Agriculture in Japan reflects what most of the country eats. According to the USDA, Japan mainly grows rice, wheat, barley and oats. Japan also has pastures for animals. However, it turns out that rice is the most important crop in Japan. Although Japan's arable land is limited, it is essential to the economy and population growth. Rice was introduced to Japan between the latest Jomon and the beginning of the Yayoi period. Some researchers suggest that this could have happened as early as six thousand years ago. There is. There are different Japanese characters from each period that represent rice cultivation. To grow rice in Japan, steep lands must be terraced. This creates small areas high up on the sides of mountains where various things are grown. In 2012, 1.55 million hectares were devoted to rice cultivation in Japan. However, this number is significantly lower than in previous years. In 2008, 4.68 million hectares of rice were harvested. The average farmer's field is very small and rice production is highly mechanized. The sharp decline in cultivated rice hectares is due to the fact that the number of Japanese farming households has declined significantly in recent years. Some Japanese farmers even consider growing rice a part-time job and not as important as other crops. This decline was also due to a change in the Basic Foods Control Act in 1969. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries asked farmers to reduce their rice acreage due to overproduction of rice. rice. This was put in place to reduce the amount of rice and focus more on other agricultural products to compensate in other areas. However, this drop in production does not make sense because import duties...... middle of paper. .... a soybean field to make miso, a popular food in Japan. Many rice fields are damaged by tsunamis and it takes a long time for them to become productive again. This is why many people change the function of their fields. Overall, rice is the main focus of agricultural production in Japan. It is also the most consumed food. Rice production has declined significantly over the past decade and is not expected to increase anytime soon. Agricultural production plans to move towards other types of food in the coming years through changes in the use of fields and greenhouses. This will help the economy because then they won't need to import as many types of food other than rice. However, it does not appear that the price of rice will fall since the Japanese are attentive to taste and quality..