Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF - Japan)

Agriculture, forestry and fisheries industries, as an important sector of Japan's economic structure, contribute outstandingly to the development of national economy and stabilization of national life through their role of providing stable supply of foods indispensable to our daily life. Farmland and forest, also play the role of cleaning air and water, fostering water resources and conserving national land resources. Furthermore, nature and verdant scenic sights abundant in the rural communities is closely related to the national life as they provide mental tranquility for the people through communion between man and nature. The circumstances surrounding the agriculture, forestry and fisheries industries of Japan are severe, due to such factor as imbalance between supply and demand in agricultural products (e.g. rice), delay in the management scale expansion in the so-called' land-extensive agriculture' like rice cultivation, and the escalating pressure for opening up the market from various overseas countries.