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Japan’s sparsely populated suburbs | Vietnam Today - Video học tiếng Anh

Japan’s sparsely populated suburbs | Vietnam Today

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0:00A population decline has left many

0:02regional cities in Japan, particularly

0:04their suburbs, with fewer residents

0:06scattered across vast areas. Local

0:09authorities are struggling to find

0:11essential services, public transport,

0:13and the maintenance of aging

0:15infrastructure, leading to a

0:16deterioration in residents' quality of

0:19life. Our correspondents report from one

0:21such community in Japan.

0:28>> On the outskirts of Toyama, declining

0:30passenger numbers left railway lines

0:33deteriorating and unable to cover their

0:35maintenance costs.

0:37Over the 15 years leading up to the

0:39early 2000s, bus use fell by nearly 2/3,

0:43while passenger numbers on trams and

0:44other rail services dropped by more than

0:4740%. This forced the city authorities to

0:50provide financial support for public

0:52transport.

0:54The deterioration of public

0:56transportation, such as trains and

0:57buses, has led people to switch to using

1:00cars more often.

1:02But for the elderly living mainly in

1:04suburban areas who are unable to drive,

1:06getting around is becoming a very

1:08significant problem for them.

1:13Abandoned homes, closed schools, and

1:15disused public facilities have become a

1:17common sight in suburban areas.

1:20Essential services, such as hospitals,

1:22schools, and shopping centers, are

1:24increasingly scarce. Many suburban

1:27residents are elderly and must travel

1:29long distances to reach them.

1:38>> Unlike places such as Tokyo, our local

1:40shopping districts are in rapid decline.

1:43However, we are working to revitalize

1:54A A birth rate means fewer children and

1:58ultimately fewer people to sustain our

2:00communities in the future. As the

2:02population declines and people numbers

2:05fall, schools are being forced to merge

2:08in order to remain viable.

2:10This is not unique to Toyama, it is

2:11happening in regional cities across

2:13Japan.

2:17>> The more dispersed the population, the

2:19more resources the city must devote to

2:21maintaining infrastructure and public

2:23services across a wide area.

2:25As the population declines, the cost per

2:28resident rises, making urban management

2:30increasingly expensive and inefficient.