Silviase/jgov_v1.4_full_ann huggingface dataset:
## Section 4 Various Programs for Developing of New Frontiers

## (1) Initiatives for Improvement of Added Value and Creation, Protection and Utilization of Intellectual Property

### A. Initiatives for Enhancing Added Value

• Aiming at strengthening competitiveness, Japanese farmers consider the needs of consumers who prefer high-quality agricultural products, and attempt to heighten added value by utilizing sophisticated cultivation technology.

• Japanese consumers attach importance to the safety of food. Accordingly, the producers are expected to satisfy such consumers’ needs.

## Example of High-quality Agricultural Products

• Measurement of protein content using satellite images and appropriate adjustment of timing of harvesting (rice)

• Giving feed in accordance with the fattening stage and managing the fattening process with a focus on marbling (fat cross) (Japanese beef cattle)

• Strict control of watering, fertilizer application and temperature by using glass greenhouses and isolated bed cultivation (greenhouse melons)

Melon cultivation using isolated beds in the greenhouse

Source: Prepared by MAFF

Important Information Requested by Consumers at the Time of Purchasing Vegetables

Source: “Information about Production and Distribution of Vegetables: Consumers' Awareness and Intention” (published by MAFF in August 2004)

• In order to stabilize agricultural management and strengthen competitiveness, more efforts should be directed to production, processing, distribution and the provision of service in restaurants, and the diversification of agriculture through the encouragement of new business should be promoted.

• Sufficient support should be provided to improve not only facilities and equipment but also “soft” aspects such as tax practices and financial management, advertising and marketing, so that diversification of agriculture through the encouragement of new business can be promoted. Taking such an approach has contributed to the revitalization of local economies. For example, several groups of neighboring farmers have collaborated to integrate the various secondary and tertiary industry businesses into the conventional agricultural businesses in order to promote the sextic industrialization of their agricultural activities.

New Business Attracting Farmers' Attention and the Support Services They Intend to Use

Source: “Report on the Marketing Research Program in Rural Areas” (published by Tokachiken Multiple Office Organization in March 2003)

Note: Questionnaire survey conducted on a total of 9,237 households including farm households and non-farm households located in Tokachi district (retrieval rate 42.0%)
## (2) Acceleration of Utilization of Biomass and Global Environmental Measures

• Utilization of biomass has developed new fields of agriculture, forestry and fisheries. Its use, which is a project beyond the conventional concept of food production, has contributed not only to the reduction of global warming and the creation of a recycle-oriented society, but also to food security through utilization of abandoned cultivated land.

• Since the formulation of the “Biomass NIPPON Strategy” in December 2002, the rate of utilization of waste related biomass has been steadily increasing. However, the rate of utilization of un-used biomass has been improved by only 1%, and few crops for resources have been utilized.

• In view of global warming and the escalation of crude oil prices, an increasing number of countries are making efforts to utilize biofuel, and the production of ethanol and biodiesel fuel (BDF) has been increasing.

• The U.S. and Brazil have been promoting the utilization of bioethanol, while the EU has been making efforts to utilize BDF. Asian countries have also been promoting their utilization.

Transition of Production of Ethanol in the World

Source: Investigated by F.O. Licht

Note: The probable values were used for 2006.
## (3) Further Promotion of Exports of Agricultural Products

• Amid the recent boom in Japanese food in foreign countries, the exports of Japanese agriculture, forestry and fishery products and foods have been increasing, and the value of exports in 2006 reached 373.9 billion yen, a 50% increase compared with the figure for 2001.

• There is increasing concern about the progress of low birthrates and aging leading to a reduction of the domestic market scale. In this situation, we should pay attention to foreign markets and promote exports by developing new frontiers.

• We set the goal for the export value of agriculture, forestry and fishery products, and foods, at about one trillion yen by 2013.

Transition of the Export Value of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery Products, and Food in Japan

Source: Prepared by MAFF according to “Trade Statistics” (Ministry of Finance)

Notes: 1) The agricultural products did not include tobacco and alcoholic beverages. The fishery products did not include pearls.

2) The values shown above the bars indicate the total of exports of agricultural, forestry and fishery products.

3) Both agricultural and fishery products included processed goods.

• These products are exported mainly to the U.S. and Asia. Exports to Asian countries, including China, where more people are included in the high income bracket due to rapid economic development, are increasing dramatically. According to the data on the importers of Japanese agricultural, forestry and fishery products, and foods, the proportion of Asian countries in the top 20 has increased from 66% in 2001 to 71% in 2006.

Distribution of Top 20 Importers of Japanese Agricultural, Forestry and Fishery Products, and Food (2001) (2006)

Source: "Trade Statistics" (Ministry of Finance)
• The exports of processed foods, including green tea and soy sauce, as well as apples and Chinese yams, increased in 2006.

