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This article focuses on internal migration as well as migration from and to Japan.
Between 6 million and 7 million people moved their residences each year during the 1980s. About 50 percent of these moves were within the same prefecture; the others were relocations from one prefecture to another. During Japan's economic development in the twentieth century, and especially during the 1950s and 1960s, migration was characterized by urbanization as people from rural areas in increasing numbers moved to the larger metropolitan areas in search of better jobs and education. Out-migration from rural prefectures continued in the late 1980s, but more slowly than in previous decades.
In the 1980s, government policy provided support for new urban development away from the large cities, particularly Tokyo, and assisted regional cities to attract young people to live and work there. Regional cities offered familiarity to those from nearby areas, lower costs of living, shorter commutes, and, in general, a more relaxed life-style then could be had in larger cities. Young people continued to move to large cities, however, to attend universities and find work, but some returned to regional cities (a pattern known as U-turn) or to their prefecture of origin (a pattern known as J-turn).
Government statistics show that in the 1980s significant numbers of people left the largest cities (Tokyo and Osaka). In 1988 more than 500,000 people left Tokyo, which experienced a net loss through migration of nearly 73,000 for the year. Osaka had a net loss of nearly 36,000 in the same year. However, the prefectures showing the highest net growth are located near the major urban centers, such as Saitama, Chiba, Ibaraki, and Kanagawa around Tokyo, and Hyōgo, Nara, and Shiga near Osaka and Kyoto. This pattern suggests a process of suburbanization, people moving away from the cities for affordable housing but still commuting there for work and recreation, rather than a true decentralization.
日本の経済的成功は、特定の種類の海外移住の増加につながった。1990年には約1100万人の日本人が海外へ渡航した。これらの人々の80%以上は観光客として旅行し、特にアジアや北米の他の地域を訪れた。しかし、約66万3100人の日本人が海外に居住しており、そのうち約7万5000人が永住権を保有していた。これは1975年の永住権保有者数の6倍以上である。1990年には20万人以上の日本人が長期留学、研究、または業務のために海外へ渡航した。政府と民間企業が国際化を重視するにつれ、より多くの人々が直接影響を受け、日本が歴史的に主張してきた閉鎖性は低下した。海外生活を経験することには多くの利点がある一方で、長期にわたり海外で生活した人々は、帰国時に差別を受けることが少なくなかった。それは、もはや完全な日本人とは見なされない可能性があるためである。 1980年代後半までに、これらの問題、特に学校における帰国子女へのいじめは、日本国内だけでなく海外の日本人コミュニティにおいても、大きな社会問題となっていた。
この記事には、パブリックドメインである米国議会図書館の「Country Studies」（http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/ ）からのテキストが含まれています。