Human migration is a practice as old as history. Like animals we are prone to migration. People have been moving around the globe since the beginning of mankind. It’s a constant that will never change as long as humans exist. For a variety of reasons we move to new places, but usually in search of a new home and new opportunities.

Majority of people are leaving the country for the city. It’s irresistible to resist. The attraction of people to modern cities brimming with opportunities for a new and better life. The second you have the chance, you leave the small town you grew up in and never look back. Cities are vibrant places where you can find a job, meet new people, find new hobbies, and full of stimulating and inspiring ideas

How did this happen?

This has been trending since we left agricultural society. Today, as we head toward the fourth industrial revolution, cities such as Tokyo and Osaka have been long established hubs for all the conveniences of modern daily life.

It’s a story that is repeating itself simultaneously all over the world.

In Japan, it’s occurring at an alarming rate. A staggering 80% of the country’s population lives in cities.

The countryside is a stark contrast to city life. Taking an hour train ride outside the tourist destination of neon-lit Dotonbori in Osaka, you’ll find streets lined with Edo period traditional wooden houses, dusty old shops, and sprawling rice paddies. The only convenience store in sight closed years ago due to declining traffic. Life moves at a slower pace and nature is abundant.

This is the future of Japan and the rest of the developed world. Vanishing villages with no more children being born. Train lines becoming defunct leaving old residents left to fend for themselves in their twilight years.

Some towns that are lucky are gifted with natural beauty or are home to historic temples and sites and can adapt and transform themselves into tourist attractions. Tradition and culture is still kept alive but only to serve as a tourist attraction.

It’s a peek into the future. A future of the megalopolis and where small towns will cease to exist.

The country road slowly returns back into nature.