Agriculture in Japan?
- Thread starter Kouhia
- Start date
- 4 Oct 2012
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- 316
I never heard of a big rice field, at least not as far as Japanese rice farming goes. You see, they fill the things with water in spring and plant the rice in the flooded field, and they maintain that water level through summer. To try and have a large field so level with a water level just right would be a nightmare. Thus fields are rather small, with their own embankments and flood and drainage gates. This is also works well with Japan's hilly and mountainous terrain. It would be ridiculous to try and level large swaths of sloping land to have one big rice field. Easier just to terrace it.
That said, you can find places that are nothing but solid rice fields in the country. Those in addition to rice fields around houses in pretty crowded areas. Its hard not to see a rice field every minute while driving unless you are in someplace like Tokyo, or downtown in a mid size city or larger...but even then you will be surprised where people have managed to cram in a rice field.
You can also find plenty of plain old vegetable gardens, but they are not nearly as common and recognizable as rice fields. That said, there are some large cabbage ( or lettuce?) fields in my area.
As for other grain fields besides rice, I believe Hokkaido has large wheat fields, but I have never been there so I would double check that if you want to be sure. I rarely see corn fields here in the center of Japan and when I do, they are small and solitary.
About machines...believe me....the farmers have the latest equipment. I hardly ever see anyone doing anything by hand with regards to rice fields, whether tilling, planting or harvesting, but you don't see massive farm equipment...everything is mid-size to small...nothing larger than a mid size delivery truck. Thing is, the individual farmers have fields here, there, everywhere and also off in corners. He may have only one field surrounded by other people's fields. He may have one by his house. He may have several surrounding someone else's house. Japan is incredibly disorganized. Trying to figure out who owns what is a nightmare.
Anyway, point is, with all that land scattered about, they need the machines to keep up and they cannot be overly large. I suppose you could also point to the advancing age of your typical rice farmer for the need of the machines too. Young people don't want the job.
That said, you can find places that are nothing but solid rice fields in the country. Those in addition to rice fields around houses in pretty crowded areas. Its hard not to see a rice field every minute while driving unless you are in someplace like Tokyo, or downtown in a mid size city or larger...but even then you will be surprised where people have managed to cram in a rice field.
You can also find plenty of plain old vegetable gardens, but they are not nearly as common and recognizable as rice fields. That said, there are some large cabbage ( or lettuce?) fields in my area.
As for other grain fields besides rice, I believe Hokkaido has large wheat fields, but I have never been there so I would double check that if you want to be sure. I rarely see corn fields here in the center of Japan and when I do, they are small and solitary.
About machines...believe me....the farmers have the latest equipment. I hardly ever see anyone doing anything by hand with regards to rice fields, whether tilling, planting or harvesting, but you don't see massive farm equipment...everything is mid-size to small...nothing larger than a mid size delivery truck. Thing is, the individual farmers have fields here, there, everywhere and also off in corners. He may have only one field surrounded by other people's fields. He may have one by his house. He may have several surrounding someone else's house. Japan is incredibly disorganized. Trying to figure out who owns what is a nightmare.
Anyway, point is, with all that land scattered about, they need the machines to keep up and they cannot be overly large. I suppose you could also point to the advancing age of your typical rice farmer for the need of the machines too. Young people don't want the job.
undrentide
Japa'n vagyok
- 18 Jan 2006
- 3,652
- 310
You might want to see some stats on agriculture in Japan.
窶拈窶氾堕絶?ｦﾅｽYﾂ湘?THE?87TH?STATISTICAL?YEARBOOK?OF?MINISTRY?OF?AGRICULTURE,?FORESTRY?AND?FISHERIES?(2011ﾂ〜2012)
the 87th Statistical Yearbook of Minstry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan
(2011-2012)
[data from 2011]
Land: 37,791,400ha
Agricultural fields: 4,561,000ha (12.1%)
(Paddy field: 2,474,000ha) (6.5%)
Considering that very roughly 70% of the land of Japan is mountains, 12% is not "small".
Method of agricultural land layout is different between Hokkaodo (rather new compared with other areas in terms of cultivation) and other areas, Hokkaido is the only area where huge agricultural tractors over 100HP can sell - John Deere, an American brand has a distribution centre only in Hokkaido, near Obihiro, I believe.
There are top three agricultural machinery manufacturer, Iseki, Kubota, and Yanmar.
