Japan’s Agriculture

1. Japan’s Agriculture By, Crystal Strong, Jacory Roberson, Leslie de latorre.

2. The major ways people obtained food in Japan 100-150 years ago. Japan obtained their food via crops and fishing 100-150 years ago. The surrounding hills and mountains are covered by rice fields called terraces (also called rice patties). Woodlands are preserved as a source of compost. Shoring up the dikes and cleaning out the irrigation systems has traditionally been men’s work while planting and weeding has traditionally been a job for women.

3. The major ways people obtained food in Japan 100-150 years ago Cont. Their main crops were wet rice (grown in the rice patties) and dry rice (grown on dry land) along with wheat and barley in autumn and sweet potatoes and vegetables in summer. Intercropping was common: such as crops are alternated with beans and peas. They also used water buffalo to help plow the fields.

4. The major ways people obtain food in Japan today. For the most part Japan still obtains their food the same way they have been for centuries. With crops and fishing. Rice still being their main crop for about 3,000 years is also for the most part done by hand (including maintaining the paddies and irrigation canals), but they do use some machines.Between 1,000 to 2,000 men or women hours are required to raise a crop on 2.5 acres of land. Most crops nowadays are run by an elderly couple. Because of that and the shortness on farm hands they do have to use some pesticides and things but for the most part they try to use the forests/nature around them as compost and only use small amounts of pesticides since the rise patties have their own little ecosystem.

5. Major crops and food sources for Japan. Japan’s major crops and food sources are rice (wet and dry), sugar beets, vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, cabbage, taro, carrots, a variety of turnips and radishes (daikon) onions, lettuce, and carrots), cherries, fruit, and tea. Also mushrooms, fishing and livestock.

6. Japan’s exports. Main exports are: motor vehicles (21 percent), non-electrical machinery, tools and mechanical apparatus (21 percent), consumer electronics and semiconductors (18 percent), chemicals (12 percent), iron and steel products (6 percent), and scientific and optical equipment (3 percent). Main export partners are: China (30 percent), United States (15 percent), South Korea (7.5 percent), Thailand (4.5 percent), and Germany (3 percent). Along with: United Kingdom, Netherlands, Australia and Singapore.

7. Japan’s imports. Main imports are: fuel (32 percent of total imports), machinery (19 percent), food (9 percent), manufactured goods (9 percent), chemicals (8.5 percent), raw materials (8 percent), and clothing (4 percent). Main import partners are: China (24 percent), United States (9 percent), Saudi Arabia (8 percent), Australia (7 percent), and South Korea (5 percent). Along with Germany, Qatar, Indonesia and Malaysia.

8. Food Rituals, Planting Celebrations, and Colorful Events The Japanese tea ritual is one of Japan’s oldest and most respected food ritual. It can take years to master it. Honen Matsuri is a harvest/fertility festival,based off the Shinto religion, that dates back 1,500 years. The festival is full of fun, food, and sake!

9. References • http://factsanddetails.com/japan.php?itemid=939&catid=24...159 • http://www.photius.com/countries/japan/economy/japan_economy_agriculture_forestr~398.html • http://www.tradingeconomics.com/japan/exports • http://www.tradingeconomics.com/japan/imports