Demographic Statistics and Economic Structure of Tokyo and Seoul - Case Study Example

Tokyo: Japan Demographic statistics Tokyo is the largest city in Asia in terms of population and output. Population in the metropolitan region is highest in the world (UN). The population of the city started increasing significantly over the last half of the twentieth century due to significant developments of manufacturing industries (Rowe 2005). The population of Tokyo city stands at 13,185,502 people according to 2011 statistics. The city is highly populated with approximately 6000 people per square kilometer. The high population of Tokyo is due to increased employment opportunities in the manufacturing industries in the city. Tokyo’s population growth has been influenced by the availability of jobs that lure Japanese citizens to move in to work in the industries. Despite the city’s area being 0.6% of total Japan landmass, the city holds approximately 10% of total japan population. The large population in the city makes Tokyo the most densely populated prefecture in Japan. However, like the whole of Japan, the city is characterized by an ageing population. The birth rate is low thus growth in population is almost zero. For example, in 2010, there were 109000 births and 104000 deaths. This implied that the population grew by only 4000 for the whole year (Tokyo Metropolitan Government). In the same year, the child population (ages 0 – 14) was 1.477 million labor force (ages 15 – 64) at 8.85 million and finally the aged populace (ages 65 and over) at 2.642 million. The figures can be simplified into percentages to 11.4%, 68.2% and 20.4% respectively. Economic structure Tokyo is characterized by light industries that are comprised of electronics, and manufacturing of agricultural chemicals and products. Moreover, the city is more of managerial city that houses the offices of many companies in other areas in japan. Most heavy industries are located outside in the prefectures surrounding Tokyo and also other cities such as Fukushima and Osaka. Japan is a heavily industrialized country. Thus, Tokyo offers a center where stock trade is done. The Tokyo stock exchange takes the second position in the world after New York. In 2013, the stock exchange market was US$4.5 trillion. This depicts Tokyo as a major economic center in Japan and the world (Clark 164). Socio-political culture The per capita income of japan is one of the highest in the word. Tokyo, being the biggest city in terms of GDP in the world, enjoys a high per capita income of $55766. This is relatively higher than that of the whole country because of the high GDP of Tokyo is in excess of $837 billion. Education in Tokyo is well developed. The government runs compulsory elementary and also lower levels of secondary education. The literacy level in the city, as well as whole of Japan is 99%. However, the percentage of people with a bachelor’s degree or higher is low at 25.5% according to the 2010 census. The city of Tokyo is governed by a Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The government is led by a governor who is elected by mass suffrage and the metropolitan assembly comprised of 127 elected members. The government maintains the whole of the Tokyo prefecture. The governorship is contested after every 4 years. The metropolitan assemble of Tokyo sends 25 members to the House of Representatives. Despite Tokyo being an increasingly dominant city in global business, there are fears of the widening gap between the high income and middle income earners. The income inequality increased from 1980 due to rapid social changes and ageing population. Environmental stress issues Due to industrialization of the country, Tokyo has had one of the highest pollution rates in the world. However, the situation was mitigated by enhancing waste disposal measures and compulsory recycling. The government of Japan is cautious about pollution and has placed a red line of amount of suspended particles that are lesser than 2.5 micrograms in diameter. The government declares the environment harmful for citizens if the reading exceeds 80 micrograms per cubic meters. However, the levels have been exceeded in areas such as Nerima and Minato wards with 88 micrograms per cubic meter. Much of the pollution in the city emanates from mainland china through winds (Bloomberg). Culture Tokyo is a multicultural center. The city’s population is a mix of native Japanese and foreign nationals. The diffusion of foreign cultures into Japan bred a new culture in Tokyo. The cultural heritage of Tokyo is shown in festivals, parks, museums. The city is also characterized by religious festivals called Matsuris with portable shrines known as mikoshis. Tokyo is a multi-ethnic city where all religious beliefs are present and tolerated. Major religions in the city include Buddhism and Shinto for the Japanese. There are also contingencies of Christians and Muslims. 99% of the population is Shinto/Buddhist, and 1% for other religions (Metro Tokyo). Seoul: South Korea Demographic characteristics Seoul is the largest cities in South Korea with an estimated population of 10,140,000 people its metropolitan region. The city is densely populated with 97.8% being Koreans while 2.2% minority groups. Unlike other cities in Asia, the city has a population density above 23908 people per square kilometer (Rowe 2005, p.27). The city’s population is increasing rapidly due to a significant birth rate of 1.6% and also migration from other parts of the country to benefit from man job opportunities in the capital. However, there is concerned about the ageing population. It is presumed that the population in Seoul and the whole of Korea will stabilize in 2023. This implies population that population will stagnate and thus the country might not be able to take care of its elderly. The population density of 23908/km2 implies that there’s much congestion of people are vehicles in the city. The city sprawls several kilometers from the business district into the wider metropolitan region, bringing the population up to 25,620,000. This is meant that the Seoul region encompasses 22% of Korean population (Rowe 2005, p.24). The impact of the population increase is pressure on housings and space. The Korean authorities devised high rise apartments to house the masses. Economic structure Seoul is known as a business an economic hub in Asia. The city has been developed to become an important part of the Korean economy, holding