Rice and Agricultural Policies in Japan : The Loss of a Traditional Lifestyle

This book chronicles Japan's rice farmers who live in mainly rural areas in the west and south of Japan through original interviews conducted in Japanese. It argues that current agricultural policy as well as the tightening relationship between the US and Japan is a death sentence for a traditional lifestyle that is vital to Japan's notion of national identity. The project covers recent agricultural policies, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement and its potential consequences on Japan's food sovereignty and documents the effect of these policies on rice farmers. This volume is ideal for those interested in Japan's agricultural policies and rural and traditional Japanese lifestyle. Nicole L. Freiner is Associate Professor of Political Science at Bryant University, USA. She is the author of The Social and Gender Politics of Confucianism: Women and the Japanese State (2012) Front Matter ....Pages i-xx Japanese Rice: History and Cultural Performance (Nicole L. Freiner)....Pages 1-20 The Political Landscape: Recent Agricultural Policies and Rice Growers (Nicole L. Freiner)....Pages 21-49 Global Orders of Trade: Pacific Partnerships and International Agreements (Nicole L. Freiner)....Pages 51-79 Japan Agriculture (JA): The Role of the Agricultural Cooperative (Nicole L. Freiner)....Pages 81-105 Citizen Consumers: Cultural Protection and Japan’s Food Movement (Nicole L. Freiner)....Pages 107-131 Food Sovereignty, Safety and Security: The Role of Rice in Japan and Asia (Nicole L. Freiner)....Pages 133-156 Back Matter ....Pages 157-177