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Food Accessibility Map

1. About Food Accessibility Map

Food accessibility problems, namely the lack of “access to affordable and nutritious food,” are not only caused by shopping difficulties, but are also linked to a loss of community and nutrition problems.
In recent years, due to factors such as the decline of grocery stores and the suburbanization of large-scale retail facilities, these issues have become increasingly evident not only in depopulated rural areas but also in urban areas, particularly affecting older adults who face inconvenience and difficulty in purchasing food.
To better understand where and to what extent these problems occur, we create a “Food Accessibility Map” using geographic information system (GIS) data to identify and visualize these issues.

1.1. Definition of "Food Access Difficulties"

We define “Food Access Difficulties” as applying to people aged 65 and over who live 500 meters or more away from stores and who cannot use private cars. Stores include meat, fresh fish, and fruit and vegetable retailers, as well as department stores, general merchandise stores (GMS), food supermarkets, and convenience stores. In addition, in 2020, drugstores were also included in the mapping as drugstores have recently expanded their fresh food offerings.

1.2. Methodology of Estimation

The Food Accessibility Map is estimated based on information on store locations and grid-square statistics from the Population Censuses of Japan for 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020, in accordance with the above definition of “Food Access Difficulties.” It should be noted that, for maps up to 2015, the Census of Commerce mesh data were used as store information, whereas the 2020 map utilizes store location data provided by a private company. Therefore, the results are not directly comparable over time.

2. About Quotation / Reprint

Refer to "Food Accessibility Map by Policy Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Japan" when quoting sentences, maps, data, and all contents on this web pages. Please contact us in advance in case of reprinting or redistributing.

3. Corresponding Authors

Policy Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Japan
WAKAMATSU Hiroki, MARUYAMA Yuki, TAMAKI Shiho


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