ABSTRACT
Japan has the highest population aging rate in the world. As of October 1, 2020, Japan’s total population was 124.95 million, of which the elderly (people aged 65 years and over) population is 36.24 million, accounting for 29.0% of the total population (aging rate). The aging rate will continue to rise, reaching 38.1% in 2060, when it is estimated that about 1 in 2.6 of the nation’s population will be elderly. As of 2022, Akita Prefecture has the highest aging rate at 38.6%. The aging rate is expected to continue to rise in all prefectures, reaching 50.1% in Akita Prefecture. Therefore, in this paper, a GIS-based spatial analysis of an aging society will be conducted using Akita Prefecture as a case study. Facilities used by elderly people on a daily basis include medical facilities. Of these, this study will focus on hospitals to perform a spatial analysis of hospital locations. First, the measurement of the distance to the nearest hospital indicates a random distribution. Next, ArcGIS Pro’s Network Analyst extension was used to calculate hospital population coverage. For the elderly, a walking time of up to 10 minutes is considered appropriate. Thus, only about 10% of the entire population in Akita Prefecture can walk to the hospital. On the other hand, the population coverage rate within a 20-minute automobile radius is very high at 80% and above. In addition, while the population of Akita Prefecture is declining, the percentage of the population covered by car is increasing. If hospitals are maintained as they are, the convenience for hospital users may increase. For accessibility of 1 or more, supply is considered to be sufficient, and accessibility of less than 1 is considered to be deficient. All municipalities have accessibility of less than 1, indicating that hospitals are inadequately supplied.
