Japan has a total land area of 370,000 km and produces a wide variety of agricultural products which include crops in tropical areas
and in cold districts due to its geographical location that stretches in an arc 3,000 km. long from north to south. But owing to the mountainous topography, most of the area is covered by forests and
cultivated land occupies only 13% of the total land or 5 million ha.
Agriculture has played an important role in creating a stable food supply, conservation of land and water resources and
preservation of the natural environment. It is also an indispensable sector of Japanese industry. However, agricultural production has continued to decline in recent years due to stagnant demand in
markets, depopulation in rural communities, aging of the farming population and increasing pressure for trade liberalization.
