Agriculture

Because so much of Japan is mountainous and forested, only about 15 percent of its total land area can be used for farming. Every bit of usable land is valuable, and Japanese farmers grow crops on plots of land that often seem too small or too steep to be cultivated. Even so, Japan is unable to produce enough to feed all its people and must import large quantities of some foods.

Until the end of World War II, about half the population was engaged in agriculture. Slightly more than 5 percent of the labor force now works on the land. Nevertheless, agriculture still plays an important role in the economy, especially the cultivation of rice.

Rice Farming

Rice is the staple food of Japan. In fact, the term for "boiled rice" has the same meaning as "meal." Small, neat patches of green rice paddies dot the countryside. The rice paddies are built on different levels. Farmers use dikes to control the flow of water needed for rice growing from one paddy to another. The highest paddy collects water from a nearby stream, and the water trickles downhill from paddy to paddy. Rice seedlings are planted during the rainy season, which begins in early June, and the rice is harvested in September. Although some farming is still done by hand, most farmers use small tractors and other mechanized equipment especially designed for the small Japanese farms.

Livestock Raising

The Japanese now consume more meat and dairy products than ever before, and as eating habits have changed, livestock raising has become increasingly important. Shortage of good pastureland, however, limits the raising of cattle. Much of Japan's meat and dairy products come from Hokkaido or abroad.

Other Agricultural Products

After rice, the leading food crops include potatoes, wheat, barley, sweet potatoes, soybeans, tangerines and other fruits, and tea. Silkworms are raised for the silk they produce. Japan grows all the rice it needs, but among the foods it must import are soybeans, which form an important part of the Japanese diet.