Silviase/jgov_v1.4_full_ann huggingface dataset:
## V arious urban residents’ moving to or settling in rural areas

As a growing number of urban residents hope to settle in rural areas, a system should be built to strategically develop exchanges between urban and rural residents into urban residents' moving to or settling in rural areas. Support should be proactively given for rural areas that try to secure and nurture women, elderly people, very experienced people and other people to shoulder the future invigoration of rural areas.

Changes in the number of people inquiring about moving

Source: Survey by Furusato Kaiki Shien Center

## Promoting farm-inns and settlement to maintain and invigorate rural areas

Nakatsugawa is an area in Iide Town in southern Yamagata Prefecture, a region plagued with a declining and aging population. The area has launched Nakatsugawa community development council to promote farm-inns, and moving and settling.

In FY2014, a total of 1,165 tourists stayed at farm-inns in Nakatsugawa, invigorating exchanges between urban and rural areas and contributing to securing places for elderly people’s activities.

In supporting moving and settling, the council has agriculture, life, employment and other specialized supporters to back up those hoping to move to and settle in Nakatsugawa. As a result, 15 people (seven families) have moved to the area since FY2011. These new residents have taken up various jobs including farming, café management and plant dyeing. In a bid to further invigorate the area through getting people to move to and settle in the area, the council has opened a website. It plans an initiative for new residents to provide consulting services to people hoping to move to and settle in Nakatsugawa and provide information to urban residents through social networking services.

(The council won the 12th All Right! Nippon Grand Prix)

Farm-inn owner

A new resident’s house
## Demand for inbound travel and rural approaches

As foreigners interest in Japan have grown over recent years, the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan in 2015 hit a record high of about 19.74 million. Foreign tourists placed great expectations on Japanese food and dietary culture, spending about 640 billion yen on food and drinks in Japan.

To attract foreign tourists, the number of which is expected to increase further, into rural areas, Japan must intensify various rural resources including local dishes, histories and landscapes, increase their added value and communicate them to foreigners. It is important to link these initiatives to developing agriculture, forestry and fisheries, and food manufacturers into growth sectors and invigorating agriculture and rural areas.

MAFF and the Japan Tourism Agency have formulated the logo “Japan. Farm Stay” for farm-inns that provide experience in agriculture, forestry and fisheries and are ambitious to accommodate foreign tourists, in a bid to brand such inns.

## Changes in the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan and their spending breakdown (2015)

Source: Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) (Released in January 2016)

Source: Japan Tourism Agency, "Survey on Consumption Trends for Foreign Visitors to Japan" (Released in January 2016)

## I nviting foreign travel agencies to a farming and rural experience tour

Tono City in Iwate Prefecture is known as an advanced green tourism area. It was included in an inspection tour for foreign travel agencies under the VISIT JAPAN Travel Mart 2015 campaign sponsored by the JNTO. The Tono/Sumita Rural Experience Council accepted 30 people from 13 Western and Asian countries and impressed upon them the attractiveness of Japan’s farming and rural areas.

Meals, accommodation and harvest experiences at farm-

inns certified for the “Japan. Farm Stay” program

contributed to deepening the tour participants’

understanding about rural life, food and agriculture in Japan.

The inspection tour proved popular as participants voiced their plans to develop tours targeting Japanese agriculture and rural areas.

Given such needs, rural areas in Japan must urgently make arrangements to accept foreign tourists.

(Tono was selected in the 2nd Discover Countryside Treasures in Japan)

Experience of rice harvest
## 1 Maintaining and demonstrating multifunctional roles of agriculture and rural areas

O Agriculture and rural areas have various roles including not only food supply but also national land conservation, water recharge, biodiversity conservation, good landscape formation and cultural succession. All people, including urban residents, have benefitted from these roles.

☐ In order to maintain and demonstrate these multifunctional roles, the government steadily implements Japanese agricultural direct payments (multifunctional payment, direct payment to farmers in hilly and mountainous areas, direct payment for environmentally friendly agriculture) to support regional cooperation backing such roles, agricultural production in hilly and mountainous areas and effective farming for environmental conservation.

## Outline of the Japanese agricultural direct payment system

## Multifunctional payment

[Farmland maintenance payment]

Supporting local resources conservation activities including agricultural road surface maintenance

[Resource improvement payment]

Supporting simple repair of channels, agricultural roads and ponds, and other cooperative activities to qualitatively improve local resources

## Direct payment for hilly and mountainous areas

Supporting the continuation of agricultural production in hilly and mountainous areas

## Direct payment for environmentally friendly agriculture

Supporting agricultural production activities contributing to natural environment conservation

Source: MAFF

Changes in total area for initiatives subject to the Japanese agricultural direct payment system

Source: MAFF surveys

## 2 Responding to wildlife damage

☐ Annual wildlife damage to farm products has remained around 20 billion yen in recent years. Such damage discourages farmers from continuing farming and encourages them to retire, bringing about more serious impacts than indicated by the damage value.

