Japan fruits and veg are regulated by JA, which distributes and prices their goods. In Japan's system, farm sizes are regulated, so there's no America-style mega-farms. It keeps them family size. These days, it's an issue as young people don't want to be farmers, so who will continue to run these family-size farms?..but thats another topic.
The cost of domestic vegetables is still shocking to me. I live in the home of the Japanese potato,
Hokkaido, and five tiny potatoes in a sealed bag is ¥200. In Canada, five kilo of domestic potatoes is about ¥500, somewhat cheaper than Japan's staple food, rice. In the US, the government pays farmers to grow stuff (such utter socialism, btw, exclusive handouts to red states), I don't exactly know why Canada has such cheap vegetables, but I know that Japan makes everyone pay per vegetable.
If you ever go to a Western Japanese restaurant, you'll totally see it as in, for example; Tony Roma's serves its ribs on a bed of fries... in the menu photos, but the plates come with a sushi-rice style measured handful of fries in reality.
I can't say what's worse, subsidizing with tax dollars, or having ridiculous costs. I made hamburgers at home yesterday for ¥500 (meat and buns, condiments already in the kitchen). I made stir-fry today for ¥1000 (meat, yellow pepper, onion, and asparagus). The stir-fry was way healthier, but I have to pay out of pocket for it. This means I'm more likely to eat unhealthy any time I'm cooking. I kind of wish I didn't have to pay a premium for vegetables,