1.
depopulation; being sparsely populated
The condition of an area losing its population, typically due to migration to cities. A major social issue in rural Japan.
過疎が進む地域が増えている。
The number of areas experiencing depopulation is increasing.
過疎地域では学校の統廃合が進んでいる。
In depopulated areas, school consolidation is progressing.
若者の都市部への流出により、過疎に苦しむ村は高齢化も深刻になっている。
As young people flow out to urban areas, villages suffering from depopulation are also facing serious aging.
USAGE: 過疎 is primarily used as a noun modifier in the form 過疎＋noun, especially 過疎地域 (depopulated area). It describes a social phenomenon rather than a temporary state.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 過疎地域 (depopulated area)
- 過疎化 (depopulation, the process)
- 過疎が進む (depopulation advances)
- 過疎に悩む (to struggle with depopulation)
- 過疎対策 (measures against depopulation)
The antonym is 過密 (overcrowding, overpopulation). Together, 過疎過密 describes the imbalance between rural depopulation and urban overcrowding, a persistent issue in modern Japan.