Deterioration of living environment in cities and city traffic ...

Section 2. The Negative legacy of the 20th Century
As presented in the previous section, the postwar administration of MLIT achieved enormous results. There still,
however, remain various issues to face at present.
First, social problems, including urban problems, pollution/environment problems and new safety problems have
occurred in conjunction with high economic growth. Although some of them were improved in the 20th century, many
have been inherited by the 21st century and remain as administrative issues for MLIT to tackle.
Secondly, new issues besides these problems have emerged recently. The next section will deal with these new
problems.
Deterioration of living environment in cities and city traffic problems
Rapidly concentrated population and industry in cities during the time of high economic growth resulted in a
deterioration of living environment for urban residents and serious urban traffic problems, including traffic congestion.
Some of them have already been improved, but not totally solved, and measures are being sought continuously.
22. (Change in greenery area in four areas: Tokyo and 3 surrounding prefectures)
(fiscal year) 0
200,000
400,000
600,000
800,000
1000,000 (ha)
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
Note 1: “Materials concerning seven prefectures and cities greenery policy” for Special Greenery Policy
Subcommittee of the Seven Prefectures and Cities Summit Environmental Issues Policy Committee(August 2001)
Note 2: Four areas: Tokyo Metropolis, Saitama Prefecture, Chiba Prefecture and Kanagawa
Prefecture
greenery area
Total of farmland, forest field and city parks
23. (Change in vehicle's average driving speed at peak hours of traffic in each city)
(km/h)
45
Fukui Prefecture
40
35
National average
30
25
Hiroshima city
20
15
Tokyo 23 wards
10
1980
1983
1985
1988
1990
1994
1997
1999 (year)
Note 1: Compiled from “Road Traffic Census” of MLIT
Note 2: Average vehicle speed at peak hours of traffic is the average speed of
   vehicles which run morning and evening rush hours after the year1994 and
   which run at peak hours before 1990 on public national and municipal roads.
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24. (Congestion rate of railroads in Tokyo area at rush hours)
(%)
280
260
240
220
200
180
160
140
120
100
1955
1965
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
(fiscal year)
Note 1: Compiled from MLIT data and
Urban Traffic Annual Report
Note 2: Congestion rate of most congested sections of major railroads in Tokyo area per hour at peak
Transport passenger
Transport capacity
100
is averaged
Decline in local vitality
In local areas, outflow of the labor force population into cities caused decreases in productivity, a growing elderly
population and decay of central urban areas induced a problem of decline in local vitality. While the income differential is
decreasing, vitalization of local areas with unique community building is still an important task to be dealt with.
25. Population composition ratio by municipal scales and age groups
(%) 35
30
25
20
15
Older than
10
65 years
5
Older than
75 years
0
More than 500
200-500
50-200
10-50
5-10
Fewer than 5
(thousand people)
Source
Compiled from
Population Census 2000
by the Ministry of Public Management,
Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications
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Revealing of pollution/environmental problems
Environmental problems have appeared during the time of high economic growth, when public nuisance occurred,
including air pollution caused by automobiles, noise pollution by airplanes and Shinkansen trains and water pollution in
public water bodies and when marine pollution became worse through oil tanker accidents and illegal dumping of wastes.
While efforts were actively made to improve conditions with some degree of effect, there still remain various problems
such as air pollution by motor vehicles in metropolitan areas and water pollution in closed water bodies.
26. (Achieved state of NO2 environmental standard)
Nation
Tokyo Area
Nagoya Area
Kansai Area
Three major metropolitan areas
% 100
94.1
90.9
80
64.7
68.1
63.5
60
59.8
60.8
52.1
49.1
47.7
40
41.6
42.6
30.7
31.1
27
20
0
1980
1990
1998
(fiscal year)
Note : Compiled from “National Land Report 2000”
27. (Change in BOD 75% index at representative points in major city rivers by years)
What is BOD?
(%)
The Ayase River (Teshiro Bridge)
Oxygen is used when microbes decompose the organic components of
100
waste in the water. The amount of oxygen used increases
The Tama River (Denenchoufu dam)
correspondingto the amount of wast. BOD(biological oxygen
demand)represents the amount of such oxygen. In general, a BOD
The Tsurumi River (Ohtsuna Bridge)
value equal to or less than 5ppm is sonsidered to indicate clean water.
The Yamato River (Asaka [new])
We can have fun
80
It smells too
It is very dirty,
Yes, I could catch it.
bad to come close.
so let's go over there.
playing in a crystal river.
60
40
20
・・・・・
We almost die.
Crucian carps, carps,
Sweetfish, look, sweetfish.
0
we can live here, but...
I am back, too.
72
74
76
78
80
82
84
86
88
90
92
94
96 98
00 (year)
Note 1: Compiled from MLIT data
Note 2: BOD 75% index
BOD is considered to conform to environmental standards when the 75
index is under the standard. 75% index is for instance, the 75th number among 100 data
arranged in order from small value. What is BOD?
Oxygen is used when microbes decompose the organic components of waste in the water. The
amount of oxygen used increases corresponding to the amount of waste. BOD (biological oxygen
demand) represents the amount of such oxygen. In general, a BOD value equal to or less than
5ppm is considered to indicate clean water.
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Safety issue
While various measures have been taken with considerable effects in the field of road transport, the absolute number of
casualties in traffic accidents continues to increase even recently. Achievements have also been seen in railroad, shipping
and airline transport. All possible measures, however, should be taken consistently to prevent accidents, because, if it were
to occur, a mass transport system accident would cause enormous casualties.
28. (Change in casualties in traffic accidents by running km of motor vehicles)
(Scaling 1966 value to 100)
The number of casualties by running km of motor vehicles
250
The number of casualties
The number of deaths
200
150
100
50
01966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 (year)
Note 1: Compiled from MLIT data and
Traffic Statistics
by the National Police Agency
Note 2: Running km of motor vehicles includes those of light vehicles from1987
Moreover, vulnerable cities have been formed in regard to city disaster prevention, as crowded wooden housing areas
were formed and population and property were concentrated in lowland areas in the vicinity of rivers, mainly in new urban
districts built during the time of high economic growth.
These safety problems remain yet to be dealt with seriously.
29. (Change in density of property damaged by flood
average in past 5 years)
amout of damage
Flood damage density
one hundred
(billion yen)
(million yen/ha)
flood area(thousand ha)
46
600
44
44
42
550
40
38
500
36
Density of property damaged by flood
450
34
(left scale)
32
400
30
28
360
350
26
20
Sum of property damaged by flood
300
22
           (right scale)
20
250
18
16
200
14
10
150
10
Sum of property damaged by flood sum/residential
8
100
area/other submergence area
6
4
50
34
2
8
0
0
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
(year)
Flood damage density : amount of damage in private property per ha of flooded area
Note 1 :Compiled from MLIT “Flood Damage Statistics”
Note 2: Private property damage and flood damage density include losses caused by suspension of business.
Prices are those of fiscal 1995
Note 3: Total number for each year is the average of past five years including the year concerned
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