Agriculture
Japan has on of the highest degree of industrialization in Asia and their land suitable for cultivation is only 20%, but it hasn't affected Japan in creating ways for crop production. Steep land in Japan has been terraced for crops like rice all along mountains. Japans climate allows for decent rainfall that has allowed for soil fertility to be built up and maintained for many years. Agriculture is especially prominent in the northern part of Hokkaido. Japan uses modern methods such as commercial fertilizers, machinery, hybrid seeds, and insecticides. Japan is the second largest agricultural product importer in the world that cost over 30 billion dollars. Japans main product is rice, and 40% of japans arable land is dedicated to it. In the farmland not dedicated to rice paddies, there are small plains and terraces with wheat and barley in the fall, and sweet potatoes and certain vegetables in the summer. Different kinds of beans and peas are grown year round.
The number of farmers and farms has decreased over the years due to industrialization in Japan and the increasing of large cities. In the 1960's there was 6 million hectares of farmland, but it has decreased be 22% all the way down to 4.7 million hectares. Another example of this large decrease is that in the 1960's there were 11.51 million people working in agriculture, but now there is only 3.35 million (71% decrease). Japan's major crops are rice, sugar beets, sugar cane, vegetables, fruit, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cabbage, carrots, cherries, pumpkin, and varieties of turnips and radishes. |