The Institute of Population Problems held, for the third time in November 1991, the survey on migration in Japan, on the basis of the nationally representative sample of persons 34,781 from the 265 census districts. Major findings from this survey are as follows.
1. Based on origin-destination tables of migration flows over a period of one year/five year, we produced Markov transition matrices with one-year/five year transition probabilities. In order to see the trends of interregional migration, stationary distributions of the Markov processes were calculated.
In comparison between stationary distribution of one-year matrix and of five-year matrix, it was shown that from 1985 to 1990 interregional migration patterns in Japan changed toward decentralization of population. Since it was observed that on the average 23 per cent of each regional resident are stayer who never moves from birth place, we tried to apply the mover-stayer model to our migration data and calculated ultimate distributions.
The trend of decentralization of population was again supported by the
mover-stayer model.
2. Up to 1960's,the causes in which people migrated from non-metropolitan to metropolitan areas had been greatest in magnitude. The main reasons for in-migration urban is "occupation", "schooling" and "marriage".
Since 1980's, it is interesting to note that the migration within metropolitan areas has been largest in volume. The main reason for in-migration is providing the better residential and natural environment. According to this survey, housing factors account for the largest proportion of moves.
3. This survey has had the first questionnaires about settlement of the households till now. Those questionnaires are about the generation the households belong to and the period they have settled.
The generation of the present headships of the households has settled 44.7 per cent of whole respondents. The generation of the parents has settled 16.4 per cent, of the grandparents 10.3 per cent and of the previous grandparents 23.5 per cent. 42.0 per cent of the whole households settled in the time of pre-World War II and 52.0 per cent in post-war. The proportion of households which has settled since 1985 was 16.2 per cent, between 1975 and 1984 11.5 per cent, between 1960 and 1974 13.6 per cent, between 1945 and 1959 11.0 per cent.
4. Investigating on the interregional migration pattern from the view point of the migration history from the birth place to their present residence, we found that the reverse migration who experienced the migration from their birth prefectures to another prefectures occupies about 10%; (male 10.4%, female 8.5%) in contrast with the all cases. Householders and their partners occupied only 14.1% and 10.8%. It was shown that the scale of reverse migration to their birthplace could not so great influence that can change the pattern of population distribution there basically.
We also confirm that Japanese norms of family formation (; for example, the succession of household or relations with their parents) have great regressions or influences on the personal migration experiences.