• Various programs have been promoted to find new markets and increase exports. For example, we have conducted foreign market researches and analyses, opened permanent shops, and held exhibitions and business meetings around the world.

• In order to further increase the demand for Japanese foods and foodstuffs, the Japanese food campaign should be actively promoted, and more information about them should be provided in foreign countries. The “Proposal for Japanese Restaurant Recommendation Program” proposed by the Counsil of Advisors for the Recommendation of Japanese Restaurants outside Japan in March 2007 will be put into practice with support from the government.

Main items Whose Value of Export Were Drastically Expanded and Their Destinations (2006)

(Unit: 1 million yen)

(China: P.M.H.M.Y.O.M)
Apples	Taiwan	Thailand	Hong Kong
Value of exports	5,697	5,280	98	137
Raito to year 2001 (%)	929	1,297	192	181
Green tea	U.S.	Taiwan	EU
Value of exports	3,063	1,469	128	582
Raito to year 2001 (%)	266	475	317	175
Chinese yams	U.S.	Taiwan	Singapore
Value of exports	1,795	292	1,492	2
Raito to year 2001 (%)	172	271	163	113
Soy sauce	China	Australia	EU
Value of exports	3,482	484	225	768
Raito to year 2001 (%)	139	185	179	158
Soybean paste	Australia	EU	Korea
Value of exports	1,771	95	265	152
Raito to year 2001 (%)	138	207	163	148

Source: “Trade Statistics” (Ministry of Finance)

Notes: 1) The EU as mentioned in this table includes the 25 member states as of May 2004.

2) Among the top five importers of respective Japanese foods, the countries whose rates of increase of import value compared with the import value in 2001 ranked in the top three places were selected.

• Japanese agricultural products are highly evaluated in foreign countries. For example, in Shanghai, Japanese apples are well appreciated because of their high quality and safety.

• We should clarify and formulate a comprehensive strategy, including concrete solutions to possible importers by product, and enhance the platforms of production, distribution and processing.

Evaluation of Imported Apples in Shanghai

(Unit: %)

Quality	Freshness	Price	Safety	Packaging
Produced in;	Japan	Other countries	Japan	Other countries	Japan	Other countries	Japan	Other countries	Japan	Other countries
Highly satisfied	40.0	17.3	8.6	2.7	8.6	8.0	34.3	13.3	48.6	38.7
Fairly satisfied	60.0	80.0	42.9	34.7	45.7	36.0	42.9	40.0	34.3	44.0
No opinion	—	2.7	42.9	57.3	31.4	40.0	22.9	46.7	17.1	16.0
Fairly dissatisfied	—	—	5.7	5.3	14.3	16.0	—	—	—	1.3
Highly dissatisfied	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

Source: “Market in Shanghai, China, and Future Prospect of Foods Produced in Fukushima Pref.”

(Published by Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization in March 2005)
## Chapter III

## Revitalization of Rural Areas and Promotion of Complementarities and Interrelationships

## Section 1 Present Situation of Rural Areas

## (1) Population Trend

• The Japanese population moves into a downward phase and the possibility of long-term decline is suggested. Japan has a rapidly aging population, especially in the rural areas, and the number of elderly people is expected to increase continuously all over the country.

• In recent years, the rate of natural population increase is lowering and the trend of the population in the countryside moves into the phase of natural reduction.

Source: Prepared by MAFF according to “Population Handbook, the Basic Resident Register” (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications)

Note: The rate of population increase in each fiscal year was shown.

- The excessive migration to the Tokyo area and the Nagoya area from the rural areas calmed down after the collapse of the financial bubble. In recent years, however, the population inflow into the metropolitan areas has been escalating. The excessive migration into the central city in each area has been clearly recognized, and this phenomenon reflects the increasing difference in population depending on the location.

(Unit: 1 thousand people)

Migration of Population between Regions

Source: Prepared by MAFF according to “Annual Report on Internal Migration in Japan Derived from the Resident Registers” (1990, 1995, 2000, 2005) (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications)

Notes: 1) The number of excessive migrations into each area in a year was shown.

2) Kanto was defined as the area consisting of Ibaraki Pref., Tochigi Pref., Gunma Pref., Yamanashi Pref., Nagano Pref., and Shizuoka Pref. The Tokyo area (Saitama Pref., Chiba Pref., Tokyo Metropolitan, Kanagawa Pref.) was not included in Kanto. Kinki was defined as the area consisting of Shiga Pref. and Wakayama Pref. The Osaka area (Kyoto Pref., Osaka Pref., Hyogo Pref., Nara Pref.) was not included in Kinki. The Nagoya area included Gifu Pref., Aichi Pref., and Mie Pref.

