japanese when it’s really not doing anything at all but hurting their economy and rapidly killing their population.

  • @kylekylelam3870
    @kylekylelam3870 Před 2 měsíci +1

    Relocating young people from major metropolitan to regional areas can ease many of Japan’s social-economical problems, esp. aging population.

  • @user-ql6ip7jh1o
    @user-ql6ip7jh1o Před 6 měsíci

    too much snow on the west coast and the north, the japanese alps makes the pacific coast winter mild

  • @TheItalianTrash
    @TheItalianTrash Před 7 měsíci +1

    I thought Okinawa was tropical, but I checked and it's January and February are two degrees below the 65 F average daily temperatures to be considered tropical.

    • @deanzaZZR
      @deanzaZZR Před 7 měsíci +1

      The island of Taiwan to the south of the Ryukyu Island Chain is sub tropical as well.

    • @TheItalianTrash
      @TheItalianTrash Před 7 měsíci +2

      @@deanzaZZR Technically the southern 10% of Taiwan qualifies as tropical. My point is that the subtropical climate constitutes too wide of a range if both Long Island, NY and Okinawa Island are considered to have the same climate.

  • @ronoldcross8189
    @ronoldcross8189 Před 7 měsíci +8

    Pronunciation aside, well done overview.

  • @taotaoliu2229
    @taotaoliu2229 Před 7 měsíci +12

    You know, almost every country in the world has most of its population concentrated in one or two main locations, with the rest of the country being “empty”.

    • @soundscape26
      @soundscape26 Před 7 měsíci +2

      Not at all, there are plenty of exceptions.

    • @pokepress
      @pokepress Před 7 měsíci

      A lot of it depends on the geographic size and topography of the country, as demonstrated in this video.

  • @gudohwan
    @gudohwan Před 6 měsíci +2

    Actually, living 56% of entire national population in 3 cities is quite acceptable level as an east Asian nation. In S.Korea, a half of population are living in metropolitan area of Seoul, half of Mongolian are living in the Capital city as well, and the Chinese population is also concentrated in coastal area especially between Shanghai and Beijing.

  • @Oleksa-Derevianchenko
    @Oleksa-Derevianchenko Před 2 měsíci +1

    0:23 so every 3rd Japanese lives in Tokyo?
    ...and I thought that the Bulgarian ratio of 20% living in the capital city was way too high

  • @nickc90210
    @nickc90210 Před 7 měsíci

    Metroplex? Thought it was Tokyo Metropolis?

  • @user-rb4ce6by2r
    @user-rb4ce6by2r Před 7 měsíci +1

    Toyota is a company in Nagoya region.

  • @winnywannago
    @winnywannago Před 7 měsíci

    thank you for your explain. when i visit Japan in late December 2022, i wonder why i just saw a lot of salaryman in Osaka. once in while i will see a teen age.

  • @DavidS-gx1ok
    @DavidS-gx1ok Před 6 měsíci

    And the new maglev train is gonna combine the threee cities into one giant city (so to speak)

  • @hicknopunk
    @hicknopunk Před 7 měsíci +1

    I have lived in Ishigaki, Okinawa and I can tell you sugar plantations were not a thing.

  • @After4th
    @After4th Před 7 měsíci +3

    Skip to 7:40 to get to the point.

  • @ulysseslee9541
    @ulysseslee9541 Před 7 měsíci +2

    Some of my Hong Kong friends from Discord group and they migrated/settled in Japan, jokingly said Tokyo is City, other part are rural area XD
    refer the city services and transportation standard from our origin, Hong Kong.

  • @TheBombayMasterTony
    @TheBombayMasterTony Před 6 měsíci

    Interesting.

  • @daco3557
    @daco3557 Před 7 měsíci +8

    Meiji should be pronounced more like ”may-gee”, rather than ”my-gee”

  • @benmcreynolds8581
    @benmcreynolds8581 Před 7 měsíci +3

    What i appreciate the most is just how well Japan found ways to blend the Old with the New in their society and culture. It's something America completely Fails at. We instead now have repetitive bland urban areas that are just unaffordable copy paste locations no matter where you go.. i really wish we could see what things Japan does well and utilize certain aspects into our society, quality of life..

  • @h.mandelene3279
    @h.mandelene3279 Před 5 měsíci

    Actually, Toyota HQ is is in the town Toyota(by Nagoya), not Tokyo.

  • @osdiab
    @osdiab Před 7 měsíci +2

    lol earthquakes and tsunamis are an ever present danger but balancing that out, there are hot springs 😂

  • @secrets.295
    @secrets.295 Před 7 měsíci +2

    The reason is strictly because land is extremely scarce in Japan. They have 125 million people over 397 km2 land. That is already very dense, but when you consider 80% of lands in Japan are mountainous it means they are unbelievably densely populated. So using land efficiently is necessary. They have no choice but to squeeze everybody into a couple of different cities. Unlike the US, land are plenty. It is one of the least densely populated country in the world. U don't need to squeeze everybody into a few city.

    • @framekefun3889
      @framekefun3889 Před 7 měsíci +1

      You've never been to Japan, right? Japanese houses are cheaper than in America.

    • @framekefun3889
      @framekefun3889 Před 7 měsíci

      japan are 377,970 km² not 397 km² you wrong

  • @milosstojanovic3601
    @milosstojanovic3601 Před 7 měsíci +1

    I mean, thats basically the situation in Greece. Most people live in the biggest cities (60%). Athens and Thessaloniki

  • @Dangic23
    @Dangic23 Před 7 měsíci +3

    Moved to Japan Aug 2023.
    Western Tokyo.
    Cost of living is so cheap compared to where I moved from Fort Walton Beach Florida.

  • @matthewbarabas3052
    @matthewbarabas3052 Před 7 měsíci

    Edo uses a long E sound. like eeeedo, not the short E sound.

  • @pcshum2875
    @pcshum2875 Před 7 měsíci +1

    Meiji Period is not “My-ji” Period, but “Meh-ji” Period. Tsunami is pronounced somewhat like “Junami”, not “Sunami”.

  • @jackjhmc820
    @jackjhmc820 Před 7 měsíci

    anyone who has charts for home prices from those area?

  • @bananabob2185
    @bananabob2185 Před 7 měsíci

    Is that a “shogun” hair do??? 🥋 Man bun?

  • @beachbumftl
    @beachbumftl Před 7 měsíci +1

    FYI - the Bahamas are in the Atlantic, not the Caribbean.

  • @jamestoney6599
    @jamestoney6599 Před 7 měsíci +1

    It's amazing how connected the country is via it's high speed rail, cheap charter flights and ferries. Yet Japanese people living in Tokyo are so disconnected from the rest of Northern or Southern Japanese way of living. Much more relaxed and content too.

  • @JK12518
    @JK12518 Před 7 měsíci +1

    My man pronounce things correctly.