Editing Demographics of Japan (section)

===Population density===
[[File:Japan-population-density-2022.svg|thumb|Japanese [[population density]] map per prefecture as of 2022 per square kilometer{{legend|#F9E0D4|0–100}} 
{{legend|#F9A37D|101–200}}
{{legend|#FC7032|201–300}}
{{legend|#FA5300|301–400}}
{{legend|#C44100|401–500}}
{{legend|#762700|500–1000}}
{{legend|#000000|1000–5514}}]]
Japan's population density was 336 people per square kilometer as of 2014 (874 people per square mile) according to World Development Indicators. It ranks 44th in a [[list of countries by population density]]. Between 1955 and 1989, land prices in the six largest cities increased by 15,000% (+12% per year compound). Urban land prices generally increased 40% from 1980 to 1987; in the six largest cities, the price of land doubled over that period. For many families, this trend put housing in central cities out of reach.<ref name=loc/>

The result was lengthy [[commuting|commute]]s for many workers in the big cities, especially in the [[Tokyo]] area where daily commutes of two hours each way are common.<ref name=loc/> In 1991, as the bubble economy started to collapse, land prices began a steep decline, and within a few years fell 60% below their peak.<ref name="Krugman 2009">{{cite book| last = Krugman| first = Paul| year = 2009| title = The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008| publisher = W.W. Norton Company Limited| isbn = 978-0-393-07101-6| url-access = registration| url = https://archive.org/details/returnofdepressi00krug}}</ref> After a decade of declining land prices, residents began moving back into central city areas (especially Tokyo's 23&nbsp;wards), as evidenced by 2005 census figures. Despite nearly 70% of Japan being covered by forests,<ref name="Forest area % of land area">{{cite web |title=Forest area (% of land area) |url=http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/AG.LND.FRST.ZS?order=wbapi_data_value_2013+wbapi_data_value+wbapi_data_value-last&sort=desc |publisher=The World Bank |access-date=2015-10-14 |archive-date=2015-10-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016000406/http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/AG.LND.FRST.ZS?order=wbapi_data_value_2013+wbapi_data_value+wbapi_data_value-last&sort=desc |url-status=live }}</ref> [[park]]s in many major cities—especially Tokyo and Osaka—are smaller and scarcer than in major West European or North American cities. As of 2014, parkland per inhabitant in Tokyo is 5.78 square meters,<ref>{{cite web |title=公園の現況 |url=http://www.kensetsu.metro.tokyo.jp/kouen/gaiyo/01.html |publisher=Bureau of Construction Tokyo Metropolitan Government |access-date=2015-10-14 |archive-date=2015-09-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929205119/http://www.kensetsu.metro.tokyo.jp/kouen/gaiyo/01.html |url-status=live }}</ref> which is roughly half of the 11.5 square meters of Madrid.<ref>{{cite web |title=Madrid Now |url=http://www.thenowinstitute.org/?page_id=124 |publisher=The Now Institute – Urban research, planning and speculations |access-date=2015-10-14 |archive-date=2015-10-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016000408/http://www.thenowinstitute.org/?page_id=124 |url-status=live }}</ref>

National and regional governments devote resources to making regional cities and rural areas more attractive by developing transportation networks, social services, industry, and educational institutions to try to decentralize settlement and improve the quality of life. Nevertheless, major cities, especially Tokyo, [[Yokohama]] and [[Fukuoka]], and to a lesser extent [[Kyoto]], [[Osaka]] and [[Nagoya]], remain attractive to young people seeking education and jobs.<ref name=loc/>