Japan

General Information

· Main climates: Subtropical Humid, Temperate Continental

· Total land area of 37 652 000 ha

· Internal renewable water resources: 547 km³

· GNP per capita, 1998: PPP$ 23 592

· Main food consumed:

· Rice supply, 1999: 89.8 kg paddy/capita/year

Basic Statistics

	1985	1990	1995	2000
RICE
Harvested area (M ha)	2.34	2.07	2.11	1.77
Yield (kg/ha)	6224	6327	6343	6702
Production (M t)	14.57	13.12	13.43	11.86
Imports (T t)	19	18	28	NA
Exports (T t)	0.14	0.01	12.5	NA
OTHERS
Population (M)	120	123	125	NA
Agr population (M)	10	8	6	NA
Irrigated agr area (T ha)	2952	2846	2745	NA
Fertilizer cons (T t)	2034	1839	1641	NA
Agr tractors in use (T units)	1853	2142	2123	NA

Producing Zones and Cropping Seasons

Rice is grown in most prefectures/provinces. The following table shows the rice-harvested areas in different prefectures.

	Harvested area (% total harvested area)
Hokkaido	8.84
Niigata	6.11
Akita	4.94
Miyagi	4.32
Fukushima	4.21
Ibaraki	3.99
Tochigi	3.95
Yamagata	3.84
Iwate	3.70
Aomori	3.31
Chiba	3.13
Hyogo	2.85
Fukuoka	2.83
Kumamoto	2.64
Nagano	2.44
Okayama	2.32
Toyama	2.29
Saitama	2.03
Shiga	1.97
Mie	1.96
Aichi	1.91
Hiroshima	1.85
Gifu	1.81
Yamaguchi	1.73
Saga	1.72
Oita	1.68
Kagoshima	1.63
Ishikawa	1.51
Miyazaki	1.47
Shimane	1.31
Gumma	1.21
Kagawa	1.09
Shizuoka	1.06
Ehime	1.04
Kyoto	1.02
Nagasaki	0.98
Tottori	0.97
Kochi	0.95
Tokushima	0.83
Nara	0.69
Wakayama	0.50
Osaka	0.45
Yamanashi	0.36
Kanagawa	0.19
Fukui	0.06
Okinawa	0.03
Tokyo	0.01

The rice-cropping season in Hokkaido in the north starts at one month later than that in Kyushu in the south. There are different types of rice crops and their cropping periods are shown in the following table.

	Planting	Harvesting
Very early rice crop	4-5	7-8
Early rice crop	5-6	8-10
Late rice crop	6-7	9-11
Very late rice crop	7-8	11

Production Practices

Rice is planted mostly under irrigated conditions. Main rice-based cropping systems include Rice-Wheat, Rice-Fodder, Rice-Vegetable and Rice-other crops. With longer growing season, more intensified systems are practised in the southern regions. In the north the short growing season limits the possibility of crop production. Most rice varieties planted in the country belong to japonica sub-species. Large number of rice varieties have been developed and released for cultivation.

· Popular varieties before 1988

Variety Name	Released period	Planted province
Asahi	1939	Chugoku, Kyushu
Ginbozu	1939	Hokuriku
Aikoku	1939	Kanto
Zuiho	1939	Kyushu
Rikuu 132	1939	Tohoku
Hokoku	1940	Hokaido
Norin 1	1940	Hokuriku, Kanto
Mitsui	1940	Kyushu
Norin 6	1946	Chugoku
Norin 8	1946	Kanto
Fukubozu	1948	Tohoku
Norin	1950	Hokaido
Norin 18	1951	Kyushu
Eiko	1952	Hokaido
Norin 22	1956	Chugoku
Toyohikari	1956	Hokaido
Norin 25	1956	Kanto
Norin 29	1956	Kanto
Norin 17	1956	Tohoku
Norin 21	1956	Tohoku
Shinsetsu	1961	Hokaido
Fujisaka 5	1961	Tohoku
Sasshigure	1961	Tohoku
Yamabiko	1966	Chugoku
Koshiji-wase	1966	Hokuriku
Honen-wase	1966	Kanto
Kusabue	1966	Kanto
Hoyoku	1966	Kyushu
Akebono	1971	Chugoku
Nakate-Shinsenbon	1971	Chugoku
Horyu	1971	Hokaido
Shiokari	1971	Hokaido
Fujiminori	1971	Tohoku
Reiho	1975	Kyushu
Ishikari	1976	Hokaido
Todoroki-wase	1976	Hokuriku
Niponbare	1976	Kanto, Chugoku
Nipponbare	1976	Kyushu
Kiyonishiki	1976	Tohoku
Reimei	1978	Tohoku
Nishihomare	1980	Kyushu
Kitahikari	1981	Hokaido
Tomoyukata	1981	Hokaido
Akinishiki	1981	Kanto
Musashikogane	1981	Kanto
Toyonishiki	1981	Tohoku
Koganebare	1985	Kyushu
Yukihikari	1985	Hokaido
Michikogane	1986	Hokaido
Koshihikari	1986	Hokuriku, Kanto
Minaminishiki	1986	Kyushu
Sasanishiki	1986	Tohoku
Akihikari	1988	Tohoku