a quarter of the total economic activity and value of Korea. The city covers 0.6% of Korea but generates a GDP of $233 billion annually. This is a significant amount and is brought forth by increase in manufacturing industries in the city, especially electronics and automobile. The city working population is mainly employed in electronics and heavy industries. The city is home to major world technology giants such as Samsung, LG, and SK. Consequently, the city is home to automobile companies such as Hyundai and Kia. Seoul is also a financial center with many domestic and foreign banks. Prominent banks like Citigroup, ING Bank, UniCredit, Deutsche Bank, Societe Generale, Standard Chartered and others can be found in this city. Socio-political culture Production in the city of Seoul is sufficient enough to raise per capita income to $24,560. The per capita is also one of the highest in the region, only second to Tokyo, Japan. However, the ever increasing population in the city swings the per capita value about the stated value. Education in the city of Seoul is well developed with various higher education institutions. The city has more than 30 universities. The universities range from public, private and international universities. The literacy level in the city is 97.9%. The higher learning institutions provide a skilled manpower to work in the booming industries in the city and other parts of the country. Seoul is governed by a metropolitan government. The government is led by a mayor who is elected by the electorate to a four year term. The mayor is responsible for administration of all public facilities in the city. The government runs public schools, public safety, libraries, recreational facilities, waters supply, and correctional facilities. The government is composed of 5 offices, 107 divisions in 322 bureaus. The city is divided into 25 gu that are autonomous and 522 dong. Environmental issues Industrialization has had negative impacts on Seoul environment. The increasing industrial activities in the city have yielded an increase in the level of pollution in the city. Further, air pollution in Seoul has emanated from pollution in China. In 2014, for example, the smog from China’s mainland has reduced the visibility in South Korea capital. The government thus should sort out the issues with the Chinese authorities. Seoul has decided to tame the barbecue and saps business in a bid to reduce pollution. The recommended According to the UN, the air quality in Seoul has improved drastically from 2000. The particles, with less than 10 microns in diameter have lowered from 76 micrograms per cubic meter to 41 per cubic meter. The data implies that Seoul is cleaner and environment friendly as compared with cities such as Beijing and Tokyo (WSJ) Culture Seoul is a city with beautiful Korean culture. The culture is depicted through dances, paintings, crafts and also the ancient palaces. The cultural centers in Seoul are preserved for tourism purposes that earn the city metropolitan government revenue (Nilsen 2007). The city also has a several religious foundations. The city tolerates various religious ideologies such as Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. Seoul is regarded as the city with the highest number of Christians in Asia. The religious tolerance has enhanced freedoms in the city and also the whole of South Korea. References Clark, D. (2003). Urban world/global city (2nd ed.). London: Routledge. In Pollution Battle, Seoul Targets BBQs, Spas - Korea Real Time - WSJ. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://blogs.wsj.com/korearealtime/2014/02/04/seoul-to-crack-down-on-barbeques-and-spas-to-combat-pollution/ Nilsen, R. (2009). Moon spotlight Seoul. Berkeley, Calif: Avalon Travel. Population of Tokyo - Tokyo Metropolitan Government. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/ENGLISH/PROFILE/overview03.htm Rowe, P. G. (2005). East Asia modern: Shaping the contemporary city. London: Reaktion. Tokyo Air Pollution Climbs, Approaches Government Alert Levels - Bloomberg. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-27/tokyo-air-pollution-climbs-approaches-government-alert-levels.html APPENDIX Tokyo: Japan Demographic statistics  • Metropolis 13,185,502  • Density 6,000/km2 (16,000/sq mi)  • Metro 35,682,460  • Metro density 2,629/km2 (6,81 Trends in Population in Tokyo Sources: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications; “Population Census” Statistics Division, Bureau of General Affairs, TMG; “Population of Tokyo (estimates)” Economy GDP $837 billion Per capita $55,766 Seoul Education: degree: 70.60% Per capita: 24,560 Population statistics  • Special city 10,140,000  • Density 23908/km2 (43,000/sq mi)  • Metro 25,620,000 • GDP 233 $ billion General Country Name Republic of Korea (South Korea) Capital City Seoul (10.2 million) (2012) National Flag Taegeukgi National Flower Mugunghwa (Rose of Sharon) Currency won (US$1 = 1,127 won) (2012) Language Korean (Writing system: Hangeul) People Population 50.95 million (South Korea) (2012) * Foreign Residents (including short-term sojourners) : 1.4 million * Cities by Population: Seoul (10.2 million), Busan (3.5 million), Incheon (2.8 million), Daegu (2.5 million), Daejeon (1.5 million), Gwangju (1.5 million), Ulsan (1.1 million) (2012) Median Age 38.9 years (2012) Economically Active Population 25.5 million (2012) Population Increase Rate 0.45% (2012) Life Expectancy Male, 77.7 years; female, 84.5 years (2011) Religion A 2005 census showed one half of the population   practice religion. Among them, 10,726,463 Buddhists,   8,616,438 Protestants, and 5,146,147 Catholics comprise the three dominant religions. Government Political System Republic with a president elected to a single 5-year term by direct popular vote. Division of power among the executive, legislature (unicameral National Assembly), and judiciary branches President Park Geun-hye since 2013 Suffrage Universal at 19 years of age Elections Presidential: every 5 years National Assembly: every 4 years Local Government: every 4 years Economy of South Korea Gross Domestic Product US$ 1,129 billion (2012) Per Capita GNI US$ 22,708 (2012) GDP Growth Rate: 2.0% (2012) Foreign Exchange Reserves: US$ 317 billion (2012) Exports US$548 billion (2012) Imports US$520 billion (2012) Major Industrial Products Semiconductors, automobiles, ships, consumer electronics, mobile telecommunications, equipment, steel, and chemicals. Read More