1.
new town; planned residential community; housing development
A large-scale planned residential area built as a self-contained community, typically in suburban areas. In Japan, refers specifically to the massive housing developments built during the rapid economic growth period to accommodate urban population expansion.
A loanword from English 'new town.' In Japanese, it has a specific meaning referring to large planned residential developments, especially those from the postwar era (1950s-1980s).
Common collocations
- ニュータウン開発: new town development
- ニュータウンの高齢化: aging of new towns
- 郊外のニュータウン: suburban new town
- 大規模ニュータウン: large-scale new town
Cultural note
Famous examples include 多摩ニュータウン (Tama New Town) and 千里ニュータウン (Senri New Town). Originally built for young families, many now face challenges of aging residents, declining populations, and deteriorating infrastructure — a phenomenon sometimes called 'ニュータウンの老い' (aging of new towns).