ニュータウン

にゅーたうん
noun
new town; planned residential community
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.
ニュータウンに()()す。
To move to a new town development.
この(あた)りは1970年代(ねんだい)開発(かいはつ)されたニュータウンだ。
This area is a new town development built in the 1970s.
高度(こうど)経済(けいざい)成長期(せいちょうき)建設(けんせつ)されたニュータウンは、(いま)高齢化(こうれいか)問題(もんだい)(かか)えている。
New towns built during the period of rapid economic growth now face the problem of an aging population.

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(かいはつ): new town development
  • ニュータウンの高齢化(こうれいか): aging of new towns
  • 郊外(こうがい)のニュータウン: suburban new town
  • 大規模(だいきぼ)ニュータウン: large-scale new town

CULTURAL CONTEXT:
Famous examples include 多摩(たま)ニュータウン (Tama New Town) and 千里(せんり)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(ろう)い' (aging of new towns).

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 団地(だんち): housing complex — a cluster of apartment buildings, often public housing
  • 住宅地(じゅうたくち): residential area — general term for any area primarily for housing
  • 新興住宅地(しんこうじゅうたくち): newly developed residential area — a newer planned community