At present, more than 150 varieties are planted in the country, but the combined-planted area of ten major varieties accounts for 67 percent. The two most widely planted varieties are Koshihikari (occupying 29 percent of total planted area) and Sasanishiki (occupying 9 percent of total planted area). The Government has initiated a programme to breed super rice varieties, which was named "Super-Rice Programme".

· Varieties released under "Super-Rice Programme"

Variety Name	Released period	Main character
Hoshiyutaka	1987	High amylose
Habataki	1989	High yield
Ohchikara	1989	Big & bold
Takanari	1990	High yield
Sari-queen	1991	Aroma Slender
Aya	1991	Low amylose
Haginokaori	1991	Aroma
Kitakaori	1992	Aroma
Hukugibiki	1993	High yield

The average rice field acreage belonging to Japanese farmers is small (# 0.8 hectare) but rice production is highly mechanised. Mechanical transplanting is the dominant method of crop establishment. Efforts to lower production costs by introducing direct seeding started in the 1960s and the direct seeding area became more than 50 000 ha in 1975. However, at present Japan has only 7 000 ha directly sown paddy fields. There has been a tendency to plant rice early to avoid cold (in northern parts) and typhoon (in southern parts) damages. Therefore, warm nurseries, by covering with oiled paper or vinyl film, are popular. Farmers applied high doses of fertilizers and other inputs in rice production. The responses of rice to fertilizer application are shown in the following table.

Other information	Test range (kg/ha)	Control rate (kg/ha)	Control yield (t/ha)	Rate at Maximum yield (kg/ha)	Maximum yield (t/ha)
Nitrogen (N)
Reported in 51, Fukuoka, with 101 P + 101 K kg/ha	0-101	0	2.34	101	5.01
Reported in 51, Kagawa, with 101 P + 101 K kg/ha	0-101	0	3.21	101	6.55
Reported in 51, Shimane, with 101 P + 101 K kg/ha	0-101	0	3.07	101	4.28
Reported in 51, Chiba, with 122 P + 122 K kg/ha	0-122	0	3.1	122	4.53
Reported in 51, Miyazaki, with 122 P + 122 K kg/ha	0-122	0	2.18	122	3.19
Reported in 51, Nagasaki, with 122 P + 122 K kg/ha	0-122	0	3.38	122	4.72
Reported in 51, Nagano, with 141 P + 101 K	0-162	0	2.09	162	6.61
Reported in 61, Volcanic ash soils, with 300 P + 75 K kg/ha	0-187.5	0	2.72	187.5	5.54
Reported in 51, Akita, with 81 P + 81 K kg/ha	0-81	0	3.12	81	5.25
Reported in 51, Oita, with 81 P + 81 K kg/ha	0-81	0	3.38	81	5.07
Reported in 51, Yamagata, with 81 P + 81 K kg/ha	0-81	0	3.48	81	4.5
Phosphorus (P2O5)
Reported in 51, Chiba, with 122 N + 122 K kg/ha	0-122	0	3.7	122	4.53
Reported in 51, Nagasaki, with 122 N + 122 K kg/ha	0-122	0	4.56	122	4.72
Reported in 51, Miyazaki, with 122 N + 122 K kg/ha	0-122	0	2.99	122	3.19
Reported in 51, Akita, with 81 N + 81 K kg/ha	0-81	0	5.42	0	5.42
Reported in 51, Oita, with 81 N + 81 K kg/ha	0-81	0	4.65	81	5.07
Reported in 51, Yamagata, with 81 N + 81 K kg/ha	0-81	0	4.61	0	4.5
Reported in 51, Shimane, with 101 N + 101 K kg/ha	0-101	0	4.13	101	4.28
Reported in 51, Fukuoka, with 101 N + 101 K kg/ha	0-101	0	4.86	101	5.01
Reported in 51, Kagawa, with 121 N + 81 K kg/ha	0-81	0	6.5	81	6.55
Reported in 51, Nagano, with 162 N + 101 K kg/ha	0-141	0	5.11	141	6.61
Reported in 61, Volcanic ash soils, with 112.5 N + 75 K kg/ha	0-300	0	1.77	112.5	4.82
Potassium (K2O)
Reported in 51, Chiba, with 122 N + 122 P kg/ha	0-122	0	4.51	0	4.51
Reported in 51, Nagasaki, with 122 N + 122 P kg/ha	0-122	0	4.14	122	4.72
Reported in 51, Miyazaki, with 122 N + 122 P kg/ha	0-122	0	2.81	122	3.19
Reported in 51, Akita, with 81 N + 81 P kg/ha	0-81	0	5.05	81	5.25
Reported in 51, Oita, with 81 N + 81 P kg/ha	0-81	0	4.39	81	5.07
Reported in 51, Yamagata, with 81 N + 81 P kg/ha	0-81	0	4.38	81	4.5
Reported in 51, Shimane, with 101 N + 101 P kg/ha	0-101	0	3.64	101	4.28
Reported in 51, Fukuoka, with 101 N + 101 P kg/ha	0-101	0	4.37	101	5.01
Reported in 61, Volcanic ash soils, with 112.5 N + 300 P kg/ha	0-75	0	3.41	75	3.64