O While most wild animals captured to prevent wildlife damage are buried or incinerated, moves have made progress in recent years to utilize these wild animals as game meat for sales to restaurants and supermarkets.

Changes in crop damage by wildlife

100 million yen

FY2004FY2006FY2008FY2010FY2012FY2014

Source: MAFF surveys

## Branded game meat

Akan Green Farm in Akan, Kushiro, Hokkaido Prefecture, developed a meat processing facility with thorough sanitation and quality control and acquired the HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) certification in 2005. The farm has secured stable Yezo sika venison supply by keeping deer captured with enclosure trapping at a ranch as well as receiving deer captured for wildlife damage prevention. It processes some 1,500 deer annually. Yezo sika venison processed at the facility has been branded. The farm has also developed canned Yezo sika venison, soup curry and other products, integrating meat processing and

Yezo sika venison has been provided, in a traceable manner, to consumers in Hokkaido and to restaurants inside and outside the prefecture, establishing its position as a new regional resource.

Branded Yezo sika venison
## 5 Promotion of urban agriculture

Urban agriculture plays various roles including the production and supply of fresh agricultural products, the provision of disaster prevention space, the formation of good landscapes, the conservation of the national land and environment, and the provision of farming experience sites.

O Basic Act on Promotion of Urban Agriculture, which took effect in April 2015, provides a basic philosophy for providing these various functions and calls for creating the Basic Plan for Promoting Urban Agriculture to push necessary policy measures.

## Multifunctional roles of urban agriculture

## Supply of fresh agricultural products

Role of supplying local fresh agricultural products required by consumers

## Disaster prevention space at emergency

Role as a space for disaster prevention, such as preventing the spreading of fire, place for evacuation at the time of earthquake, and site for constructing temporary housing

## Site for agricultural experiences, learning and exchanges

## Preserving the national land and environment

Role of providing places for urban residents' and students' agricultural experiences and learning, and for exchanges between agricultural producers and urban residents

Role to contribute in retaining rainwater, recharging groundwater, and biotic conservation

## Peaceful green space

Role to provide “peace” and “enrichment” to the lives of urban residents by providing green space and waterfronts

## Developing understanding of agriculture among urban residents

Role of developing understanding among urban residents through urban agriculture that exists close to them

Source: MAFF

## Activities of a young farmers' group in a suburban area

Six local farming successors in their 20’s in Yokosuka City of Kanagawa Prefecture formed a group called “Wakozu” (young cultivators) in November 2012. While producing the special local products such as cabbage and other vegetables, the group takes advantage of urban agriculture close to consumption areas for conducting proactive exchanges with consumers, shipping agricultural products to local farm posts and restaurants. In the area, some consumers are making a point of buying vegetables produced by the visible Wakozu, while some restaurants offer dishes using Wakozu vegetables. Producers and consumers have thus developed mutually beneficial relationships.

The Wakozu are attracting attention as a group of young suburban farmers who proactively use blogs and social networking services to provide information from the viewpoint of young farmers.

Wakozu
# Summary of FY2016 Measures for Food, Agriculture and Rural Areas

## Summary

Policy priorities, fiscal measures, legislative actions, tax measures, monetary measures, policy assessment

## I Measures to maintain and improve Japan’s food self-sufficiency potential and ratio

• Initiatives to maintain and improve Japan’s food self-sufficiency potential and ratio

• Measures to realize the production effort target for each major item

## I I Measures for securing a stable supply of food

• Securing of food safety compatible with international trends and securing of consumer confidence

- Promotion of food and nutrition education by various people concerned, expansion of consumption of domestic agricultural products, and the preservation/succession of WASHOKU (traditional dietary cultures of the Japanese)

- Exploration of demand through the creation of new values through production, processing and distribution stages

• Strategic exploration of global market

• Establishment of comprehensive food security compatible with various risks

• Strategic reactions to international negotiations

## I II Measures for sustainable development of agriculture

• Development/securing of business farmers for realizing a strong and sustainable agricultural structure

• Development of an environment wherein women farmers can fully exert their potential capacity

• Consolidation of farmland to business farmers and securing of farmland through full-capacity operation of the Public Corporations for Farmland Consolidation to Core Farmers through Renting and Subleasing (Farmland Banks)

- Promotion of the Farming Income Stabilization Measures for business farmers and consideration of the income insurance, etc.

