Japan's Rice Problem

By: Masayuki Ogawa

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Synopsis: In recent years there has been much debate in Japan over rice, which is considered the "staple food" of the Japanese people. Certain agricultural policies and traditional attitudes, the aging of farming communities and the lack of successors have become major problems, leading to the overproduction of rice and falling prices. Agricultural policy has been forced to respond to these problems. This book summarizes the changing relationship between the Japanese people and rice over the past half century, pointing out four turning points. The book then discusses in detail the "rice paddy glut" as the most recent rice problem in Japan. The book also points out that a "fifth tipping point " will come in the near future, when there will be an excess of farmland, and suggests ways to deal with this problem. Similar problems could be on the horizon in the future for developing countries that have invested heavily in increasing rice production.