Migration of Population into the Central Cities in the Areas

(Unit: 1 thousand people)

Source: Prepared by MAFF according to “Annual Report on Internal Migration in Japan Derived from the Resident Registers” (1990, 1995, 2000, 2005) (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications)

Note: The number of excessive migrations into the central cities within the areas in a year was shown.
## (2) Trends of Rural Communities

### A. Influences of Changes in the Rural Community Structure on Community Activities

• The rural communities have contributed to various local activities, including agricultural production. There were 139 thousand rural communities around Japan in 2005.

- The reduction of farm households has affected various activities for revitalization of local communities. In the areas to which people migrate from different areas, the increase in population contributes to revitalization of local communities.

State of Various Activities for Revitalization of Rural Communities (Data by farm household number or scale and local community type, 2005)

Source: “Agriculture and Forestry Census Accompanying Survey, Rural Community Survey” (reclassification counting, MAFF)

State of Various Activities for Local Revitalization in Rural Communities (Data by condition of migration, 2005)

Source: “Agriculture and Forestry Census Accompanying Survey, Rural Community Survey” (reclassification counting, MAFF)

• There are both concerns and hopes regarding the influence of municipal mergers on the programs for local revitalization. It is necessary to take advantage of municipal mergers to promote creation of local brands and make effective use of expanded communities.

## I nfluences of Municipal Mergers on Programs for Local Revitalization

Hopes	Concerns
·Promotion of efficiency in administrative services leading to improved quality of administrative services, including local support programs	·Increase in geographical and emotional distance between local areas (local communities) and administrations (local governments) and weakening of their relationships, including the collaboration and support systems
·Securing of human resources with expertise and excellent abilities	·Decrease in administrative officers who are familiar with the local areas (local communities)
·Planning and implementation of local programs for broader areas. The expansion of financial scale leading to facilitation of big project introduction	·Difficulty in formulating policies reflecting the specific situations and requests of the local areas (local communities). Prioritization of policies leading to enlargement of the differences between local areas.
·Increase in popularity and improved image of the entire local community (strategy for creation of local brands)	·Loss of the traditional culture in the local areas (local communities), reduced value of identity in the resident's consciousness, weakening of community activities.

Source: Prepared by MAFF according to the results of the local-resident survey on municipal mergers in the local governments
## (3) State of Social Infrastructure Establishments

• Although community facilities have steadily improved in the rural areas, the sewage facilities in the countryside need further improvement, compared with those in urban areas.

State of Community Facility Establishment (FY2005)

Source: “Survey on the State of Community Facilities” (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications)

1) All the municipalities were categorized into the following four groups according to their sizes: large cities (designated cities, special wards), medium-sized cities (hub cities, special cities, cities with populations of 100 thousand or more), small cities (cities with populations below 100 thousand) and towns or villages. The total number by size of city was obtained as a provisional value.

2) The road improvement ratio indicated the proportion of road extensions in compliance with the specifications defined by the Road Construction Ordinance.

3) The ratio of sewage facility introduction indicated the proportion of introduction of the facilities established as public-works projects, including public sewerage and rural community sewerage facilities.

• The construction of information and telecommunication infrastructures such as broadband networks has been delayed in the municipalities with small populations. Rapid penetration of information and communications services into the rural communities is indispensable for promoting the initiatives for complementarities and interrelationships between urban and rural areas.

• In the future, information technology should increasingly be utilized to improve the efficiency of agricultural management and promote various activities, including development of new businesses, transmission of information and complementarities and interrelationships programs. In this manner, the local communities should be revitalized.

State of Broadband Construction (Data by size of city, 2006)

Source: "Next-generation Broadband Strategy, 2010" (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, August 2006)

Note: The data obtained were classified according to municipal boundaries as of April 1, 2006. The broadband services included communication services via ADSL, optical fiber and cable network.

Purposes for PC Use in Agricultural Management by Farmers (Multiple answers allowed)

Source: “Survey on the Conditions of Utilization of PCs by the People Involved in Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries” (published by MAFF in March 2006)
## Section 2 Initiatives for Revitalization of Agriculture and Rural Areas

## (1) Present Situation of Agriculture from the Local Economy Aspect

• Agri-fisheries and food industries (food processors, food distribution industry, food service industry), which are closely related to each other, act as an inseparable pair in supporting the local community.

• Especially in the local areas including Hokkaido, Tohoku, Shikoku and Kyushu, the proportion of agri-fisheries and the food industries’ contribution to the entire local economy is high.

