This research aims to explore the nature of the local city which is revealed by the dwelling-place selection trend of Nara’s younger generation. Therefore, this research analyses the tendency and the stated reasons of the younger generation's for relocating. From 2007, the population of Nara － which is the subject of our research － began to decrease, and it continues to decline to this day. Although the percentage of the whole population comprised by the younger generation was 33.1% in 1980, it has since decreased to 23.2% in 2012.
Our chosen research method was to use a questionnaire. We distributed 2,000 questionnaires to people moving away from Nara (referred to hereinafter as ‘movers’) and received 467 completed questionnaires. Furthermore, we distributed 3,000 questionnaires to people relocating to Nara (referred to hereinafter as ‘transferers’) and received 850 completed questionnaires.
Of the stated reasons for relocating, the four highest ranked are: ‘marriage’, ‘employment’, ‘purchase of a dwelling’, and ‘living with parents, or the neighbourhood ’. These four reasons account for 70 percent or more of the total number of relocations.
In this research, we analysed the trend, focusing particularly on these four reasons.
Concerning relocations due to marriage, people who lived in Nara up to the age of 30 years relocated due to marriage, and live in privately rented homes in which the rent is comparatively high for a married couple despite their double income. Conversely, for transferers, people lived in their first home up to the age of 30, then moved into Nara for reasons of marriage, with their wife performing the role of a housewife and the couple living in a privately rented house.
For relocations caused by employment, unmarried people up to 30 years old moved to homes where the commuting distance was short. For transferers living in privately rented houses, both unmarried people aged 35 and over and married couples thought construction years , the distance of their commute, etc. to be important.
For movers relocating due to purchase of a dwelling house, the important factors for people living in a privately-owned house in which the family household is aged 35 and over comprise price, public peace and order , and the aesthetic qualities of the property. In the case of transference, people living in privately owned houses in which the family (including a wife who is a housewife) is aged 35 and over consider construction years, price, and public peace and order to be important.
Families aged 35 and over consider proximity to their parents' dwellings to be important, and living together with parents or moving to live close to them may justify moving. Movers tend to live near their parents, while transferers tend to become parents and live together.
Movers and transferers actively pursue relocation between neighbouring municipalities.
All the respondents were conscious about the importance of purchase price, rental price, and the distance to their workplace (for convenience).Subsequently, the environment in which housing is located (including the beauty of rows of houses, the quality of a landscape, and public peace and order) is considered to be important.
By focusing on strengthening the factors considered by people to be important when selecting their dwelling-place, local authorities can increase the attractive power which draws residents to an area.
We consider that Nara must improve ‘the distance from a station and a bus stop’ and ‘the beauty of rows of houses and good quality of a landscape’, since these are factors which movers were found to consider as important.
