The first is the changing Japanese diet.
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As reflected in numerous
television programs,
interest in food in Japan is growing. While this increased interest should
be a welcome sign,
when we look at the new and changing dietary patterns in Japan, we find
certain problems.
Among younger people especially, the traditional Japanese rice based diet is
deteriorating,
ruining nutritional balance. The intake of fat is increasing, which is
suspected of contributing to
the development of so-called "lifestyle diseases." Some specialists have
pointed out that dietary
problems among children has caused educational and mental problems. |
The second is the decline in Japan's food self-sufficiency rate, which
appears to be
bottomless.
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Consumption of rice, which has the highest productivity per
acre, is declining while
consumption of livestock, fed primarily by imported grains, is increasing.
This phenomenon
continuously aggravates Japan's food self-sufficiency rate negatively. Once
the international
demand and supply balance is tipped, a stable supply for the people in Japan
will be in peril.
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The third problem concerns the further deterioration of Japan's
agricultural land.
|
The borderline between urban and rural communities has become blurred and
agricultural
communities have lost their unique characteristics and scenic beauty. An
increasing number of
agricultural fields in mountain villages are being left fallow. When the
mountains run wild,
earth and sand run into rivers resulting in pollution. Thus the saying
"When a mountain runs
wild, the fisherman catches no fish" turns out to be true, as environmental
deterioration
progresses.
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Fourthly, there is the problem of the decline in agricultural
population.
|
The aging of the
agricultural population is progressing with an increasing number of the
younger generation
leaving the communities. Today, over 60% of the population in agriculture
is over sixty years of
age. Projections for next ten years forecast a dire future with
significant threats. The only good
news is that some younger people as well as retirees are returning to their
rural home
communities because of increasing unemployment resulting from Japan's
current recession.
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