The land in Japan has distinctive characteristics which make it suitable for plant production, being influenced by favorable ecological conditions. Because of this, intensive agriculture with paddy rice has been the basis of most economic activity over the last 2,000 years, and the people stayed predominantly agricultural until recently. However, Japan has since been transformed into a heavily industrialized society with a remarkably rapid growth of its economy after the Second World War. Now the Japanese have almost abandoned their traditional food culture, which depends on rice plus other supplemental grain foods, diverse vegetables, mountain plants, and sea products. They have instead been paying large amounts of money in order to incorporate Westernized fatty and protein-rich foods from all over the world into their cuisine. Rice consumption has decreased dramatically in the last half century, and the daily intake of nutritious foods such as meat, milk, and other dairy products...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
References
Evans, L. T. (1975). Crops and world food supply: Crop evolution and the origins of physiology. In L. T. Evans (Ed.), Crop physiology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Fesca, M. (1880). Nihon Chisan Ron (Contributions to the knowledge of Japanese agriculture: Translation of German original ‘Beitrage zur Kentniss der Japanischen Landwirtschaft’). Tōkyō: Nōmushō Chishitsu Chōsasho.
Furushima, T. (1947). Nihon Nōgyōgijutsushi (History of agricultural technology in Japan). Tōkyō: Jichōsha.
Habu, J. (2004). Ancient Jomon of Japan. Cambride: Cambridge University Press.
Hanihara, K. (1991). Dual structure model for population history of the Japanese. Japan Review, 2, 1–33.
Katayama, T. (1951). Ine Mugi no Bunketsu Kenkyū (Research on the tillering habits of rice plant, wheat and barley). Tōkyō: Yōkendō.
Kitō, H. (2000). Jinkō kara Yomu Nihon no Rekishi (History of Japan as discussed with its demographic features). Tōkyō: Kōdansha.
Matsuo, T. (1955). Rice culture in Japan. Tōkyō: Yōkendō.
Mitsui, S. (1954). Inorganic nutrition, fertilization and soil amelioration for lowland rice. Tōkyō: Yōkendō.
Miyazaki, Yasusada. (1697). Nōgyō Zensho (Complete writings on agriculture).
Ōkura, Nagatsune. (1822). Nōgu Benri Ron (An investigation on usefulness of various agricultural tools).
Ōkura, Nagatsune. (1826). Jokō Roku (A note on insect control).
Ōkura, Nagatsune. (1859). Kōeki Kokusan Kō (Thoughts on the benefit of domestic production).
Sato, Y. (1992). Ine no Kita Michi (The trace of rice arrival). Tōkyō: Shōkabō.
Smith, T. C. (1959). The agrarian origins of modern Japan. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
Uegaki, Morikuni. (1803). Yōsan Hiroku (A memoir on sericulture).
Xú, Guāngqǐ. (1639). Nóngzhèng Quánshū (Complete book on the administration of farming).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this entry
Cite this entry
Ito, M. (2014). Agriculture in Japan. In: Selin, H. (eds) Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-3934-5_8413-2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-3934-5_8413-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-3934-5
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Religion and PhilosophyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Humanities