Japanese agriculture is at a crossroads. As Japan’s population declines, mechanized farming expands, and Japan’s dependence on food imports grows. The decisions the government makes in the next decade are crucial to determining Japan’s food security.

One academic is not optimistic about the outlook for Japanese agriculture.

“The problem is that most of the current cabinet members do not have the large, overarching perspectives that are required to solve the social issues Japan is facing right now.” This is the perspective of Professor Daizo Kojima, a political scientist and professor of agricultural policy at the University of Tokyo. 

Kojima’s interest in agricultural policy started at Tohoku University, where he went through “an identity crisis… you know, the usual one that every college student goes through.” His interdisciplinary background in studying hard science and economics prompted him to work at the Ministry of Finance. 

The 20 years he spent in the Ministry turned out to be advantageous for him, as he discovered that collusion between the ruling party and agricultural industries is hindering the Ministry of Agriculture from ensuring food security within the nation. Through eyebrow-raising statistics, his publications reveal how the government is allocating funds for its own good rather than for useful and effective policymaking. 

What is going on in the Ministry of Agriculture?

The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries oversees Japan’s food-related industries and policies. That can mean everything from ensuring sustainable catches of tuna to collaborating with regional governments to preserve local food products to setting national food quality standards.

The problem, as Kojima sees it, is that some parliament members of the ruling party are industry insiders. They are affiliated with major agricultural associations that lobby against progressive agricultural reform measures. Every year, when the Ministry reviews the annual funding, affiliated parliament members bend the funding to favor the Japanese Agricultural Cooperative and other large-scale agricultural conglomerates.

One example of this is reshaping rice fields for mechanization. Before the current, conservative Japanese government, the funding for land development focused on regional farming development. Now, as Kojima explains, the emphasis and funding to rework rice fields are excessive. 90% of funding for regional agricultural development is used for land development. That adds up to 14.1% of Japan’s national budget for construction project expenses.

Kojima explains that 14.1% “is a magical number that nobody is allowed to tamper with. If they do, they will get fired on the spot.”

The funding that goes into reworking rice fields strengthens large-scale agriculture, which is usually mechanized, at the expense of projects that could support new farmers and benefit smaller farming businesses. The lopsided funding is also neglecting the possible implementation of much-needed updated policies, such as improved food quality standards. 

Why do these parliament members want to strongly support industry opinion? Kojima explains that this is the “standard path to becoming the Minister.” Many current head Ministers were previously part of this “inner circle” of industry-affiliated cabinet members. If people want a promotion, they have to influence policymaking to the industry’s advantage.

How is the collusion between industries and the government affecting Japanese agricultural policy?

When agricultural industries and parliament members focus on collecting as much money for themselves as possible, that means less funding for policies that effectively address issues of rural depopulation and slowing farmland abandonment.

The percentage of the Ministry of Agriculture’s overall budget allocated to land development versus the budget allocated to regional farm development. Data collected by Daizo Kojima

This lack of willingness of members in the Ministry to fund and advance other policies is already having major repercussions for Japanese society and the quality of agricultural goods. In 2012, a non-profit called “The Children’s Cafeteria” was created to provide children from low-income or single-parent households with affordable meals. In the last 10 years, 6,000 cafeterias have opened. The popularity of this program indicates that food insecurity caused by poverty and inflation is a far more serious problem than policymakers previously believed. If the government does not address the decline in the farming population, among other issues, as soon as possible, the problem will worsen.

Limited funding has also kept Japan from adopting the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) policy, an international food quality management system that ensures the delivery of high-quality food from farm to table. Currently, the Ministry provides minimal funding for training programs for young farmers. If Japan continues like this, Kojima predicts that the country will quickly fall behind world food quality standards, and the brand quality of Japanese food will fall exponentially.

To compensate for the failures of the Ministry of Agriculture, regional governments are taking on the task of community building and supporting rural communities. The saying “The Bureau exists, the Ministry does not” aptly describe the situation. That saying highlights how regional governments — the Bureaus — are the ones doing the most effective policymaking, while the members of the ruling party quarrel over money and promotions.

All of this begs the question of what Kojima sees in store for the future.

“It would be depressing to declare that we are hopeless…” Kojima trailed off, letting out a dry laugh, “so I’m going to say that there is hope.”