Abstract
In the Tokyo metropolitan area, the pattern of population fluctuation and aging depends on the area; thus it is important to grasp the difference in order to make a well-balanced residence policy. There have been studies on the changes of age structure along suburban radial railways but focusing on the central area using other methods of analysis is an issue that remained unexplored until now. This study aims to analyze the time series changes of age structure in the central Tokyo area (the 23 wards area). Inside the central Tokyo area, the population fluctuation of 20 to 24 years old is larger than that of any other age class. The older the age class is, the smaller the population fluctuation tends to be. Therefore, in order to avoid rapid aging in a particular area, it is important to target a well-balanced residence policy on people in their twenties and thirties. Furthermore, this study found places where the age structure is not apt to change because the 15 to 24-year old population increases and that of 25 to 44 decreases. This study also pointed out several railway lines for which a decrease in the number of users is foreseen because of rapid aging along them due to a concentration of a particular age class.