• Development of an agricultural production base that contributes to the acceleration of structural reform and building national resilience

• Reform of production/supply systems compatible with changes in the demand structure, etc.

• Technological innovation, etc. at production/distribution sites for realizing cost reduction and high added value

• Promotion of environmental policy such as responses to climate change

## I V Measures for promotion of rural areas

• Maintenance/succession of local resources through steady promotion of the multifunctional payment system and performance of local community functions

• Creation of employment and income through active utilization of various local resources

- Exchanges between urban and rural areas and migration/settlement to rural areas through collaboration with various sectors

V Measures for restoration/reconstruction from the Great East Japan Earthquake

VI Measures for reorganization/restructuring of relevant bodies

VII Matters necessary for comprehensively and systematically promoting measures for food, agriculture and rural areas
(3) Farm household economics

Terminology	Definition
Total income	Agricultural income + Income from agriculture-related production + Nonagricultural income + Income from pensions, etc.
Agriculture income	Gross agricultural income (total income from farming) - Agricultural expenditures (all expenses necessary for farming)
Income from agriculture-related production	Earnings from agriculture-related production (earnings from businesses such as agricultural processing, farm-inns, restaurants and tourist farms, which are related to agriculture and managed by individuals engaged in farming) - Expenditures from agriculture-related production (expenditures such as labor and material costs required for the aforementioned businesses)
Non-agriculture income	Non-agriculture earnings (e.g. earnings from independent part-time nonagricultural businesses, salaries and wages) - Non-agriculture expenses (e.g. expenses for independent part-time non-agricultural businesses, transportation expenses for commuting)
Production cost	The production cost is the total cost (combining property and labor costs) for production of farm products minus by-product values
Material cost	The material cost combines liquid goods costs (seeding, fertilizers, agricultural chemicals, heating, lighting, power and other materials costs) and depreciation costs for fixed goods (depreciable assets including buildings, automobiles, agricultural machines and production management equipment).
Land rent	The land rent for a crop subject to the survey is calculated by multiplying the actually paid farm rent by the contribution rate for the relevant crop.
Interest payment	Interest payments are classified by use of underlying loans and multiplied by a contribution rate for a crop subject to the survey to calculate the borrowed capital interest to be shouldered by the crop.
Family labor cost	The family labor cost is calculated by multiplying family working hours by an average hourly wage as computed based on wage data for business establishments with five to 29 workers in the construction, manufacturing and transportation/postal industries in the Monthly Labor Survey Report (by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare).
Employed labor cost	The employed labor cost represents wages paid to workers employed on an annual, seasonal or daily basis for producing farm products. Boarding and material compensations are assessed based on market prices. The cost includes rewards paid separately from wages.
Equity capital interest	The equity capital interest is calculated by multiplying equity capital - gross capital minus debt capital - by an annual interest rate of 4%.
Rent for owned land	The rent for owned land is based on a rent for similar farmlands (having capabilities similar to the farmland for a crop subject to the survey) within the same region.

Relationship between agricultural expenditures and production cost

Note: Actually, by-product values are deducted from “production cost,” “production cost counted in payment interest /land rent” and “production cost counted in capital interest/land rent.”
(4) Agricultural labor by farm household members

Labor status	Household member
Engaged only in self-employed farming	Engaged in both self-employed farming and other work	Engaged in other work only	Not engaged in any work	As a rule, people who live and earn a living together(1) Core persons mainly engaged in farming Among household members involved in self-employed farming (population engaged mainly in farming), those who are working mainly in agriculture during regular hours.(2) Population mainly engaged in farming Persons engaged only in self-employed farming, or persons who are also engaged in work other than farming but spend more time engaged in farming on a yearly basis.(3) Household members engaged in own farming Household members 15 years old and over who are engaged in self-employed farming for more than one day per year.- Full-time farmers Among persons engaged mainly in farming, those who are engaged in self-employed farming for more than 150 days per year
Mainly self-employed farming	Mainly other work
Status during regular hours	Engaged mainly in work	Core persons mainly engaged in farming(1)	Population mainly engaged in farming	(2) Household members engaged in own farming	(3)
Other

(5) Newcomers in agriculture (definition used in the survey on Newcomers in Agriculture)

