Despairing Correctly About Japanese Agriculture

Japan Today | National | Opinions

Dec. 18, 2012 | 11:00 am JST

With farming communities in demographic decline, pending Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, and the potential long-term contamination of farmland by radiation, Japanese agricultural policy finds itself at a crossroads. In his book The Correct Way to Despair About Japanese Farming (Nihon no nogyo e no tadashii zetsubo ho), Meiji Gakuin University professor of agricultural economics Yoshihisa Godo challenges common misconceptions about farming while highlighting the true crises facing the industry.

Godo argues that so-called "experts" on agriculture, including himself, should be viewed with caution as they are not actual farmers. He distinguishes between technique and craft in farming:

• Technique: Can be taught from textbooks or manuals and involves the technical knowledge required to farm, like irrigation methods or pest control.
• Craft: Refers to the experiential understanding of environmental conditions, climate, and social factors specific to a field or rice paddy. It cannot be learned from books alone and is crucial for healthy plants and animals, resulting in better taste and resilience.

Godo uses the sushi analogy to illustrate this distinction:
Mechanized production can create acceptable but mediocre supermarket sushi, while only a skilled itamae-san (sushi chef) can prepare high-quality sushi through craft.

Threats to Craft-Based Farming:

Various factors are pushing technical farming at the expense of craft:

• Lack of interest from younger generations to pass down traditional farming skills.
• Media narratives romanticizing factory farming and corporate involvement in agriculture, which Godo criticizes for its high failure rate and reliance on expensive artificial lighting.

Despite media buzz about corporations "saving" agriculture through mechanization and economies of scale, Godo argues these methods dehumanize farming and ultimately undermine its craft.