Constraints and Issues of Sustainable Production

· Blast, stem borers and weeds.

· Low temperature (in northern parts) and typhoon (in southern part).

· High production costs.

· Aging farmers.

· The following table shows the rice production costs

Other information	Yield (t/ha)	Cost (US$/ha)	Cost (Yen/t)
Value for 87-89	6.51	6,632
Value for 93	5.93	12,771
National average value for 1970	4.8		92,233
National average value for 1975	5.2		154283
National average value for 1980	4.9		262,450
National average value for 1985	5.3		268,950
National average value for 1990	5.3		263,980
National average value for 1993	4.7		297,800
National average value for 1994	5.4		243,033
National average value for 1995	5.4		263,516

The high production costs will continue to be the main issues of sustainable rice production in the country. Reducing production cost and/or increasing incomes from the diversifying use of rice fields such as eco-tourism, environment and wildlife conservation, soil erosion control and others would be important for sustainable rice production in the future.

Research and Development Institutes

Among the 29 national agricultural research institutes, affiliated with MAFF, 14 institutes including National Agriculture Research Center (NARC) are engaged in developing rice production and post-production techniques. Besides these national research institutes, most of the 47 prefectures of Japan have their own research institutes for rice production. Following are names and addresses of some institutions.

· Daiichi Seed Co. Ltd. 33, 4-chome, Kamiyoga, Setagaya-ku 158 Tokyo Tokyo Phone: 700-3341 Telex: 2466862

· National Agricultural Research Center, Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.

· National Food Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, 2-1-1 Kannondai, 305 Tsukuba, Japan; Tel (0298) 388102; Fax (0298) 384996.

· Kamikawa Agricultural Experimental Station, Minami 1-5, Pippu-Cho, Kamikawa-Gun, Hokkaido 078-03, Japan.

· Hokkaido National Agricultural Experiment Station Hitsujigaoka, Toyohira-ku 06101 Sapporo Hokkaido

· Itoh C. & Co. Ltd. Minzoguchi Food Division 68, 4-Chomekita-ky Utaro-machi, Higashi-ku 530 Osaka Osaka Phone: 241-2121 Telex: 5222043

· Konki Trading Co. Ltd. 2-5 Shimo-hiroicho Nagoya-shi Aichi

· National Institute of Agrobiological Resources, Department of Genetic Resources Kannondai 2-1-2 305 Tsukuba Ibaraki Phone: (298) 38-7461 Fax: (81-298) 38-7408

· Wako Koeki Co. Ltd. 6-1, 1-chome Hachobori 104 Chuo-ku Tokyo Phone: 552-8281 Telex: J22215

· Tohoku Seed Co. Ltd. Tohoku Tochigi Tele: 3522296