Local Industrial Structure in Japan (Data based on GDP, 2000)

Source: Estimated by MAFF according to "Input-Output Tables" (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and nine other ministries and agencies) and "Local Input-Output Tables" (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry)

Notes: 1) Kanto included Yamanashi Pref., Nagano Pref., Niigata Pref., and Shizuoka Pref. Kinki included Fukui Pref. Chubu included Toyama Pref., Ishikawa Pref., Gifu Pref., Aichi Pref., and Mie Pref.

2) The contribution of the food service industry to GDP indicated the costs related to the services provided by general restaurants, coffee shops and entertainment restaurants, and that of the food distribution industry indicated the costs of wholesale, retail and transportation related to the food industry.

• In recent years, the food industries increasingly procure agricultural products from different production areas in Japan and foreign countries. This phenomenon promotes loosening of the tie between agriculture and food industries in the local economy. Because of this situation, in the event of generation of the final demand for food processors, the effect of stimulating the production of agriculture, forestry and fishery in a single local community through procuring local foodstuffs is likely to be lowered in all the local areas in Japan.

Production Inducement Effects of Food Industry on Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries Activities

Source: Estimated by MAFF according to “Local Input-Output Tables” (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry)

2) The production inducement effect is defined here as the increase in the production of the agriculture, forestry and fishery within a single local community through the procurement of foodstuffs by the local food processors in the event of increase of their final demand by a unit (e.g., 100 million yen).
## Section 3 Preservation and Utilization of Rural Resources and Improvement of Rural Environment

## (1) Various Rural Resources and Multifunctionality of Agriculture

• Rural communities have a large variety of local resources. Among others, farmland and agricultural water are the common social capital that is indispensable for assurance of a stable food supply and fulfillment of multifunctionality.

Source: Prepared by MAFF

• There is growing concern about fulfillment of the multifunctionality of agriculture due to stagnation of agricultural production activities and the decline in community functions. More efforts should be directed to further promotion of understanding the multifunctionality of agriculture.

## Factors Contributing to Further Promotion of Understanding the Multifunctionality (Multiple answers allowed)

Source: “Survey on Food and Agriculture: Fulfillment of Multifunctionality” (published by MAFF in March 2003)

Note: The questionnaire survey was conducted on the officers in charge of agricultural policy in 3,369 municipalities in Japan (Retrieval rate: 50.8%).
## (2) Activities for Maintenance and Preservation of Rural Resources and Conservation of Local Environments

• In rural communities consisting of small numbers of farm households or communities characterized by a higher ratio of mixed-living of farm and nonfarm households, maintenance and preservation of farm roads and agricultural irrigation and drainage canals are less frequently conducted as community tasks. The structural change of rural communities, such as reduction of farm households and acceleration of mixed-living of farm and nonfarm households, makes it difficult to perform the agricultural activities, including maintenance and preservation, as community tasks.

State of Maintenance and Preservation of Farm Roads and Agricultural Irrigation and Drainage Canals in Agricultural Communities (2005)

Source: "Agriculture and Forestry Census Accompanying Survey, Rural Community Survey" (reclassification counting, MAFF)

Notes: 1) The proportion of rural communities where maintenance and preservation of farm roads and agricultural irrigation and drainage canals are performed as community tasks was shown.

2) “Proportion of rural communities where several communities are involved in maintenance and preservation” indicated the proportion of rural communities where such agricultural activities are performed by several communities to the rural communities where they are performed as community tasks.

3) “The ratio of mixed-living of farm and nonfarm households” indicated the proportion of nonfarm households to the total households in the rural community.

• Participation of nonfarm sectors in the maintenance and preservation of agricultural irrigation and drainage canals results in a reduction of cooperative work hours. The range of their participation affects the work hours. The increasing difficulty in their maintenance and preservation by the community results in significant reduction of farmland and increase in ruined areas.

• As part of the activity for conservation of local environments, the preservation and creation of beautiful landscape and preservation of natural animals and plants are increasingly promoted in recent years. The local communities should make concerted efforts to preserve and utilize the resources, including farmland and agricultural water.

Range of Participation in Cooperative Works and State of Implementation of Maintenance and Management (2005)

Source: “Agriculture and Forestry Census Accompanying Survey, Rural Community Survey” (reclassification counting, MAFF)

Changes in Forms of Maintenance and Management of Agricultural Irrigation and Drainage Canals (Indicated by paddy field area)

Source: “Survey on the Influence of Changes of Agricultural Communities on Rural Society” (Policy Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, July 2006)

Note: The cases of management by external sectors include those of management by the municipalities or management as part of the land improvement district program. In some communities, the collaborative management program is implemented by several members alone, and the community itself has no concern with the program.