2004 年 77 巻 12 号 p. 765-782
Abstract: In recent migration literature, three distinctive features in the sex ratio of annual interprefectural migration in Japan since the 1950s have been identified and explained: (1) an upward trend, (2) a persistently high level, and (3) systematic fluctuations around the trend. We first show in this paper that these three features can also be clearly seen in the sex ratio of non-metropolitan out-migration rates in the launching stage (i.e. between graduation from middle school and acquirement of the first job) of the life course of the Japanese. We then explain these features in terms of (1) the changing and persistent ideologies that orient and constrain the behaviors of Japanese household members and (2) the changes in the spatial economy of Japan.
To gain further insights, we also show the systematic effects of educational attainment and sibling status on the non-metropolitan out-migration propensities of the Japanese in the launching stage of their life course. Our findings suggest that the migration propensities will continue to be highly selective with respect to gender (higher for males than for females) and educational attainment (higher for the better educated and lower for the less educated) but will be little affected by sibling status. With respect to the changes in the spatial economy, our findings also suggest that the migration responses will be much greater for males than for females, and that among males the responses will be particularly intense at the two extremes of educational attainment, especially the upper extreme.