Type of involvement in farming	Newcomers in agriculture
Self-employed farming	Employed fulltime by corporations, etc.	Just entering farming	Defined as individuals who fulfill one of the following conditions: (1) New self-employed farmers Members of farm households whose living status has changed anytime within a year of the survey date from “student” or “employed in other work” to “new graduate who has become a farmer” or “a new farmer who changed occupations”. (2) New employed farmers Persons engaged in farming who have been hired by corporations anytime within a year of the survey date and work for their employers for 7 months a year or more. (3) New entries Persons responsible for farming started anytime within a year of the survey date by securing land and funds on their own, and their partners - Entrants to farming soon after graduation from school Self-employed farmers who have changed their status from “student” to “engaged mainly in farming”, as well as employed farmers who were recently students.
Entrants to farming soon after graduation from school
New self-employed farmers	New entries
Status before farming	Engaged in housework and child rearing / Other	(1)	New employed farmers	(2)
(6) Classification of agriculture area

Terminology	Definition
Classification of agriculture area	Classification of former cities, wards, towns, and villages (hereinafter referred to as “municipalities”) based on fundamental conditions (e.g. the rate of cultivated land or forest land and grazing land area, gradient of farmland) that define the structure of agriculture area.
Category	Standard index (fulfills one of the following conditions)
Urban area	- Former municipalities where the rate of DID is 5% or more of habitable land, and which have either a population density of 500 or more or have a DID population of 20,000 or more.- Former municipalities where the rate of residential area is 60% or more of habitable land, and which have a population density of 500 or more.Regions where the rate of forest land and grazing land are 80% or more of the total area are excluded.
Flat farming area	- Former municipalities where the rate of cultivated land accounts for 20% or more of the total area and the rate of forest land and grazing land account for less than 50% of the total area. However, areas where the total area of all paddy fields with gradients of 1/20 or more and upland fields with gradients of 8° or more account for 90% or more of the total area are excluded.- Former municipalities where the rate of cultivated land accounts for 20% or more of the total area and the rate of forest land and grazing land account for 50% or more of the total area, and where the total area of all paddy fields with gradients of 1/20 or more and upland fields with gradients of 8° or more account for less than 10% of the total area.
Hilly farming area	- Former municipalities other than urban and flat farming area where the rate of cultivated land is less than 20% of the total area.- Former municipalities other than urban and flat farming area where the rate of cultivated land is 20% or more of the total area
Mountainous farming area	- Former municipalities where the rate of forest land and grazing land is 80% or more and the rate of cultivated land is less than 10% of the total area.
Notes: 1) Order of priority: Urban area → Mountainous farming area → Flat and hilly farming area2) As a rule, DID (Densely Inhabited Districts) are defined as areas where basic district units, as defined by the national census, with populations densities of 4,000 per km² or more are adjacent to each other and the total population of these conjoined districts is 5,000 or more.3) Gradient refers not to the gradient of cultivated land per parcel, but to the main topographical gradient as grouped land.4) The combination of the hilly and mountainous farming area categories is referred to as hilly and mountainous area.5) Former municipalities are those that were classified as of February 1, 1950.
(3) Fisheries
Supplementary contributions of fishery to the nitrogen and phosphorus cycle	An appropriate level of fishery can help recycle nitrogen and phosphorus absorbed by marine wildlife through the food chain to land.
Conservation of coastal environments	Bivalve shellfish such as oysters and clams filter and purify seawater by feeding on organic suspension such as plankton.
Water purification	Mudflats and seaweed beds, and plants and animals that inhabit them purify seawater by decomposing organic matters, absorbing nutrient salts and carbon dioxide gas, and supplying oxygen.
Preservation of ecosystems	Appropriate fishery operations can contribute to preserving mudflats, seaweed beds and other ecosystems that provide inhabitation environments for a wide variety of water creatures.
Transfer of cultural assets such as traditional fishing practices	Cultural assets such as traditional fishing practices are passed down to future generations through the activities of people living in fishing villages.
Rescue operations in the event of marine emergencies	Fishery workers help emergency rescue operations when ships sink, capsize, become stranded, go adrift, collide or catch fire.
Rescue operations in the event of disasters	Fishery workers conduct emergency operations such as supply transportation and oil recovery during natural catastrophes, oil tanker accidents and other disasters.
Monitoring of coastal environments	The fisheries monitors abnormalities in coastal environments. For example, fishery workers assist in early detection of red tides, blue tides and jellyfish outbreaks.
Border monitoring	Activities to monitor illegal poaching of precious marine resources also protects the national interest by preventing smuggling and illegal immigration.
Functions related to providing places for exchange	The mariner industry can provide places for leisure such as marine recreation facilities and places to learn the importance of nature.