They are excelled in the small-mid range of tractors, especially for rice fields, and the size range is from small to mid. (around 20HP to 80HP). If you go to an international exhibition of agricultural machines, you'll find a lot of machines made in Japan.
If you take an international flight to Narita (Tokyo International Airport which is actually not in Tokyo but in Chiba prefecture), you can see a vast strech of rice field, especially at this time of year they are filled with water and glitter against the sun.
You can see them on the way to central Tokyo if you take Narita Express from the airport.
Rice production in Japan is 8,500,000 tons/year ( as of 2009).
Unlike other agricultural produce (especially grains), rice supply is nearly 100% domestic.
窶拈窶氾堕絶?ｦﾅｽYﾂ湘?THE?87TH?STATISTICAL?YEARBOOK?OF?MINISTRY?OF?AGRICULTURE,?FORESTRY?AND?FISHERIES?(2011ﾂ〜2012)
the 87th Statistical Yearbook of Minstry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan
(2011-2012)
[data from 2011]
Land: 37,791,400ha
Agricultural fields: 4,561,000ha (12.1%)
(Paddy field: 2,474,000ha) (6.5%)
Considering that very roughly 70% of the land of Japan is mountains, 12% is not "small".
Method of agricultural land layout is different between Hokkaodo (rather new compared with other areas in terms of cultivation) and other areas, Hokkaido is the only area where huge agricultural tractors over 100HP can sell - John Deere, an American brand has a distribution centre only in Hokkaido, near Obihiro, I believe.
There are top three agricultural machinery manufacturer, Iseki, Kubota, and Yanmar.
They are excelled in the small-mid range of tractors, especially for rice fields, and the size range is from small to mid. (around 20HP to 80HP). If you go to an international exhibition of agricultural machines, you'll find a lot of machines made in Japan.
If you take an international flight to Narita (Tokyo International Airport which is actually not in Tokyo but in Chiba prefecture), you can see a vast strech of rice field, especially at this time of year they are filled with water and glitter against the sun.
You can see them on the way to central Tokyo if you take Narita Express from the airport.
Rice production in Japan is 8,500,000 tons/year ( as of 2009).
Unlike other agricultural produce (especially grains), rice supply is nearly 100% domestic.
- Thread starter
- #4
I know somthin about rice farming, water is used to compensate heat chances for day and night.
I newer though thatway, than bigger fields may be imbossible to control water level.
And field need to bee a just everywhere on same level.
When you say so, that even sounds practical.
I skip a lot of your text, Zorro, sorry, that was very good on on, but i want to grab those words.
Its same thing in here, Northern Europe, many yong people don`t want to be farmer, they go to work and live in city, leaving to their family land to someone other.
Its just sad, when farm just disappears, only leaving a empty buildings...
Our farm field area has grown for 44 hectare to 150 hectare, in three years, just because there was no family members who want to be farmer.
I see...
Well, in here 100Hp is just small mid size tractor. John Deer has sold tractors in every place in the world.
(I hate John Deere-tractors, they are heavy, clumsy, slow and flue consumption just something really terrible...)
I haven`t never seen Iseki, but in here, Finland, Kubota and Yanmar are sold to garden tractors, and they are very popular in gardens and property maintenance companies use a lot Kubota tractors.
Sound like something i want to see.
I had never see ricefield in real life, only in pictures and movies.
- 20 Aug 2003
- 4,910
- 416
I live in Hokkaido . Yup, lots of wheat, corn, potato fields here (and more). But we have the land for it.
http://www.pref.hokkaido.lg.jp/ns/nsi/genjyoutokadai/genjyoutokadai2310-e.pdf
Hokkaido Bureau - Development of Agriculture and Farm Villages
http://www.pref.hokkaido.lg.jp/ns/nsi/genjyoutokadai/genjyoutokadai2310-e.pdf
Hokkaido Bureau - Development of Agriculture and Farm Villages
- Thread starter
- #7
Okay. Looks like there is traditional farming like in here, nice to know.
But its still wery small amount of food production in Japan, so how much there have to get shipped grains and potatos all owet the world? 80%?
- 20 Aug 2003
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- 416
"Although Japan is usually self-sufficient in rice (except for its use in making rice crackers and processed foods) and wheat, the country must import about 50%[65] of its requirements of other grain and fodder crops and relies on imports for most of its supply of meat. "
Economy of Japan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Economy of Japan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
