CCC Marketing Research Institute [Survey on attitudes toward accepting permanent residents]

2022.01.12 Press Releases
CCC Marketing Co., Ltd. / CCC Marketing Research Institute

- Concerns of the hosting parties regarding "immigration" and "workation": Young people worry about "changes in living environment," while older people worry about "communication" -

CCC Marketing Research Institute (Director: Minoru Niihashi, hereinafter referred to as "CCC Marketing Research Institute"), a division of CCC Marketing Inc. (Head office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Kazuhiko Kitamura), which operates as a think tank that works together with local residents, conducted a "Survey on Attitudes Regarding Accepting Permanent Residents" (hereinafter referred to as "this Survey") as part of its consulting services for government agencies and local governments.

In Japan, where the population is declining and aging, it is expected that by 2035, approximately one in three people will be aged 65 or older. As a result, local economies are facing the challenges of shrinking markets and a lack of workers, and in order to maintain and revitalize their local economies, various local governments have begun to implement measures to increase the "related population"*, such as "workation" and "multi-location living," in addition to promoting relocation. In addition to measures to increase the "permanent population" and "related population," it is becoming essential for the success of these measures to address the anxieties and concerns of local communities and residents who are accepting applicants from outside.
This survey focused on the attitudes of residents who accept "migration," "workation," and "multi-location living," and clarified their attitudes toward acceptance, expectations, and concerns.
*"Related population": a term that refers to people who have diverse connections with the region, not the "settled population" who have immigrated, nor the "exchange population" who have come to visit as tourists.

・More than 60% are positive about people coming to the area where they live
-Young people and women who are open to accepting immigrants
-Western Japan is positive about accepting immigrants. The top three are Ehime, Kochi, and Okayama prefectures
・Worries vary by age group: Younger people worry about "changes in living environment," while older people worry about "communication."

Over 60% are positive about people coming to the area where they live
How do permanent residents feel about outsiders moving to the prefectures or regions where they live through "migration," "workation," or "multi-location living"? ``What do you think about people from other prefectures coming to your prefecture?''When asked about "relocation," "workation," and "multi-location living," more than 60% of people answered "good" (the sum of "very good" and "fairly good") in all three categories, showing generally positive results. In particular, the positive response to "migration" was more than 5% higher than for "workation" or "multi-location living," and it seems fair to say that people are positive about accepting people who will live with them in the area where they live for the long term.

Young people and women are open to immigration
When asked what they thought about people "migrating" to the prefecture where they live, the results were broken down by gender and age. For both men and women, those who answered "good" (total of "very good" and "fairly good") were more likely to respond in a younger age group, with those in their 20s giving the most positive responses regarding accepting "migration."Additionally, across all generations, women have more positive responses to accepting immigration than men. As the population declines, it may be natural that young people, who are forced to think about the future of their region, would be more tolerant of accepting immigrants.

Western Japan is positive about accepting immigrants. The top three are Ehime, Kochi, and Okayama prefectures
Are there regional differences in attitudes towards accepting immigrants? We ranked prefectures by the number of people who answered that it was "good" (total of "very good" and "fairly good") for people to move to their prefecture, and looked at the top 10 prefectures. As a result, it became clear that seven out of ten prefectures, and the top five prefectures, were in the western Japan area, and that people in the western Japan area tend to have a positive view of people moving there. The Chugoku-Shikoku region, which includes Ehime Prefecture (1st place), Kochi Prefecture (2nd place), and Okayama Prefecture (3rd place), could be said to be particularly tolerant of accepting immigrants.

Expectations for "migration" and "workation" to revitalize and develop local economies
What do permanent residents expect when people who are "immigrating," "working remotely," or "multi-location dwellers" come to their area? When asked what permanent residents expect from relocation, workcation, and multi-location living, the most common answer was "the local area will become more lively and vibrant," with roughly half (47.5%) expecting this to lead to regional revitalization. Additionally, the top answers were related to "vitalizing and developing the local economy," "increasing local communication," and "increasing the local labor force." These results suggest that residents expect that an increase in the number of immigrants will lead to more interaction between people, expand the town's community, and contribute to the local economy both as a labor force and as consumers. Looking at it from the other side, it may be the flip side of the fact that residents are aware of the challenges facing the current local economy.

Concerns vary by age group: Younger people worry about "changes in living environment," while older people worry about "communication."
While the arrival of people from outside through "migration" or "workation" is expected to revitalize local areas, it also raises concerns about whether they will be able to adapt to the local community and whether any problems will arise. In this survey, we asked people who are "immigrating," "working remotely," or "living in multiple locations" about their concerns about someone coming to their area. While there was not much difference between men and women, differences in concerns between age groups became apparent.
The most common answer was "Nothing in particular," but the number of respondents who answered this question increased with age for both men and women, suggesting that older people generally have fewer concerns. Additionally, older people are more concerned about "communicating with newcomers to the community," with comments such as "I don't want people I don't know to come into the community" and "They don't seem interested in local communication."In local communities, it seems necessary for both those entering and those accepting people to strive for smooth communication.
On the other hand, the results show that younger people are more concerned about "issues related to the local living environment," such as "increasing local garbage will destroy nature," "the area will become noisy," and "transportation and facilities will become congested, making the living environment inconvenient."

This time, we revealed the expectations and concerns of people who are "immigrating," "working remotely," or "living in multiple locations" about coming to the area where they live. Although young people are positive about accepting immigrants, it has also become clear that they have more concerns than older people. In order to maintain and revitalize the local economy, we hope to eliminate the worries of the "permanent residents" who live in the area and to facilitate communication between new residents and stakeholders and the permanent residents, thereby creating a livable town.

■ Survey Overview
Survey name: Survey on attitudes towards accepting permanent residents from prefectures
Survey participants: 8,540 T-members aged 20-69 nationwide
Survey period: September 22nd (Monday) to September 29th (Monday), 2021　
Survey organization: CCC Marketing Co., Ltd. (conducted through T-Survey)

■ Overview of CCC Marketing Research Institute
Name: CCC Marketing Research Institute (CCC Marketing Research Institute)

Established: July 21, 2020
It was launched in 2020 to realize consumers' "slightly nice" goals, based on consumer consumption data, insights, changes in mindset, as well as the social and economic environment.
As a "think tank that walks and thinks together with consumers," we strive to understand consumers' awareness, and based on their opinions, we will accompany you in creating your future through the power of "data," "creativity," and "consulting."

Materials related to this matter

CCC Marketing Research Institute [Survey on attitudes toward accepting permanent residents]

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